Nebraska Newspapers

    unday Bee.
PART ONE
NEWS SECTION
PAGES 1 TO I
WEATHER FORECAST.
For Nebraska Fair and warmer.
For Iowa Fair nnd warmer.
For weather report are page 1.
Illl
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VOL. XXXVI II NO. 40.
OMAHA, SUNDAV-' .vX(j, MARCH 21, 1901) SIX SECTIONS FORTY PACES.
SINGLE COrV FIVE CENTV?.
The Omaha
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MRS. ATTA BANNER
FOUND NOT GUILTY
Twelve Men Have Decided Fate of
Mother Who Killed Daughter"!
Traducer.
COUNSEL FOR DEFENSE JUSTIFIES
Matt Gering Sayi Ballet "Sped on Iti
Mission of Love.'
ADDRESSES JURORS BY NAME
Urges Verdict that Will Be "Tribute
to Mother's Love."
WARNING TO OTHER YOUNG MEN
fount? Attorney Knaltsh Reajs Jury
to Kn force Law, I nlaflaenerd
by Urlvelllner Defense of
lira In Ktorma.
Mr. Alt Banner baa been found not
guilty of the charge of mnrflerlng Trad
Banner, her husband's brother. The jury
In the district conrt returned It a verdict
late laat night after aareral hours' da
liberation.
The Jury I deliberating the dealing of
Mrs. Alta Banner. Following a fervid ad
droae by Attorney Matt Oaring for the de
fense and a leas Impassioned but cogent
nppeal by County Attorney English. Judge
Hears rjuvo bis Instruction at 6 p. rn.
yesterday and the Jury retired. After elect
ing a foreman they were taken to supper.
When court was resumed half an hour
earlier than la customury In the afternoon,
Attorney Henry Murphy spoke for a few
minutes more and then gave way to his
colleague. Gering arose to deliver what
the county attorney declared was "one of
the most remarkable specimens of foren
sic oratory ever delivered In a court room.
Certainly there has been none like It In
this court, here In the trial of a criminal
case." The county attorney went on to
point nut Unit iicconlinB to his belief It
was mi "tpren to the sympathies and
pnssi' n of the liny."
Frlonils of tiic nutiniT family, and par
ticularly of Mrs, Josephine Manner took
vigorous exception to his attack upon her
and lawyers In the audience shook their
beards as Oerlng addressed Juryman after
Juryman by name.
"it's rare, Mr. Jensen," Gering would
say, "that a mathcr has shown such an
exhibition." Again. "Yet here was a love
not exceptional. It was no greater than
youd mother's for you Mr. Carrol, nor
greater than your mother's for you, Mr.
Huntington.." "Did It ever occur to you,
Mr. Angel" and so on. No member of the
Jury was overlooked In this mode of ad
dress. Tribute to n Mother'a l.ove.
"Bhow by your vrrdtct." cried Oerlng. In
closing, "that this commonwealth may not
say you are In ravor of debauchees ruining
girls." Just before his peroration the at
torney pleaded for a "verdict which will be
a tribute to mother love."
Tn pronouncing the death of Fred Banner
"retribution," the lawyer got aome dis
tance away from the defense c.r Insanity
and Attorney Kngllsh asserted later that
Oerlng hud devoted one hour and a half
to "tho unwltten law," and fifteen minutes
to the ostensible defense of insanity."
Fred Banner, the dead man. came In for
a terrible scoring at Oerlng'a handa. He
waa characterised aa "thla reptile who
rcba thla young girl of everything which
made her beautiful In the eyes of her
devoted mother, who worked in the
kitchen as a aculllos that she might put
her daughter in the convent and learn
purity of heart."
In a few mlnutea Mr. Oerlng waa speak-
Ing of the shooting itaelf and he talked
of the bullet "speeding on Its mission of
love and affection."
Law of God and Mas.
