Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19?? | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 1909)
- & > * * " > "fi . vw rt , * ww * nc , invtMtytamum" m m v . . .aijwuot.au am | > xMMBs > HM > jitiia vj am i 8 TUB NOKOLK WBKKLY NKWS-JOUNAL KK1DAV JANUARY 20 1909 : i NORFOLK BIDS ' FOR AJORMAL , legislature Will Be Shown Ad vantages o ! Location , ! ! IF THIRD SCHOOL IS WANTED , ' 5 Commercial Club Directors Will Make * Strong Effort to Bring Normal ' * School Here If a Third State Normal Is to be Voted Site Discussion. While by no means confident Unit a llilnl Htato normal tichool Is within the range of possibilities thin year , the 'Commercial club directors at their aiieellng yesterday afternoon further canvassed the situation and dolor- mined that the advantages possessed Jjy this dty as tlio location for a state .normal school should not be lost sight of by the Icgishituio when the normal < iii"stlon | comes before that body. An Informal canvass made along Jtfmfolk avenue has resulted In $2,500 already being pledged to a normal site in ease > an appropriation for normal purposes should bo mndo. It Is staled h ithat the men here listed are willing to f JmMviuu > their contributions If neces- f awry. awry.A committee ) to Investigate a proper jslle for a normal scliool was named sis follows : ( ! . D. Butlorlleld , H. A. Pasewalk , Hurt Mapes , J , W. Hansom jind J. S. Matliowson. Four Children Are Cremated. Pltlsbnrg , 1'a. , .inn. 27. Four chil dren were cremated and their parents seriously Injured today In a lire which destroyed the homo of A. M. Kendall on Uryson 11111 , Dunbar , east of this city. city.Mr. Mr. and Mrs. Kendall leaped from the second story window after re- pouted unsuccessful efforts to reach the room occupied by their children. The lire Is supposed to have started from a small gas steve loft , burning when the /amlly retired. Taft Will Eat Alligator Meat. New Orleans , .Ian. 27. Secretary Trozevant of the Progressive union , which Is taking the leading part In preparations for Ihe entertainment of President Elect Taft and party on tthoir return from Panama , Is arrang ing to give the president elect an alll- j-ntor steak dinner. "Miss Thurston Coming to Town. Norfolk playgoers nro to sec a thea trical favorite of national popularity. Adelaide Thurston in "The Woman's Hour. " Is coming to town a week from jicxt Tuesday February 9. Miss Thurston , of course , needs no .Introduction to people who follow the theatrical events and who read the magazines. It will bo her first ap- poaranoe in Norfolk and a largo and iromvsontaUvo audience , not only of Norfolk people but of people from this /entire territory , should greet her. "The "Woman's Hour" was especially written for Miss Thurston by that splendid author-actor , Frederick Pauld- ing. Mr. Pauldlng accompanies Miss Thurston on her present tour In the capacity of stage director and leading A Royal Slave. "A Royal Slave , " with elaborate stage settings and well spoken lines , guvo satisfaction at the Auditorium last night. The story of the play is one of action with considerable atten tion to the climax in each act. The company carried Its own scenery for ? aeh of the live acts. Seems Sure Census Will Total 5,000. The census count at noon today 3,521 persons. City Clerk Ed Harter , census taker , Slaving found 1,810 people in the southwest - west quarter of town , expects to find 3,000 people living In the northwest ' ciinrter , which ho is now engaged In laklng. This will give virtually 2,300 ] proplp living west of the Northwestern ( tracks. ji When the government census of 1900 ti was taken the town was divided into i two parts , one Including all the tor- ; rltory west of the tracks and the June- I tlon. the other that part of the city [ north of the Junction and east of the tracks Ahout 1,900 people were found * In each of these two sections. The * " total population then was 3,883. If without counting the Junction , Ed Harter finds 2,300 people west of the tracks. It would appear that the city lias the desired 5,000 population. It is of course , in the tcrrllory west of the tracks that the greatest growth has taken place. 