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VOL. XLVI NO. 260.
OMAHA, MONDAY MORNING, APRIL 30, 1917.
On TrilM, at Hrttli,
Nwi Standi, Etc., St.
SINGLE COPY TWO CENTS.
GAS KILLS BABE OUR OVERCOME
FAMILY STRICKEN
WORKING TO SAVE
II FE OFJNFANT
Escaping Fumes From Oven
Gradually Overpower George
Feck and End Life of
His Child.
FATHER LIKELY TO DIE
Physician Faints While Lend
ing First Aid to Suffer
ing Group.
ARE FOUND BY CHAUFFEUR
Thirtcen-months'-old Kenneth reck.
1447 South Sixteenth street, is dead,
his father, George V. Peck, credit
manager for the Andrew Murphy com
pany is believed dying at his home,
and three others, including the haby's
mother; the family physician, Dr. N.
P. Rasmussen, and Miss Catherine
Cogan, arc seriously ill as the result
of asphyxiation, caused by a leaky
gas stove at the Peck home yesterday
morning.
Mr. Peck was at home taking care
of the kaby, while Mrs. Peck was at
tending the services at St. Patrick's
church. Sixteenth and Martha. Soon
after Mrs. Peck's departure for the
church, the child developed an attack
of cholera, and Mr. Peck telephoned
for his wife to conic home at once.
She returned with Miss Cogan, and
then telephoned to Dr. Rasmussen.
Was Heating Water.
Meanwhile she put a pan of water
on the gas stove to heat.
Mr. and Mrs. Peck were so taken up
with their efforts to alleviate the
baby's distress they did not notice the
escaping gas, nor did Dr. Rasmussen,
when he arrived in a taxicab.
When Mr. Peck fainted Dr. Ras
mussen attributed it to excitement,
but within the next few minutes Miss
Cogan also was overcome, and then
Mrs. Peck,
Doctor Also Overcome.
While the physician was taking
care of them he, too, fainted, but be
fore losing consciousness he sum
moned Dr. L. D. McGuire.
. The taxi- driver discovered their
plight and notified the police. Police
Surgeon Shook responded with pul
' moters, but when he arrived the baby
was dead.
Miss Cogan was removed to St. Jo
seph's ' hospital au! Ir. Rasmussen
was taken In St. ' 'atherine's. Mr.
and Mrs. Peck w. :icatcd at home.
Except for Miss t'r.ian. whose con
dition is somewhat improved, the rest
are thought to be in danger.
Two Nebraska Physicians
Become Army Surgeons
Chicago, April 29. (Special Tele
gram.) Two Nebraska physicians
have qualified as assistant surgeons in
the navy with rating as junior lieu
tenant. Dr. Rudolph Edmond Kris,
2646 Dodge street. Omaha, today was
enrolled in the I'nitcd States naval
reserves at the Great Lakes naval
training station. Dr. Andrew Sina
mark of Fremont today successfully
completed his examination for the
rank of junior lieutenant in the naval
reserves. '
Both will be given immediate as
signments as assistant surgeons.
"Preparedness Burglars"
Steal Drugs and Whisky
Activities of the "preparedness
burglars" have again given the police
something to worry about.
Joseph Beliti, saloon keeper at 2528
South Twenty-fourth, says burglars
broke into his place and carried off
twenty-four gallons of his best
whisky.
The Elton drug store, 3240 North
Twenty-fourth, says burglars broke
in and carried away their entire stock
of heroin, cocaine, morphine and other
simulants.
Recruiting Officer Fails
To Secure Men at York
York. Neb., April 28. (Special Tel
egram.) A meeting attended by a
naval olTicer was held in York today
to enlist recruits for the navy.
Several addresses were made, but no
one has offered to enlist. The officer
will remain a few days longer in ef
fort to secure recruits.
The Weather
Tor Nebraska Unsettled and contln
CO id,
Tempera turfs at Omaha Yetttenlay.
Comparative Ical Rfrorcl.
1917. 1916. 1915,
181 1.
HijfhpRt ymcrdrv. . . . i- -18 72 62
Lowest yesterday 33 43 19 39
Mpan temperature. .. . S9 52 4fi
I'rf.-lpttittlon ,oi .hi) .Ml
Temperature and precipitation ilrptirturca
from the normal:
Normal hrmpernlurr 06
hcfit'leary for the day 17
.Total cjho Bine March 1 lo
Normal precipitation
Ih-flclt'ti'.-y (or the day
Total rainfall slun- March 1.,
f'xci n Mine March 1 .
rWirliHy fur cor. period. 19K
f'i flclency fur cor. priml. 19IS
j:; Inch
.f inch
InthcH
.r9 inch
2.2:! iiicln'i
1.79 tm-lM-9
L A. IVKLSH, Meteorologist.
Kfcw Tl Hour. Dig.
g JSTy 6 a. m 36
V! fcj J N 6 a. m 36
tfl ? V a. m SC
J-fl i S a. m :!7
r (WBtM I a, m 3f
l 1 10 ' m
N VV-SHf U p. m 4 4
) 45' ? 8 p. m 44
Sggg!- 7 p. m 44
WANT BOHEMIANS
FREE OF AUSTRO-
HUNGARIAN RULE
Four Thousand Men of This
Descent Pass Strong Resolu
tions at Auditorium Mass
Meeting.
