Mother Jailed,
Son Confesses
Doctor’s Death
Woman Convicted of Slaying
Former Omahan Imposed
Seal of Silence on
Boy, 15.
By International Neni Service.
Los Angeles, March 7.—Harold
Sonny! Willis, 15-year-old son ofMar
* garet B. Willis, tinder life sentence
for the slaying of Benjamin B. Bald
win, formerly of Omaha, confessed
today he killed the physician.
According to the authorities, the
youth related his story to his aunt,
Mrs. Virginia Nelson.
District Attorney Asa. Keyes Im
mediately launched an Investigation
of the startling story told by the
convicted slayer’s son.
Breaking the seal of silence he de
clared was Imposed upon him by his
mother, who, he eaid. was willing to
immolate herself on the altar of jus
tice to avoid Implicating him in the
crime, the youth bared what he as
serted were the facta of the slaying
which gained nation-wide notoriety as
the "mystery trunk murder."
Hurled Over Cliff,
The body of the physician, found
murdered here last April, had been
stuffed Into a trunk and hurled over
a canyon cliff.
As a result of the boy’a dramatic
recital steps were on foot today to
bring about a complete reopening of
the hlstorlo case.
An appeal la to be carried to Gov
ernor Friend W. Richardson by Mrs.
Willis' slater, Mrs. Virginia Nelson,
asking for his intervention, If neces
sary, to gain the convicted woman a
rehearing.
As the first move of the bitter legal
campaign, which promises to become
one of the most spectacular in the
annals of Lbs Angeles courts, an at
tempt was begun to have Mrs. Willis
kept In her cell in the county jail
pending a full investigation of her
son's atory. instead of being sent to
San Quentin to begin serving her life
sentence.
Breaks Down Composure.
The confession of the self asserted
youthful slayer succeeded in break
ing down the phenomenal composure
of his mother.-who gained the sobri
quet of “the woman of iron and steel"
during the weary weeks In which she
fought desperately for her life on the
witness stand. Scarcely a ripple of
emotion played over her cool, intelli
gent features when she stood up to
receive t lie sentence which shut her
off from the rest of the world. The
news, however, of her son's act threw
her Into a hysterical state.
"Oh, why did he tell, why did he
tell?" she moaned over and over be
tween gusts of sobbing that shook
her frame. ,
"He is your son and would not let
you make the great sacrifice of going
to prlaon for life," one of the matrons
answered Mrs. Willis.
Tells of Struggle.
Young Willis' confession stated he
killed the physician when he found
him etruggllng with his mother on
the floor of the Willis home.
The boy confessed:
"I had just come home from school.
It was between half-past S and 4
o'clock. As I came In I found mamma
on the floor struggling with Dr. Bald
win. She was fighting him off. When
I got In she said, 'Sonny, quick, come
over and help me.’ The doctor hit me
and mamma shouted, ‘Get the gun
In the closet in the little handbag,
quick, and give it to me.’
"I ran In the #loset and got the
ll 3;
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Mother Accepts Sentence to Shield
Son in Slaying of Former Omahan
Left: Mr*. Margaret R. Willi* and
"Sonny” Willis, hrr son, who has
confessed the slaying for which Ills
mother was sentenced to life im
prisonment.
Right: Dr. Benjamin B. Baldwin,
Creighton graduate and former Oma
han, for whose death Mrs. Willis was
tried and conrlrted.
gun—a .32 Remington that I have
shot many times on hunting tripe, but
Instead of giving it to mamma, I shot
him myself."
Woman Victim of
Auto Crash Dies
Divorced Wife of Omaha Po
liceman Succumbs to
Injuries.
Mrs. Elmer Heller, Council Bluffs,
divorced wife of Police Officer Heller,
died Saturday noon at St. Joseph
hospital from injuries received Friday
morning in an automobile accident.
Her skull was fractured when the
automobile In which she was driving,
overturned Friday at 3 a. m., at Thirty
sixth and Jefferson streets.
George Carmichael, 3328 Avenue A,
Council Bluffs, driver of the car, was
said to halve lost control of the car.
Other occupants of the automobile
gave their names as Mrs. R. A. AI
hright, Twenty-eighth nnd Avenue A,
Council Bluffs, and John Smith, Twen
ty-seventh and Avenue A, Council
Bluffs.
K. OF C. BUILDING
BIDS ARE SOUGHT
The building committee of the j
Knights of Columbus announces that i
it will goon have plans and specifica
tions ready for contractors who wish
to submit bids on the new clubhouse
which will be erected on the south
side of Dodge street, between Twen
tieth and Twenty-first streets. It is
expected that the bids will be opened
about April 15.