'The Kaiser 50 Years Old. Berlin , Jan. 27. The fiftieth nnnt versary of the birth of Emperor Will Jam was celebrated hero today. The crowned heads of German states came * o Berlin and presented congrntuln Alons to the omporor. Calls were also xunilo by the diplomatic corps. .The 1lag dedication of the Landwoh "Veroin of Norfolk formed wlthou cloubt the most notable celebration ii Nebraska of the Gorman omporor' fiftieth birth anniversary. The da was picked for the Important celobra tlon of the dedication of the handsom now Hag by the kaiser's old veteran because It marked Emperor William' fiftieth birthday. American nnd German flags mingle on Norfolk avenue and up in Mar iviuardt hall wore the flag draped pic tures of Emperor William nnd Pros < lent Roosevelt. The picture of th emperor was unique In that It Is n re- iroducllon of a drawing by a mtnla < nro hand writing artist , the whole Icturo being made up of finely written IIICH Hotting forth the history of the oyal house to which William belongs , Mio writing must bo road by a mngnl < ylng glass. t A parade up Norfalk avenue opened le afternoon's program , the members f the Sons of Herman , the Norfolk ellef association and a chorus of oinig laldes Joining with the ex-mem- lots of the Gorman army who mnkc Ii the vcroln. A band headed the arndo. Tllj afternoon program and lag dedication followed , the ball and > anquot coming In the evening. Crash Unheaded In Norfolk. Ten miles northwest of Norfolk coins to have been the nearest point > this city at which the explosive rash of Manday's meteor was icard. And at that point the nolso is oportcd to have resembled a dynamite xploalon. Huge-no Crook , the Foster banker , ho was In Norfolk Tuesday after- eon , reported a crash at Foster. Car- enters working on a building said the else resembled the explosion of n owder mill , and thought that the oil ank at Plalnvlew had blown up. On < ? imor had It that a Burlington on- Ino at Plainvlew had exploded. Herd of Cattle Stampeded. Mr. Crook said that a herd of about orty cattle near Foster stampeded hen the crash came , and , turning round , ran back toward the farm louse. Earl Plymesse , a young man venty-threo or twenty-four years old , ad difficulty In escaping from the anlc-strlcken beasts with his life. Team of Mules Ran Away. A team of mules near Willow Creek , Ir. Crook said , were so frightened by 10 noise that they ran away. Mrs. Ida Eves Gets Divorce. O'Neill , .Ian. 27. Special to The 'ows : Judge Wostover came own from Hiishvlllo Monday to onvene district court and issued a ecree of divorce to Mrs. Ida Eves , ifo of E. S. Eves , publisher of the loll County Democrat. Besides the Ivorco the dccree , carried with It all- lony in the sum of $3,520. Of this mount $1,000 was directed to be paid forthwith , " the balance In monthly ayments. The suit came as a great urpriso to O'Neill people. The po tion was filed Saturday and alleged ruolty , A formal answer was filed ele- ylng Ihe charge of cruelty , but the cfendant was not represented ' 11 ourt Monday. Mrs. Eves has pos- ession of their son for five years and icir daughter for one year. The Holt county Agricultural SO' ' ioty was re-organized Monday even- ng with the election of the following f fleers : President , C. E. Hall ; vice resident , S. F. McNlchoIs : secretary , Vm. Froollch. It is the Intention ol 10 society to continue the annual ace moot here and expect to become elnstated In the North Nebraska clr nit. Dedicate the Vereln Flag. German army veterans , members ol ic Landweht Verein of Norfolk , take art Wednesday in a flag dedication eremony attended by exercises which 111 take up the greater part of tuu ay. ay.At At 10 a. m. at a regular meeting ol lembers , Initiation of now members s held. The new members coming rom Pierce , Hndar and Norfolk. With ut these additions the society has ixty-threo members. During the day reception committees icet all trains. Twenty-flvo visitors re expected from Columbus , The afternoon opens with a parade rom the Schwertfeger building , whore he members assemble at 1:30 : p. m. leaded by the Norfolk band and oined by visiting members of other erelns , the Sons of Herman and the \orfolk relief association , the veterans vill march up Norfolk avenue to Mar- quardt hall , where the program Is o bo carried out. A feature of the Kiradc will be a squad of twelve vet erans with rifles who will drill In the ashlon of the German army. The Hag dedication will bo the prin clpal feature of the afternoon Speeches will be mnde by F. Mortons of Omaha , president of the Western \rlegerbund of Iowa and Nebraska , nnd Rev. Carl Martin , pastor of St. Johannes church. Music will be fur- ilshed by the band ami by a chorus of fifteen young ladles. The afternoon will close with an other parade , down Madison avenue to First street and then west to Mar quardt hall. The day will close with a bnnquet and ball. Gregory's Welcom to the Victors. Gregory , S. D. , Jan. 27. Special to The News : The Gregory delegation which has been in Washington for over a month In the Interest of the land of flee for Gregory wore tendered a re coptlon and welcome homo by the citizens of the city on Saturday nigh at the Auditorium. Covers were lali for 150 and there were several sue cesslvo tnblesful served. When the delegation arrived at the building the band played and the ladles , who hm the banquet in charge , escorted eacl one around the long room to Ihe deaf oiling shouts of the onlookers. Bn they did not stop at this hut they also marched around with the visitors fron other towns In the county. The speech making was in charge of Gov. F. M Htebach , as toastmaster. The speaker from outside wore : J. N. Ellerman C. A. Johnson , M. L , Parish , Countj Judge C. A. Davis , D. Coffee of Fall fax : A. J. Jones , Herrlck ; J. D. Keller Dallas. The local speakers wore : 0 F Slaughter , J. R. Hoover. C. E. B Oldham , G. G. Wnrnor , Rev. Fathe Glesen , Rev. Ferguson , E , T. Spencer L. A. Wilson and the delegation , J , M Hacklcr , Fred Huston , Windsor Doherty horty and W. H. Tacket , There was Joy In every speech over the victory ol Gregory and no malice shown any competitor. Since the announcement that Greg ory had secured the land office there is Increased activity In the building lines. The Luollyn hotel will be raised to three stories and steam heat put in , making tills one of the most complete hotels In the county. Tin Pacific lintel is also putting an ad ditlonal story on the kitchen making It the mime height as the rest of the building. Other buildings are planned and will soon lie on the way. Prices have advanced for the reason that there Is an Increased demand that could not bo supplied as all the pros out buildings wore already occupied and would continue to be. Chicago Winners Looking Up Rosebud Gregory , S. D. , Jan. 27. Special Ic The News : Mr , Carroll , vice presl dent of the Chicago Homesteaders' as : sociatlon , a company formed of win ners In the Trlpp county drawing which has attained considerable notoriety , is in Gregory this week In lerviowlng the real estate men and locators In the Interest of the asso- elation. There are more than a huii' ilred In the club and thby are goiiii ) after the matter In a systematic way , He is a guest of Tom Carey , a leading grocery merchant hero. Suspected of Hadar Trick. A man bolloved to have been one ol the Hadar bank robbers has been caught. Ho is under arrest In Slou > City. Ho has the record oV a crooli behind him and he was seen In Nor folk on the morning of the robbery boarding the early morning passengot train for Sioux City. Detective Was Here. A detective working on the case was In Norfolk Sunday , It has Just become known. The detective brought photo graphs of crooks whom he suspected One of the photographs was that of n man who took the Sioux City train out of Norfolk a few hours after the Hadai bank safe had been blown. Fetter Knew the Face. John Fetter of Norfolk identified the photograph. He picked out of the bunch of pictures tone which ho said was an exact likeness of a strangoi whom he saw standing on the plat orm at the M. & O. depot Just before he train left for Sioux City. On the strength of this identlfica ion , the crook whom Mr. Fetter saw n the platform , has been arrested al ioux City. Efforts are now being made to gel he man's ' partner , if he had one , as ! < s presumed he did from the fact that wo horses were taken out of the Nor oik barn and , apparently , rlden tc ladar and back by the yeggmen. Sheriff Dwyer of Pierce county was n Norfolk Tuesday afternoon investl atlng clues as to the robbers. BANK ROBBERS CARRY LITTLE. Piece of Soap and Bottle of Nitro Glycerine is All. Bank robbers don't carry mucli araphernalia. A cake of ordlnarj vashlng soap such as Mary uses 01 : londay morning in the kitchen , and a Ittlo bottle of nltro-glycerlne , Is aboul 11 there Is In the way of baggage. And the explosion