'We aid not pleading the "unwritten
law,'" ho aaserted; "we are not asking
you to excuse thla woman upon this. It
is the law of Qod and man which
prompted this woman to launch Fred
Banner on his way to hell, where Jntan
in all his aulphuric majesty would re
fuae this man admittance. Thla Is the
most cruel, the most wicked story ever
told in a court room, this story of Mar-
Jorle KKlng's treatment by Fred Banner,
and we ask the Jury for a verdict which
shall stand as a sentinel baacon. warning
young men against a similar course of
conduct."
On Mrs. Bannera devotion to ber
daughter Oerlng apent much time and
tarn, beginning a review of the evidence
attacked Mra. Wlnegard and her daugh
ter. It wan at their house that . Mrs.
Banner apent the night after the shoot
leg. and, according; to the evidence of both
mother and daughter, except for being
slightly nervous, waa quite normal and
talked intelligently of having killed Ban-
r.tr.
"Man's Inhumanity to man makes count
less thousands mourn," quoted the attor
ney. and then added, "and woman's In
humanity to woman make countless more
"l.uella Wlnegard and Marjorle King
sank hymns in the oholr out of the same
hymn hook, and yet we see this gtrl tome
upon the stand and try to divorce this
chltd from her mother, send the latter to
the penitentiary and Marjorle, perhaps, to
t.ie sumptuous apartmenta of a popular
ccurttaan."
Baarliak OefeadeMlas Wlaegard.
The county attorney in replying drove
hard at Oerlng for hla attack upon Mis
Wlnegard.
County Attorney English began his reply
with the satirical eulogy of Oerlng'a elo
quence referred to and then struck at "the
unwritten law" as a defense in murder
trlale.
"The defense of Insanity," he began, to
the Jury, "la recognised as a hollow shadow
behind which a defense tries to hide when
It would plead the so-called 'unwritten
law.' It haa been worked In other caaea
It haa suflced to save the miserable life of
a Thaw, but this morning by lis verdict
in the Cooper case a Jcry stamped Its dis
approval upon thla plea. It waa argued In
tehalf of Cooper that newspaper articles
had attacked bis honor, a tiling no dearer
to aome men than a daughter's virtue to
her mother. This Is a .plain and simple
raM of murder deliberately planned, care
fully executed as the evidence tn this case
has shown. If you are going to hesitate
to enforca the law simply because It brings
grif to a mother or a child you might as
well bid farewell to organised society. In
every criminal case throughout the world
(Continued on Second Paga)
Coopers Guilty,
Jury Fixes Term
at Twenty Years
Verdict in Carmack Murder Case
Comes as a Surprise After
Threatened Disagreement.
NASIIVILLH. Tenn.. March 20. Guilty
of murder In the second degree with twenty
years Imprisonment as the penalty waa the
verdict the Jury this morning In tho case
sgainst Colonel Duncan B. Cooper and his
on Robin Cooper, charged with the mur
der of former United States Senator B. W.
Carmack.
The Jury yesterday acquitted John B.
Sharp, a oodefnndant. Immediately the
defense moved to set aside the verdict be
cause of the verdict of disagreement of
yesterday nnd asked the court to declare
It a mistrial. Judge Hart said he would
listen to arguments on this motion later.
He then fixed the defendant's bonds at
H.nnft each, which amount was acceptable
to both sides. The verdict, coming as It
did upon the heels of Foreman Burke's
deo'srstlon yesterday "that we are hope
lessly tied up as to the Coopers," was a
decided surprise.
The defendants took it cooly almost
without emotion. Mrs. B-urch and Mrs.
Wilson, the young daughters of Colonel
Cooper, were brave and aside from tearful
eyes, restrained their emotion gamely.
Mrs. Burch wat with her arm sround her
brother Robin's shoulder and Mrs. Wilson
waa at her father's right. The suspense
for the two young women had been heart
rending, and any verdict, however, un
favorable waa a relief.