The new clubhouse will cost approx
imately *300,000 and serve as a civic
center for various organizations. The
main floor auditorium will he designed
for use as a ballroom banquet hall,
or for dramatic and musical enter
tainments.
An Important feature of the design
ing Is the application of the unit sys
tem, whereby any feature may be
used without intruding upon the priv
ileges or privacy of another feature
or department. The natatorlum will
be 35 by 30 feet.
eggeTeaves”
FOR CAPITAL
Carl F. Egire, superintendent of air
mail, left Saturday evening for Wash
ington and New York City where he
will spend a week. He will go to
Hazelhurst field. New Jersey, to in
spect three new planes to be put on
"try-out" for the air mall service.
Egge wdll be met at the inspection
field by J. E. Whitbeck, superintend
ent of the eastern division: E. C. Rich
ard. superintendent of the repair de
partment of the air aervlre at Chicago;
ami Professor E. F. Warner, Instruc
tor in aeronautics at Massachusetts
Institute of Technology.
MOTOR POLICE
GIVEN PRAISE
Will M. Brady, general instructor
In the Indianapolis (Tnd.I police de
partment and former battalion chief,
!» in Omaha in the interests of the
Policemen's and Firemen's Insurance
association. At Central station he
lauded the motorcycle officers.
"All over the United States," he
said, "statistics show that about S3
per cent of these ‘shock troops' sus
tain some kind of Injury In the course
of each yeir."
MISSOURI RIVER
ICE IAM BREAKS
v
Nlobrv*1. Neb., March 7.—Seven
teen families who escajied from their
homes, when flood waters from the
Missouri river rolled upon them, to
day are expecting to return to their
houses within a few hours. An ice
gorge, said to be 20 miles long, is
moving downstream today and a
recession of the flood waters which
caused damage to livestock ami farm
land la expected.
An urgent appeal by residents of
this vicinity for army bombing plane*
to dislodge the ice Jam was made.
Movie Actor Killed.
Hollywood, Cal., March 7.—Jack
(Shorty) Hamilton, 37, motion plctur*
actor, was killed here early today
when the automobile ho waa driving
crashed Into a steam shovel standing
In the street. Ho wns a native of
Chicago.
#
Bridegroom, 61,
Gets Divorce
From Wife, 28
Omaha Traveling Salesman,
75, Weds Nebraska Woman;
Iowa Farmer, 62, Weds
Omaha Woman.
Deeembes-'s mating with May ended
Friday when District Judge J. S.
Dewell in Council Bluffs granted
George rfeiffer, 61, a'divorce from
Cleopatra Iselin Pfeiffer, 28, now liv
ing with her parents at 6003 North
Twenty-second street. Omaha.
Pfeiffer is chief Inspector of the
Council Bluffs water works, whore he
has been employed since 1881. He
married the young woman September
20, 1924. He claims she left him the
day after their wedding and he has
not seen her since.
Two Meals Together,
According to the court reporter’s
notes, Pfeiffer testified that he ate
only two meals with his bride. One
of these was the wedding supper Sat
urday night and the other Sunday
dinner.
They stayed that night at the home
of her mother in Omaha.
Sunday afternoon he said hs went
out to get some cigars and when he
returned both his wife and her
niother were gone and he didn’t see
Mrs.- Pfeiffer again.
His attorney, Georg* 8. Wright,
said mental cruelty was the charge.
Their Second Wedding.
Two couples, each of the quartet
taking their second leap Into matri
mony, were married Friday In Coun
cil Bluffs by Rev. Henry DeLong.
C. M. —Schneider, "6, Omaha, a
traveling salesman, whose wife died
eight months ago, was wedded to
Anna Malchow, 44, West Point, Neb.
Chris Rippel, 62, farmer, Wall Bake,
la., married Della Stephens of Omaha.
FIREMAN THROWN
FROM HOSE TRUCK
William Ryan, fireman at station
No. 2. was severely cut and bruised
about the head Friday afternoon
when he was thrown from the truck
on which he was riding at Tenth and
Douglas streets.
Ryan's company was answering a
call at Tenth and Douglaa streets,
where a tractor was on fire, and
when the truck stopped suddenly,
Ryan was thrown to the pavement,
striking on his head.
He was treated by police surgeons
and removed to his home.
The tractor was only slightly dam
aged by fire.