doesn't make much noise. Very little noise , in fact manates.from . enough nltro-glycerine o blow open a safe. A little soap oft soap , if you please is plastered ip against the safe , Just under the rack of the door. The nltro-glycerine s poured into this soap-cup and from here it runs over and flows Into the crack. A fuse and a cap do the rest. Where there's noise , It's from the n-eaking of the steel or iron. Tools from a railroad workman's shed enable the robbers to dig through he vault ami get at the safe. Atkinson Fireman Is Hurt. Atkinson , Neb. , Jan. 27. Special to The News : Henry Johnson , proprietor of the Hale Mercantile Co. , discovered fire in the rear of their store about 4 o'clock Tuesday afternoon. Wm. Dlckerson , one of the firemen , md his right hand cut quite badly while trying to open a door to got at the fire. fire.A A Real Graft Found Here. B. B. Thomas , making Norfolk his headquarters for three years past , known at Anoka as C. J. Boenoko nnd at Emmett in Holt county as F. R. Thomas , is under arrest in South Da kota charged with having carried out one of the cleverest long time swindles yet devised. Thomas Is understood to have confessed nearly everything Milked an Insurance Company. For three years Thomas has been induslrlously milking a mutual Insur ance company at Mountain Lake Minn. , pretending under one name to represent the company as Its general ngent , while under other names he posed as Its local agents and collected and endorsed claims on Imaginary fires. Officers of the company sa > that ho has bled them for not less than $10,000. Policy holders in the company paid for this In increased assessments. A Liberal Spender Here. Thomas has been known In Norfoll as a liberal spender. Ho has carried m his banking business at the Citizens National bank , has cashed manj drafts and shown other signs of be 'ng ' "Hush. " A tall heavy set dark haired man weighing 225 pounds , with a blacl moustache , always well dressed Thomas will bo generally recallet along Norfolk avenue and particular ! ) in one or two saloons whore ho wa a liberal patron.- Postmaster and County Official. Though always known to the mutual Insurance company as B. U. Thomas ol Norfolk , Thomas Is rightly known at P. T. Unruh of Tyndnll , S. D. , where ho has been postmaster and an ox county official. Thomas , or rather Un ruh , Is well known over South Da kola and has acquaintance In Sioux Falls , wliero his real name was learned. Ho Is thought to bo a mar rled man. Stopped Payment on Draft. Unruh , alias Thomas , was last In Norfolk about ten days ago. At thai lime he cashed a draft at the Cltlzom National for $380 by a Mountain Lake bank on the Northern Trust company of Chicago. While hero ho wont tc the Star Clothing store and bought n fur lined overcoat tor $15 , leaving an old coat to bo shipped to Yankton , S 1) . , where the store has since received word that it was not called for. Payment of Draft Stopped. The Norfolk bank received almost at once a telegram stating that the draft had been obtained by fraudulent means and asking them to stop pay' ment on It. Information relative to B. B. Thomas was also requested. The reply Was that Thomas had been well known here for three years and had gone to Sioux Falls , S. D. U. S. Marshal Here. Then followed a secret visit to Nor folk of Deputy United States Marshal J. A. Tracey of Sioux City together with an officer of the mutual Insurance company and a Mountain Lake banker , Tracey at once started an Invcstlgiv tlon through the postoffleo and other sources. Within the last week lie has found that B. B. Thomas of Nor folk was known at the Norfolk post- office hero as C. J. Booneko of Anoka , Unit at Emmell ho was known as F. II. Thomas , in Sioux City as Peter And- ruh and in T.vndall by his right name. Arrested in South Dakota. News of Thomas' arrest conies from Deputy Marshal Tracoy at Scotland , S , D. , together with the information that the swindler has admitted nearly everything. Bank Docs Not Lose. The Norfolk bank has been notified that It will lose nothing as the Insur ance company will pay its draft , whlcli was issued to its accredited Norfolk "organlxer" and which was a bona fide draft save for the past transactions , A Fake Anoka Elevator. One of Thomas' fires was at Anoka , whore ho collected $2,500 on an Anoka elevator which he reported as burn