Quake Foretold
by Scientist
Shock Felt in Spain Was Predicted
Two Weeks Ago by Observa
tory Director.
BARCELONA. March 20. An earthquake
shock was felt In Catalonia province at 3
o'clock this afternoon. No details yet have
been received.
The earthquake shock referred to In the
dispatch from Barcelona fulfills a prophesy
made about a fortnight ago by Km lie Mar
chand, director of the observatory on the
Pic Du Midi, In the Pyrenees.
M. Marchand predicted an earthquake for
February 21 In the Alicante district, and
his prophesy came true. His second
prophesy for the disturbance of today
created Rreut consternation among the
superstitious lower classes, upon whom the
fulfillment of M. Marchand's first fore
cast had made a deep impression.
Bryan Rebukes
Cannon's Aids
SBaasaattBM
Leader Criticises Twenty-Three Dem
ocrats Who Stood by Speaker
in Recent Fight.
LINCOLN, Neb., March 30. At the Bryan
birthday banquet William J. Bryan rebuked
tho twenty-three democrats in congress
who had aided the Cannon forces. O. W.
Berge had criticised their action and after
coinciding with the views of Berge, alluding
to the twenty-three democrats, Mr. Bryan
said:
"They could not say they did not know,
for any man who did not know that Joe
Cannon la the agent of plutocracy ought to
be sent ta an asylum Instead of to con
gress." "These democrats ought to hear from
their constituents," he said.
McCook Store
is Total Loss
Fire Destroys Grannis' General Mer
chandise Stock and Causes
$10,000 Damage.
M'COOK, Neb., March 10 (Special Tele
gram.) About I o'clock this morning fire
was discovered In the John II. Orannls
stock of general merchandise In the Morlan
block. A two hours' fight by the depart
ment confined the flames to that building.
Stock Invoiced at about J7.0W and was com
pletely ruined. It was covered by Insur
ance. The drug stock of C. R. Woodworth &
Co. in an adjoining1 store was damaged to
the extent of about l,SO0 by water and
smoke. The law office of Morlan, Ritchie
& Wolf over the Grannis store suffored
some damage. The damage to the Morlan
building will total 11,000. with no insurance.
I .
Congress Must Fight Omaha
Women on Big Apparel Tax
If congress rarrlea Into execution ItsT
proposed Increased duty on stockings and
other women's apparel. It may do so over
the protest of Omaha women. There are
women In this city who believe they are
paying enough for their apparel now and
who are ready to remonstrate against
further advancea. These women will form
a "Stocking club," as Chicago women are
doing, so as to give organised effect to
their protests against what they term "the
atrocious duties applying to wearing ap
parel." Under the Dlngley tariff bill the duty on
atocklngs was 60 per cent ad valorem. The
new tariff bill, presented by the waya and
meana committee and now being consid
ered tn congress, contemplates a total duty
of Si per cent ad valorem on all Imported
stockings of all gradea. from the cheapest
to the moat expensive. The original duty
In the new bill Is 70 per cent, but It car
ries an additional 15 per cent duly.
Mra. Draper Smith, former president of
tha Omshg Woman's club and former presi
dent of the Nebraska Federation of
Women's clubs and at present a member
of the national child labor and Industrial
committee of the general federation and at
the head of the social science department
of the Omaha Woman's club, will take the
lead In the campaign In thla city to secure
action against the proposvd tariff. Her
club department meets Monday and she
will then endeavor to have me prelimi
nary atepa taken tp be acted upon next
J1" l VV
alUJlXllll kJ
vi: PAY ENVELOPE
Only Two More Days for House Mem-
bers and Four for Occupants
in Upper Branch.
LITTLE TO SHOW FOR TIME SPENT
Majority of Members Are in a Harry
to Get Back to Homes.
RANSOM CONTROLS LEGISLATION
Has Things So Well in Hand Nothing
Can Pass Without His 0. K.