SUSPECTS IN AUTO
THEFTS RETURNED
Robert Swanson and Larry Dowd
were taken back to Moline, 111., at 3
Saturday morning by Detectlva Ser
geant S. M. Petersen.
They ware captured two miles
north of Council Bluffs last Thurs
day after they had run their Ford
sedan into a ditch and fled. Bluffs
police, at the time, were searching
for two men who had escaped from
Federal Prohibition Agent Sumner
Knox in Missouri Valley.
According to the Molln# officer,
the two perpetrated a robbery in cen
tral Illinois and then atqle a car in
Moline in which they escaped.
Huntley Couple Celebrates
50th edflinfc Anniversary
Huntley, March 6.—-Mr. and Mrs.
Henry Sell celebrated their golden
wedding anniversary at their home in
Huntley. Mr. Sell Is 71 end Ills wife
60. They settled In Nebraska In 1868
and have nine children.
I Better Tailored Clothesp
I MODERATE PRICES |
| 18121* Dodge Street 1
OSTEOPATHY^
The Voice of Authority Con, ■
corning Adjustment of the
Spinel Column
V_... J
N. Y. Too Fast
for Danbaum
and Dennison
Chief Sleuth Comes Home
ithout Sunshine But
Bring New Derby;
Meets Al Smith.
Isaac Sunshine is still -afe in New
York. Chief of Detectives lten Dan
bautn returned to Omaha Saturday
morning from a futile second trip
after the aged man, wanted here to
answer charges of a 34.500 swindle.
Tom Dennison, going on other busi
ness, accompanied him. They stopped
at Albany on the way to New York,
intending to tix things up neatly so
they could take Isaac right with
them.
They met Governor Al Smith him
self and explained their business.
‘'Oh, Yes," Saj£ Al.
"Oh, yes," said the governor, snd
asked his secretary whether anybody
was representing Sunshine.
"Yes." said the secretary; "Dan Is.
He just stepped out."
Soon "Dan" returned, a prosper
ous-looking man.
"Are you representing Isaac Run
shine, Dan?" asked the governor.
"Yes, Al," said Dan. “He hasn't
been out of New York for years. He's
sick In hed now and nothing can be
done about a hearing."
Hark to Nebraska.
"Well, boys," said the governor,
turning to Danbaum and Denniaon,
"you better go hack to Nebraska.
When we can have a hearing, we'll
let you know."
Danbaum and Dennison decided
they didn't have much standing there
in comparison with Dan, who called
the governor "Al." They departed
from the office.
Dan was on the same train on
which they proceeded to New York.
He told them Sunshine hasn’t been
out of New York for 30 years.
"He lives just a block from the
county attorney, who will swear that
he has never been in Nebraska," said
Dan. Dan showed the most Intimate
knowledge of New Terk politics and
politicians.
Experienced Earthquake.
Danbaum and Dennison were on
Broadway last Saturday night when
the earthquake occurred.
“People ran in every direction,"
said Dennison. "Some of them yelled
to run Into the churches. But I
couldn’t see any churches handy."
Danbaum startled his comrades In
central police station with the derby
he bought in New York. Everybody's
wearing them on Broadway, he said,
and he doesn’t want to be a bit behind
the procession in style.
Just wait till Governor Al Smith
wants to extradite eome person from
I Omaha, that's all. "Them's the senti
ments" of the two returned tourists.
TEACHER HURT
IN GAS BLAST
Miss Evelyn Wslton, daughter of
Mr. end Mrs. Willard Walton, 2409
Avenue A, Council Bluffs, w»» se
verely cut last Wednesday when a
gas oven in the Madison (111.) High
school exploded In the domestio sci
ence room.
Miss Walton w*s etruclc In the
cheek by a flying piece of timber.
The accident occurred at noon when
there were no students In the science
room. Miss Walton is instructor In
domestic science at the Illinois school.
snow Sunday;
ROBINS’ FORECAST
Rnow Is predict'd for Sunday by
Meteorologist M. V. Robins.
The forecast is mostly cloudy to
night and Sunday, probahly snow,
colder tonight. Rnow was reported
in Wyoming, Utah and Idaho.
Cataract Hotel Sold.
The largest real estate transaction
In the state of Rnuth Dakota was com
pleted Saturday when the H A. Wolf
company, Omaha realtora. purchased
the Cataract hotel from w. E. Ward,
eeamlner In charge of the Sioux Telia
Truat and Savings hank. The con
sideration was $320,000 cash.