ing. No such elevator existed. It is not known that Thomas wrote any legitimate policies. The company being a mutual con cern and rather local in its operations did not keep any tab on their Norfolk organizer. No Quake ; a Meteor. Nellgh , Nob. , Jan. 27. Special tc The News : A meteor weighing inthe neighborhood of 100 pounds , was found near this city yesterday morn ing by several business men of tills place. It was about 2 o'clock Monday after noon , when the supposed earthquake hock was felt in tills section of the tatc , that Ed Cox , a carpenter who vas at work nearly two miles south of own , noticed a fiery flash in the di- ection of Nellgh and also'considerable , ust arise from the ground beneath H , Upon reaching homo in the evening , 10 told what he had seen. The skepti cal refused to credit his story , but some of the citizens accompanied by he informant went out ycstorday morning to the place where he had seen the dust rise , and upon approach- ng saw fumes as of burning sulphur ssuing from a deep hole in the earth. With considerable difficulty the still tot stone was dug out and brought to own. It was placed on exhibition at he Register ofllce whore it was view ed by a large number of people from his place and the country. Many shuddered as they thought what n calamity there might have been ind the terrible monster from the icavens fallen in the city and struck one of the buildings. The parties who have the find state that they are going to take it to Lin coln and present it to the museum in the capital city. They may stop over n Norfolk and give the people of that city an opportunity of seeing the larg est meteor over found in northeastern Nebraska. EXPLAINS LACK OF VIBRATION. Many Heard the Deafening Crash , But Few Reported Shake. The finding of the 100-pound meteor at Neligh , where it fell at about 2 o'clock Monday afternoon , explains completely the mysterious deafening crash which was heard at Pierce , Fos ter , Plalnviow and Creighton , and which frightened horses , chickens , cattle nnd mules. It seemed singular at the time that there should bo so tremendous a crash without perceptible vibration of the earth , but there seemed no other ex planation for the phenomenon than that U was a shaking of the earth Only two reports told of the earth vl brating , the Plninviow primary schoo and a house southwest of Pierce being said to have felt the Jar. The meteor also explains why the crnsh wns heard In a certain definitely defined circle. The sound waves car rled the crash in a circle of about thirty miles radius , thus reaching Plerco , Foster , Plainvlow and Crelgh ton as the outer limits. These towns He about thirty miles northeast of No ligh. After 12 Years Watch Returned. There's somebody In Norfolk today whoso heart Is lighter than It has beei for a dozen years. There's a con science In town that's relieved. And incidentally a gold watch tha was stolen from Mrs , D , Roes twelve years ago , is back In her possession. Mrs. Roes was 111 twelve years age when her watch was stolen from the top of a dresser. On the watch was an onyx chain , linked with solid gold. And the chain , all but a couple of links , has come back home with the lit tle gold tlinoploco after all these years' absence. Watch Hiding Behind Picture , The stolen watch , long slnoo de spaired of by Mrs. Rocs , peeked out from behind a picture at the 1. M. Macy photograph gallery yesterday , anil was restored to Its owner. U was In a little pasteboard box , Hod with white linen thread , and on either side of the box wns written : "Mrs. David Rcos , Norfolk , Nob. " That was all. There was no note. The watch had , apparently , been dropped on the moulding behind the picture at the photograph gallery after all these years , In order that It might be found , Just ns It wns found , nnd re turned to its rightful owner. And In order , too , that a worried conscience might be wet at rest. Mrs. Roes never knew for sure who took the watch. Two different people wore suspected. There is nothing now to Indicate which It may have been. Singularly enough , Mr. Isoes lost n watch in the same way at about tin- same time , but that has not come back. Atkinson Hotel Sold. Atkinson , Nob. , Jan. 27. Special to The News : Through the agency of R L. Hanks , the Commercial hotel of Atkinson was sold to W. H. Harrison of David City. O. W. Ellcnwood , the present proprietor , will give up posses sion March 1. SPECIAL MESSAGE ON MAINE. President Asks Appropriation to Remove - move From Havana Harbor. Washington , Jan. 27. President Roosevelt today sent a special message ago to congress approving the recom- nendation of Governor Magoon that an appropriation bo made to remove he wreck of the Maine from Havana mrbor. BROWNSVILLE MATTER SETTLED Bill Drafted Satisfactory to Roosevelt and Foraker. Washington , Jan. 27. Senate lead ers today announced that they have Iraftod a bill for settlement of the Brownsville question , satisfactory to loth Roosevelt and Foraker. KILL LA FOLLETTE'S BILL. Stephenson in Wisconsin Only Lacks Two Votes of Election. Madison. Wis. , Jan. 27. The as sembly today killed the Blalne bill for he Investigation of alleged corruption n the senate primary. The first bal- ot on senator in the joint session gave Stephenson 05 , lacking two of being enough to elect. OF HG THEiR THEME , President Opens Conference on Care of Dependent Children. Washington , Jan. 20. The import ance ot thu preservation of the homo Intact was the central theme ot dis cussion at tno commence on the care of dependent children , which was opened by President Roosevelt at the White House. The subject under con sideration was "Should the breaking up ot a homo be permitted for rea sons of poverty or only for reasons 01 inefficiency or imnioi i.ty ? " It was the unanimoub opinion ot an array ot notable caarity worKers that children can beat bo reared under tin. influence of the homo and tnat they should be removed fiom the iamlly clr cle only when proper supervision at borne has become Impossible. H alsu was the concensus ot opinion that where poverty exists in the home btato aid shoald bo given. President Uooso- vclt said , In part : "Thuro are naif a dozen types 01 children Tor which we need to care There is , first of all , the complete 01- phan- the clnld who has lo&t both fa ther and mother. For this child we wish to nuiKo permanent provision. My own belief is that the best kind ot permanent provision , if tcaslble , lb to place the child in a home. "We have then to moot the case- one of the most dlstrobsliig ot cases where the lather has died , wheie the breadwinner nas gone , where the mother would like to keep the eulld , but simply lacks the earning capacity. Surely In such a case the goal towards which wo saould strive Is to help that mother so tnat she can keep her own home and keep the child in it ; thut is the best thing possible to bo done for that child. How the relief shall coino , public , prhato , or by a mixture 01 both , in what way , you are competent to say and I am not. But I am competent potent to say what I think the goa' ' should bo. m EXPLUSIONJVREUKS HOTEL , Cook and Assistant Injured in Acci dent In Columbus Hostelry , Columuus , Neb. , jan. 2li. An explc- Bleu ot gas in the basement of tuu Thurston nolcl badly wiucked the building and seriously injured J. U Hunter , the cook , and Mrs. Hunter , his assistant. The won.au is t > o badiy hurt she may not recover. James O'Brien , a workman , who \\as In thu basement , was blown out ot the room , but is not taoiiuusly hurt. Fifteen trav ellng men In the dining room e&capod with minor injuries. Windows ut a store building across the street were shattered. Tlio rear part of the noto. is torn to pieces. Klro , winch broke out In the wreckage , was extinguished after a hard light. FATAL FLUUflSJN TRANSVALL One Hundred and Seventy-Three Per. tons Known to Have Perished. JohnnnuHburi ; , Jan. 23.- Ono him- droil ami seventy-three persons are known to have lost their lives as result of thu floods which aio general throughout the Transvaal colony an > ' northern Natal. Great damage also has been done to property , mining plants having suffered fored heavily , and houses and railway bridge's being swept away or Hum dated. The floods are the results or heavy rains. By the bursting of Knight's dam the Wltwatoisiand gold mlno , In the BoutliwoHtern part of the Transvaal. WIIB Hooded and ten white men and 1DO natives we're drowned. The watoi from this dam also flooded the lower action of the town of Ulsbnrg , where ft number of houses wore swept away iiiuV thirteen persons perished. A gold dredger , valued , at $ UO,000 , broke adrilt on the Kiiap rlvor and was wrecked. NEW AIRSHIP FOR ZEPPELIN , Device for Discharging Gas Insurci Safety of Crait Now Building. Frlodrlcl.sliaton , Jan. . { . --Couiii Zeppelin .s huildlng auotlioi airnnli' ' whlcli will bear the name ot Xeppelln 111. and wlileh he expects to lie tin i&hod by the end ol March. Ho Is aluu coiibtructlng a lluatini ; tent foi IIOIIB ing the new airship. The count has introduced a now method for dlscharg lug gas iiu , i balloons. Heretoioio thu gas haa IKi-ii discharged within thu olyar-sliapoii covering , but with thu now alrsii i | > tubes will reaeh upward , 'HschnrgiiiK ' U Into thu open all , thus tnliiimmii 'mmor irom oxulusluu. Explains Attitude Toward State University Measure , INSPIRED ITS INTRODUCTION , Says He Has No Pecuniary Interest In Proposition to Establish College ol Citizenship and Will Deliver Lee. turers Without Compensation. Lincoln , Jan. 25. W. J. Bryan , in a statement , explained his attitude to ward and connection with a joint resolution elution introduced last week in the Ne braska legislature providing for a school of citizenship in the University of Nebraska. The resolution was in troduced by Senator Miller of Lancas ter county and Mr. Bryan says ho In spired Its introduction , but adds that ho has no pecuniary interest in the matter , and that whatever lectures be may deliver-will bo without compensa tion. Mr. Bryan said , In part : "During tlio past few years increas ing attention lias been given all over the country to the study of govern ment , sociology aud citizenship. Ne braska has kept abreast of the times , but our state should take the lead and focus attention upon the studies that especially prepare the students for the proper discharge of the duties of citi zenship. We ought to bo able to at tract students from other countries , and how can wo better help the Orient and the republics to the south of us than by educating tlio more ambitious of their young men and sending them back to apply American Ideas and ideals in the working out of the prob lems that confront their people ? " MOTHER KILLS JJABES AND SELF , Father Returns From Trip to Town and Discovers Bodies , Hastings , Neb. , Jan. 25. Mrs. Charles Mock , wife of a tarmer living about six miles south'of Glenvillo , in Clay county , killed herself and three children during the absence of hei husband. Mr. Mock , wno ha-1 been at Fairfleld with his oldest child , 10- turned during the atternoon to flnd the bodies. Tlio mother had boon In pooi health of late , which is ascribed us a cause for her action. The oldest child killed was about four years of age and the youngest was a babe of one month. The child left alive is a daughter of six years. She killed the children by giving them wood alcohol and then committed suicide by drinking a quan tity of the same liquid. Leavltt Will Not Oppose Divorce Suit. Lincoln , Jan. 25. Word has been re ceived hero saying William Homer Leavltt will not oppose the suit of his wife , Huth Bryan Leavltt , for a di- vorco. He is quoted as saying : "I never denied her a thing in my life and I will not oppose the divorce. Only three days ago I received a letter couched in the usual affectionate terms. Only she asked why , if I did not love her , I did not get a divorce. I would not do so , however , on account of the children. I received a long typewritten - written letter signed by Thomas Al len , in which lie said there had boon so much newspaper talk that ilutli must get a dlvorco. The letter evi dently was dictated by my wife. " To Change Course of Elkhorn. Arlington , Neb. , Jan. 25. To change the course of the Hlkhorn rlvor In this vicinity , cutting out five op six miles of river bed and making several thou sand acreb ot additional land tillable. Is the objftt ut tin- farmers ot Una countTlic > are pn-parlng to bring the mutte-r to the atti'inion of ih < > gin einnifiii iiiguuirH and survojurs , u body 01 whom aio expected to bo in Neunihka within a Mioit time HERMAN BILLIK NOTJO HANG , Governor Deneen Commutes Death Sentence to Lite Term , VZRAL RECANTS TESTIMONY , Drother of Alleged Victim Appears Be. fore Board of Pardons and Testifies That He Swore Falsely at the Trial of Prisoner. Sprlngllold , ill. , Jan. 23. Governor Charles S. Uenoon commuted to lllti linpilsonmeni the senioneu of death which had been pronounced on Her man Bllllk 01 Chicago , who \\tis con demned to hang 101 tlio murder of Mary Vizal , whom ho was alleged to have poisoned , with other member : * ol the lamlly. The commutation is made on recom mendation ot the state board of par dons , niter tlio Biipiemo court Uud ru- luscd lo inloiloto , saying that tlio ioc- ordH showed no reversible errur and allii tiling the judgment of the crim inal eoiirl ol Cook county. Tlut state hotitd ot pardons In making tha rieoin- inoiiuatioiiu to ( ioveinor Don.jon . for commutation ol Hontonco .s * > s that alter the until action ol thu supreme couit , Jeny Vrxal , brother ot Mtuy Viv.nl , and one 01 the prli.cli .l wit nesses of the state at tlio tilnl ot 1111- Ilk , appealed beloro the Jtnto board of pardoiib at tlio heat In ; ol the po- titlon lor Itilllk t pardou and owuro that all Ulri tobilmony at thu trial against HIillli was lalsyj except as to unimportant lacts. The state board ol pardons in 1U rcconiinendutloii said that that body was of the opinion Jiat owing to tlio statement of juroif that they wore in fluenced to Inflict the death penalty by the testimony of Jerry Vrzal not testified to by other svltnesses , that they would not have inflicted the death penalty If Jerry Vrzul'u testi mony had been eliminated at tlio trial. The trial Judge , in a communication to tlio slate board of pardons , recom mended a commutation of the sen tence , saying that tlio enforcement of * the death penalty , under tlio circumstance - . stance of Jerry Vrzal recanting his ' testimony at the trial , would not , in ' his judgment , moot with general ap probation. Six times Blllik was giant ed respites. BANK PRESIDENT IS CAUGHT , Embezzlement Charges Involving $750 , . 000 Made Against Taber. Los Angeles , Jan. 23. Homer G. Tabor , iormer president of the United States bank of Los Angeles , tormer president of thu International bank of Searchlight , Nov. , and now president of San Diego Bank and Trust com puny , was taken iuto custody in Suu Diego , according to word received by j. the shorllf , and will bo brought hero T V and then taken to I'loclio , the seat of Lincoln county , Nevada , to answer to nineteen Indictments found by the grand jury and said to involve the em bezzlement ot approximately $750,000. At the same time Tabor was taken In to custody , S. 1C. Williamson , former ly cashier of the West Side bank' and cashier of the Lincoln National bank of Searchlight , was arrested in Pasa dena and brought to tblb city anu locked up In the county jail. "HELLO" MEN IN SESSION , Meeting of Independent Telephone In terests in Boston Today. Boston , Jan. 23. An important meeting of the Independent telephone interests is that of the conlorenco committee ot the Independent tele phone companies , scheduled for today. The committee Is made up of officials of the independent companies of the country , representing capital of more than $400,000,000. The contorenco comfnlttee's mem bership represents the country ns fnr west as Nebraska , as far south as the gulf and as far north as Minnesota. The Independent telephone organiza tions comprise 12,000 separate com panies , largo and small , witli about 500,000 security holders. The com panies are said to glvo service through 20,000 exchanges. Fleet to Resume Homeward Journey. Nice , Jan. 27. The entire American fleet of sixteen battleships will bo plowing the Mediterranean westward tomorrow , headed for Tetuan bay , on the north coast of Morocco , where It will reassemble on Jan 31 to coal and provision for the homeward journey. Kills Actress and Self. Philadelphia , Jan. 27. Mazie Kenney - ney , a burlesque actress twenty years old , was shot and killed by an uniden tified man , who wns Infatuated w'lth her. He then flred a bullet Into his own brain and' died shortly after his removal to a hospital. Root Refuses to Return Refugee. Washington , Jan. 27. Secretary Root has refused to extradite Chris tian Hudawlt ! ! , the Russian , for whose possession the Russian government has made vigorous ( oprosontaUona. Prepare to Blast Ice Gorges. Fremont , Nob. , Jan. 25. Uallro rt nnd others Interested In preventing a flood In the I'lutto bottoms when the weather breaks up tlio Ire In life riv er have laid in a largo supply of dyna mite , with which they expert to blast Iho Ice gorges and Keep the | co mov ing 'Ihe warm weather has already ( ioitened the Ice and a number of men have bce-n stationed along thu | btream to watch it.