ALBERT LOOKING FOR HIS PAY
Draft! Banking Bill on Authority of
Legislature, bat Jio One Haa
Inserted Hem In Appro
priatlon Bill.
(From a Staff Correspondent.)
LINCOLN, Neb., March 20. (Special.)
Tho hnuse has two days with pay and the
mrm t tin, fmir. before the end of the
sixty days for which the constitution pro
vides members shall draw salary.
One member haa been sounding other
members for several days on a proposition
to be eotcused for tho remainder of the
session. Others are anxious to get awsy,
Spring work has started on the farms
and It Is doubtful if a quorum Is present
on the day of final adjournment.
Thir Is another olass of men In the
legislature who are anxious to get away.
To this class belongs those democrats who
really believed a democratlo pledge
counted for something. They are disgusted
with tho legislature up to this time. Many
republicans who have been members of
previous legislatures are sick at heart,
They are powerless to do anything for tho
good of the state, however much tney may
desire to do so.
All legislation to be enacted from now
until the end of the session, will be secured
by barter and trade, between the bosses
of the senate and the now thoroughly
cowed members of the house. Little atten
tlon will paid to the merits of pending
bills and little attention hna been paid to
anv measure, save one or two since the
Bession began.
Mr. Ransom will put through tho senate
any measure some house member Is inter
ested In. provided the house memmer sa
lutes the king and does his bidding. He will
hold up any measure from the house which
he sees fit to stop.
The hanking bill got through the senate
only after house members had agreed to
cat from the hands of the stoeK yaras
attorney. House members sought to re
taliate on the aenate bosa by killing the
South Omaha charter bill, but the Insurrec
tion lasted about thirty minutes. The boss
senator sent over hla niewnger. Senator
Tanner and his aide, Senatot-iowell, and
that waa all there waa to It The bill went
on general file after It had been killed.
Taylor of Custor, told the truth about the
legislature and spoke his mind, but he
stood from under when he saw the steam
roller coming.
Barren of Results to State.
An Inspection of tha legislative records
will bear out the statement that this legis
lature has not passed one single measure
of Importance or benefit to the state at
large.
Measures of state !moortnnce whlrh are
now pending "nave l'ttle chunce to become
laws unless the meat Is cut out of them.
If any measure Is in any way objtctlonnble
to a corporation of any Importance In the
state there !s absolutely no chance of It
becoming a law. The corporations have
Joined their interests and tho legislature
has proven beyond one single doubt that It
is subservient to the demands of the spe
cial Interests.
Examples of ircompotoncy hav cropped
out in this legisU'.ure probably more than
In any other ever assemble.! In Nebraska
either lncompeten-y or m ltk of lmeert,
or a failure to realize the Importance of the
proceedings. .Mills are rushed through the
house In the committee of the whole with
the members paying no attention, and then
In someone raUes a howl, the house, with
out blinking an eye, reverses Its former
action.
For Instance, this morning the committee
of the whole Indefinitely postponed a bill
by Leidlgh of Otoe to prevent camping on
the public highway tor more than fifteen
houra at a time. The bill was killed by a
vote of 41 to 12. A few minutes later, when
the committee aroBO, the report of the com
mittee daa rejected.
This la the legislature Governor Shallen
berger said should meet, enact Into laws
the party pledges and adjourn within forty
(Continued on Second Page.)
week by the whole club In its regular meet-
ing.
Mrs. Albert Edholm, secretary of the
social science department of the Omaha
Womun'a club, said she believed that there
should be no tariff whatever on the com
mon commodities and necessities of life,
but that the revenues of the country should
be reaped from excessive duties on luxuries,
in which class she places silk and open
work stockings. Mrs. Edholm endorsed
what Mra. Smith said.