It Is reported thet the property w>es
purchased for the Eppley Hotel com
pany. operators of a number of lead
ing hotels In the middle west emong
which is the'Carpenter hotel at Sioux
Tails.
Wife Shoots Self Before Mirror;
Leaves Hote Urging Mate to Wed; j
Asks Jewels Be Buried With Her
After writing a note, asking her husband to marry another wife, Mrs.
Frances Noble, wife of Louie S Noble, a paving man. stood in front of a
mirror in the bedroom of her home, 1944 South Twelfth street, at noon
Saturday and sent a revolver bullet through the roof of her mouth.
Instead of reaching th* brain it came out near the left eye and
surgeons in St. Joseph hospital sav she will live.
A second shot which she fired went wild altogether and she ran then
to the rear of the house and threw the revolver into an Icebox and
screamed for help.
Mrs, Sarah Xarboro, living downstairs and Mrs. Louise Roma, a
neighbor, came to her assistance and called police and a iloetnr. Before
these arrived, Noble drove up with Alflo Cortese, 1929 South Fourteenth
street. They took the injured woman to the hospital.
Tn one hand she clutched a photograph of her son, Pebastinno, 14,
and in the other the note, written in Italian. It wns translated:
"Hear Husband: .Someone has been telling lies about me and they
have broken you and me. But I am innocent. I want tny Jewels buried
with me and I want you to marry another wife because our sou needs
a mother."
ORGANIZATION OF
SENATE DELAYED
Washington, March T.—Objection
from their own ranks prevented the
republican majority today from com
pleting organisation of the new
senate.
When the republican organisation
brought in Its slate of committee
ajj-ignmente, relegating the La Kol
lette Insurgents to places of minor
rank. Senators Norris, republican, of
Nebraska and Borah, republican, of
Idaho blocked Immediate considera
tion.
In the new committee assignments
Senator Capper, republican, of Kan
sas has been selected for the place
on the foreign relations committee,
which had been held by the latejSena
tor McCormick of Illinois.
SEARS SAILS !
FOR PANAMA
Washington, L>. C., March 7.—Con
gressman Willis G. Sears, sailed from
New York Thursday morning on the
steamship ‘‘Chrislobal" for a three
weeks’ visit In Central America. This
ship carried a nu Tiber of congressmen
and senators and members of their
families who will be the guests of the
government while in Panama.
On the way down, the ship will
touch at Port au Prince and then pro
ceed to Panama. There will be a trip
through the canal and numerous side
trips into the country by automobile
for those who care for them. Con
gressman Sears will return to Wash
ington the last of the month and will
then return to Omaha.
-c-—
Lane s Friends
Administrator^
—. A
Court Respect* Dr*ire of Late
Rail Official in l n
sifnrd Will.
D. B Welpton and Frank H. Myers
nf Omaha were made admlntatraters
of the "Mate nf Charles J. Lane. late
t.’nlon Pacific railroad official, hy
Judge Bryce Crawford In county com t
Saturday morning.
Judge Crawford based his decision
on Mr. Lane's unsigned will, wh!< li
indicated a desire to have his two
Omaha friends administer his estate
"Although the will, being unsigned
has no standing In cmrht, 1 cannot bid
consider It Mr. Lane's desire to hai-e
Mr. Myers and Mr. Welpton as ad
ministrators," said Judge Crawford
Harry B. Tuthill of Grand Rapids,
had filed a petition asking that Victor
Tuthill, another cousin, be made ad
ministrator. A search for a signed
will still U in progress.
Mrs. Lea Kirwln, Mr. Lane s house
keeper. sppeared In county court Sat
urday morning and Indicated that she
will take steps to retain certain gif'"
which she says Mr. Lane presented
to her, according to Judge Crawford
LEGION SEEKS MAN
TO SUCCEED ‘BUCK'
N'o successor had been selected *t
the meeting of members of the conven
tion committee of the American Le
gion Saturday to take the chairman
ship of the committee, formerly held ^
hy the late Everett Buckingham.
Theie have already been two meet
ings. Another meeting is to be held
Saturday afternoon.
;
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This is borne out by the fact that there are—
3 people connected with this firm for 35 years or more
6 people connected with this firm for 30 years or more
15 people connected with this firm for 25 years or more
19 people connected with this firm for 20 years or more
I
■ 27 people connected with this firm for 15 years or more
: 39 people connected with this firm for 10 years or more.
67 people connected with this firm for 5 years or more
Omaha Women show their Appreciation of This Store
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