"We may be compelled either to emulate
the late Sockhss Jerry Simpson and wear
our shoes without stockings or follow the
example set by our colonial mothers and
knit our own stockings," said Miss Edith
Tobltt, city librarian. "I certainly do not
relish the Idea of having to go barefooted
and I know that none others do, but are we
going ta darn our stockings forever?"
Miss Mar' Blmonds. principal of the Cass
school, waa tncenaed over the proposed
high tariff.
"I will call my teachers together I have
sixteen under me and we will try to start
something In the schools," said Mlaa
Blmonds. "If the 400 women teachers In
the public schools of Omaha send a me
morial to congress protesting against the
high Ttce and pointing out the fact that
we each have two feet which require two
stockings at a time I think that the stork
ing duty would be transferred to locomo
tives' or automobiles.'
; -L I Villi
'wi f nflyBRw (it h
From the Washington F5ven1ng Star.
ANYTHING FOR BOY'S RETURN
Father of William Whitla Will Pay
Any Ransom Demanded.
EVERY CLUE IS INVESTIGATED
Caae Recalls Another In Which
Babe of Whltla's elhbor Waa
Stolen and Held a
Tear.
SHARON, Pa., March 20 Sobbing and
crying. James P. Whitla, the fathor of the
kidnaped boy, broke down at noon today
when no word had been received from the
abductors, and In a statement to the Asso
ciated Press said he wanted to impress on
every person Interested In the recovery
of the boy, that all he wanted was to see
his child safe back home. He said he was
ready to pay the 110,000 ranaom at any
time and had authorised agents ready to
pay over the money.
Failure to locate any tangible trace of
the boy and hla captors after they had
deserted the buggy at Warren. O., has
had a depressive effect upon ths hopes of
the parents, however, and their only desire
now Is to open negotiations with the kid
napers. They have slept but little
since , the kidnaping occurred on Thurs
day morning snd they are apparently re
signed to the fact that the kidnapers have
the upper hand In the affair and anxiously
waited some Intelligence from them as to
what they are to do to get William back.
Every clue, no matter how alight. Is being
run down by the boy s uncle, Frank M.
Buhl, the millionaire steel man, who after
an exhaustive but unsuccessful search In
Cleveland last night will return to Sharon
this afternoon.
The abduction has recalled an almost sim
ilar kidnaping at Sharon ten yeara ago,
when the 8-months-old son of a wealthy
resident, A. Levlne. was the victim. The
child's nurse had left the baby In Its car
riage on the street while she entered a
store to make a purchase. During her ab
sence the baby was stolen from Its carriage.
Several hours later the parents received a
letter informing them that the child would
: be restored on payment of 15,000 and no
puoiicny.
It was decided to pay the rail'
som. A spot waa designaiea ana two uc
tealvea detailed to watch the place and
make an nrrcst after the money had been
taken, but an hour before the time agreed
upon for tho placing of the money a letter
was received by the parents. It read:
Vou have the police watching us to ar
rest us. We do not want your money now,
but we have got your baby; you will never
him again."
Does the variety
of things advertised
on the want ad. page
appeal to you as
news?
Really you have not road
two-thirds of the news in the
paper if you overlook the hews
that you get from the hundred
and one things advertised on
the want-ad page. You can
read all kinds of things he
tween the lines.
Business men find Information
that they get In no other way. For
example, a furniture man followed
th Information received from an
advertisement of a store for rent,
which told him that the former oc
cupant had moved, and sold $700
worth of office furniture as a re
sult. Just one of the thousands of ways
In which want ads interest people.
Have you read the want-ads
yet today!
M ft S l
r
Rumor Hadley May
Resign to Accept
Federal Judgeship
Report at Jefferson City is Renewed
on Authority of Missouri Con
gressman Not Named.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., March 20 A
renewal of the report that Herbert 8.
Hadley, governor of Missouri, Is to resign
In order to accept a federal Judgeship, was
current here today. On the authority of
a Missouri congressman, whose Identity lb
not revealed by his friends here. It Is said
that President Taft haa promised Senator
Warner that Governor Hadley will be given
the flrat vacancy that occurs on the federal
bench In the west or northwrst. Governor
Hadley's resultant resignation would make
Jacob F. Gmellch, now lleutenent governor
chief executive of the state, lie Is a repub
lican and was declared elected only after
a long contest In the legislature and the
recount of ballots by a special committee.
A report that Governor Hadley was to
resign and take a federal position was
circulated In December when the contest
for lieutenant governorship was on. The
rumor was promtly denied by the gov
ernor who said that he had no present In
tentions of resigning. Tne congressman who
was responsible for the present renewal
of the rumor asserts that the strictest
secrecy haa been enjoined upon him and
thus far it is believed that the governor has
not heard of the report.
The governor later denied the authenticity
of the report, saying:
"I know nothing about it except what the
newspaper men have told me today. I
don't care to discuss the matter."
JAR FOR STATEHOOD LOBBY
Secretary of Interior Order Officials
to Itrniain at Home lOxeept
on Kmrrirncr,
WASM1NUTON. March ifl. Territorial of
ficials in Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico,
Hawaii and Porto Rico are going to get
a lit tin shock In a few dnys when they
receive an offlciul order from Becretary
of the Interior Balllnger Informing them
that In the future they must remain In
their territoriea except in cases of emer
gency. The order Is Intended to put an eni to
governors and other territorial officials
coming to Washington during sessions of
congress and spending many months here
lobbying for their measures or for statehood.
f I I .'.lit Ji I
New House Rules May Prove
a Bane Instead of Blessing
WASHINGTON, March 20.-Now that the
smoke of battle has begun to disappear,
the republican "Insurgents" of the house
are beginning to discern at what price
they won the rules victory at the begin
ning of the session. They are making a
careful study of the Fltxgerald amendments
to tha rules to ascertain Just what their
effect will be.
Tha general feeling among the members
is that it will be more difficult hereafter
to get a bill through the house under unan
imous consent. Instead of having only the
speaker to satisfy, all of the members,
more or less, must be shown the wisdom of
the legislation, probably unimportant to
them or the public, but often of Interest to
specific localities.
It Is stated that the amendments will
force vctes next winter on such measures
as antl-lnjunctlon bills, a more rigid fed
eral regulation of Interstate shipments of
Intoxicating liquors, a prohibition measure
for the JJlstrlct of Columbia and amend
ments to the Sherman anti-trust law ao as
to exempt labor uniona from Its operations.
Records for attention to senatorial work
played an Important part In the filling of
senate committee vacancies which has Just
been completed by the committee on com
mittees. Greater prominence has been given
to the dally work records of senators as a
reason (or preferment on committees than
i
TARIFF BILL AN I) REVENUES
Conference at White House Discusses
Condition of Treasury.
BOND ISSUE NOT NECESSARY
Western Members Object to Draw
back Provisions of Payne Bill
Prophesy nf International
Tariff War.
WABHINOTON, March 1.-A conference
of two hours on the new tariff bill and lis
relation to the revenues of the treasury
was held at the White House this after
noon. Secretary MacVeagh and Secretary
Knox and Senator Aldrlrh of the senate
finance committee, were . with President
Taft. President Taft had opportunity to
go Into the subject with more or less de
tail, the first chance he haa had to do ao.
Secretary MacVeagh has taken up the
schedules of the bill for careful study. At
the conclusion of the conference the opinion
was expressed that it will not be neces
sary to Issue bonds to meet current ex
penedltures before next autumn, If at all.
The revenuea of the treasury are Increasing
and the outlook Is more hopeful than some
time ago. It stated. Issues of Panama
bonds are expected before a great while to
repay advancea from treasury funds for
the construction of the canal and with the
proceeds of the sale of these bonds and
the regular Incomes from other sources
the treasury may be able to avoid selling
bonds or treasury certificates for revenue
purposes for many months.
1'rospeet of Tariff War.
That the Payne tariff bill would bring
about a great International tariff war if
enacted, because of the section which con
tlnueh in operation the Cuban reciprocity
treaty, Is one of the arguments that Is
being made against the measure. It Is
urged that foreign countries which would
otherwise agree to give the United States
the benefits of their most favored nation
clause In return for the minimum scale
of duties provided for in the Payne bill
will contcml that the Cuban reciprocity
provision Is the most favored nation
clause of tho American tariff and will
merriure reiuae 10 enter into a new
tariff agreement with this country.
This difficulty regarding the Cuban
reciprocity treaty and Ita relation to the
mavimum and minimum tariff provisions
of the Payne bill was not overlooked by
the framers of that measure. The aub
uuinmiuoB wincn aranea tne bill con
sidered the claims being made that the
clause containing the treaty with Cuba
(Continued on Second Page.)
ever before In the aenate, where the length
of service has always formed so great a
factor In fixing precedence In such matters.
Many senatora a-e wondering whether
when the regular session assembles In De
cember there will be less difficulty than
has been experienced In securing quorums
and prompt action on measures referred to
committees.
M'CORMICK NOT COMPETENT
Wife of Hob of Harvester Kins; Asks
that i nard Ian Be Ap
pointed for Him.
SANTA BARBARA. Cel.. March .-That
Stanley McCurmick, son of the "Harvester
King," Is Incompetent to manage his af
faire was the allegation made by hla wife
in the superior court here yesterday in a
petition to have him declared Incompetent
and a guardian appointed to look after hla
person and estate.
McCormlck came to Santa Barbara for
his health and for a time seemed to Im
prove. However, It later became apparent
that hla mind waa falling. Recently It be
came evident to hla wife that aome action
should be taken and the petition was ac
cordingly drawn and placed before the
superior court. It will come up for bear
ing In about two weeV-
SILENT CITY 18
PLACE OK liMAUTY
Nature Affords Lovely ipots
Long Repose of Omaha's
Dead.
for
PROSPECT HILL NOW CLOSE IN
First of Established Cemeteries Was
Originally Far Out.
FOREST LAWN OLD BRACKTN FARM
Pioneer Owner Sleeps in Chosen
Spot on Homestead.
KING RESTS IN HOLY SEPULCHRE
Touches of Romance, .Sentimental
and Material, dinar A hoot Kvrn
the Bnrlnl Plnrea of
the Departed.
Some bard hna sting. "The anil that
soaks the brave man's blood Is always holy
ground;" but going beyond the confined
expression, myriads of tender, regretful
memories cluster snd cling so about the
resting plares of the loved ones gone, that
'ory cemetery Is holy ground In the
tlicughts of the living.
In the season Nebraska, with Ita great
stretch of mld-contlnent territory. Is the
home of ua great a variety of birds as enn
be found anywhere In the temperate zone,
so the cemeteries of Omaha become the
summer pleasure groves of songsters that,
knowing no fear, sing loud and free the
whole day through, ringing the many de
licious changes of nature's symphony over
the lowly mounds of the ones who were
great and the ones who were merely
counted with the crowd.
Approximately SO.ono people of Oils nnd
preceding generations are burled In the
cemeteries of Omaha. Many of these were
horn here or tn some corner of this natkin;
but thousands and thousands saw the light
and knew the Joys and sorrows In ancient
lands far. far from where they sleep
through winter's frost and summer's gentle
dew.
From waste expanses of cheerless land
scape which constituted the earlier bury
ing grounds of the city, the modern ceme
teries have become quite Ideal In their ar
rangement and adornment. landscape
gardening, with all Ita latter-day develop
ment, has been brought to the task of
making them most attractive In their phys
ical features. Forest Lawn haa achieved
high reputation under the loving and In
telligent care of Superintendent J. Y. Craig;
ao much ao that the booklet Issued bv
Secretary Mann last year has taken rank
among such publications second only to the
book pf Woodlawn, New York. Prospect
Hill, Mount Hope, Holy Sepulcher and St.
Mary MagduUhe'a aro aleu cared for and
docorated In good taste. These are the
larger cemeteries, but there are several
smaller ones where the graves are not neg
lected or their occupants forgotten.
Omaha's First Bnrylnic (Iroaad,
In 1S58 the pre-emption claim of Moseg
F. Shlnn was away out northwest of the
hamlet of Omaha, and even the moat dar
ing mind saw no prospect of that piece of
land becoming the center of a city big and
wide and great enough to be listed high
among the aggregated groupa of population.
Today a portion of the Shlnn claim la com
prised In Prospect Hill cemetery, which
comes as near the center of the platted and
built-up area of the city as can very well
bo named without exact measurement. Mr.
Shlnn gave ten acres of his claim for ceme
tery purposes. A Utile later Jesse Ixwe
added ten acres adjoining; but both Shlnn
and I.owe retained title to the land thus
set aside.
lCven at an earlier day than this a tract
of five acres, on the crest of an elevation
In what Is now Shull's addition to the
city was used aa a common burying ground,
"without leave or license," as an old ac
count rends. Two lots In Prospect Hill now
contain the remains of all the old-timois
who were Interred here. Some few yeara
ago there waa dug up at thla location an
expensive Iron casket, with." heavy opiate
glass face plate; also a cofJn containing
the remains of a man who had been burled
in a soldier's overcoat. There was a platol
In the coffin and buckshot In a pocket of
the coat, indicating an Indian In civilized
raiment. Over these burial places of
Omaha's younger day the cattle ranged at
will, us fences were lacking.
Birth of Prospect Hill.
In 1869 Byron Reed bought tho Shlnn ten
acres, with fifteen acres adjoining, from
Jesse Low. Of the twenty-five acres Mr.
Reed devoted fourteen to cemetery pur
poses, with a provision for reversion to
his heirs when It shall cease to be used
for cemetery purpose. Mr. Reed managed
this cemetery tract himself for twenty
years, falling to organise a company which
he attempted. In that time he faced a de
ficit of 6,n0O- Thus It came about that In,
18S6 he turned the maaagement over to the
Forest Lawn Cemetery association, under
which control It remained for a few years.
In the spring of IK) an organization of tha
lot owners was formed aa the Prosper! Hill
Cemetery association, which afterwsrd ac
quired some land extending from the east
line of the cemetery to Thirty-third street
on the west, and thla la the Prospect Hill
cemetery of today.
Prospect Htll Cemetery association Is
mutusl affair, with 1.6ci0 lot owners con
stituting the membership. It Is the rest
ing place of many members of the oldsr
families of the city Megeaths, Doanes,
Paddocks. MUlards, McCcrmicks and oth
ers. Upwards of lo.uti Interments have
been made.
The Iflrst Interment In what is now
Prospect Hill was made In March, IhSS,
end the body wiis that of Alonso F. Balls
bury. He was a member of the council
and had represented Lwjuglas county tn
the third territorial legislature. Ho waa
6o yeara old when be died. Borne among
the real old neighbors will recall Salisbury
aa the owner of the sawmill and wharf
that was located long ago at the foot of
Nicholas street. In Juno, ISM. the second
Interment was made, whn the funeral of
J. I Wlnslilp occurred.
Flrat tatbolle Cemetery.
In the early tts the Roman Catholics
started a cemetery, old St. Mary's, north
of St. Mary's avenue and east of what la
row Twenty-fourth street. This waa
1 HUlde burying ground, f ' r Thomas HM lft.
who removed the bodies In 1SV7, recall
that he afterwards made a fill of forty
feet or moro at that point. OeoaraJ IX
O. C. Oru'a father bad beau bunad hero.