HERE FROM THREE STATES
Willing to Fight Present Dy
nasty Even Against Own
Brothers in Army.
HOPE FOR FREE COUNTRY
Bohemians and Americans of Bo
hemian descent in mass meeting at
the Municipal Auditorium yesterday
afternoon, clearly expressed their
hopes that the present war which the
United States is entering lpon, will
result in freeing Bohemia and other
Slavic countries from Austro-Hun-garian
domination. Their resolution,
i,;,-l, it m he sent to President Wil-
! son and Secretary of State Lansing
embodied this sentiment.
Some 4.000 men and women at
tended the meeting. Delegates were
here from Nebraska. Kansas, and
South Dakota. They have been here
during the past week attending a
meeting of the Bohemian Sokol, and
finished their festivities thus with a
Sunday afternoon mass patriotic
meeting.
The Omaha Letter Carriers' band
played patriotic airs of the United
States, and also some Bohemian se
lections, including the Bohemian Na
tional Hymn, "Kde Domov niuj."
Will Not Be GermansT
Professor B. Simek of the Univer.
sily of Iowa said that the government
of Austria-Hungary has long held the
Bohemians under domination, regard
ing them merely as a people to he
bled lor the benefit of a foreign ruling
class. "They have tried for a long
time to make good Germans out of
llic Bohemians," he said, "but thank
God. they have not succeeded in do
ing it yet." He said when a German
friend of his recently asked him why
the Bohemians did not stop resisting
and accept the "superior German cul
ture," the professor turned upon him
and asked, "What have you that the
Bohemians did not have long before
you?"
He then reviewed the many ad
vanced ideas which had, as he held,
originated with the Bohemians long
before they did with the Germans.
Among other things mentioned in this
connection he said, "We had our
Husse revolution long before your
Luther was ever thought of.
Russian Rulers German.
"Do not forget," he cautioned tnr
audience, "that the old government of
Russia was German and not Slavic.
Do not forget that Catherine was a
Prussian and was raised in Prussia
before she went to Russia."
The speaker held that "The crown
ing injustice the Austrians wrought
upon the Bohemians was when tliev
forced them into the armies to fight
for that rotten empire of Austria
Hungary." He pledged the loyalty of
the Bohemians in America to the gov
ernment of the United States, and de
clared that they would be found in
the fighting ranks even though it
would mean they jnust fight their own
brothers across the sea who are
forced against their will to stand in
the ranks with the Austrians and Ger
mans. Praises Bohemian Immigrant.
Joseph J. Mik presided. Mayor
Dahlman welcomed the crowd, and
praised the Bohemian immigrant as a
loyal American citizen. Joseph T.
Votava outlined the duty of the Bohemian-Americans
to America; Rev.
J. Krenck of Silver Lake, Minn., spoke
in the Bohemian tongue, reviewing
the historical connections of Bohemia
to America. Dean Hastings of the
College of Law, University of Ne
braska, Lincoln, spoke of "America
and the Immigrant," outlining some
(Continued on Taire Two, Column Tmo.)
Conservative Chief
In Germany Declares
New Orders Stand
The Hague. Netherlands, April 29.
(Via London.) Dr. Diedcrich
Hahn, leader of the German agrar
ian junker party in the Reichstag, de
livered a speech in Berlin in which
he declared that Germany's submarine
success now insured the unconditional
surrender of its enemies. He attacked
the demands of the socialists and cen
sured the government for continuing
so long to maintain diplomatic rela
tions with the United States.
"Has monarchical Germany failed?"
he asked. "No," he added, "it stands
brilliantly before the world as con
queror. Let us keep to Bismarck's
policy. Germany's future is a future
of battle and conquest.
"Some people are demanding a new
order of things in Germany. Let me
tell you what new order wc conserv
atives desire. Germany's industrial
and agricultural future must be so or
dered that she will be in a position
successfully to withstand any future
attack. VVs must have the coal fields
of Longwy and Briey. We must have
fresh territories for emigration in the
east.
"We must not return anv lands we
have conquered That would be an
uniorgivable sin.
"Already we have foolishly be
stowed a kingdom upon Poland with
out securing Germany's rights tlicrc-
i in.
1 AND
WAR'S CJOIN
'S'XtJb't had
T AtfAKfc AM
"J
WPE
- . r,
SO kf
56
ALLEGED SPIES
NABBED HEREBY
SECRET SERVICE
- , - . w -.
Suspects Posed as Eye-Glass
Drummers and Had Sep
arate Rooms in Same
Hotel. '
YOUNGER MAN IN TEARS
"Phillips" Registers Thursday,
"Monty" Arrives Friday
' Both Names Aliases.
EBERSTEIN DETAINS THEM
Two immaculately dressed young
men, arrested early Saturday night in
the lobby of the Castle hotel by agents
of the Department of Justice investi
gation bureau, are being detained at
police headquarters.
I'ollowilt,? their arrest it was re
ported (hat the men were suspected
of complicity in German plots to de
stroy food storehouses.
Marshal Eberstein, head of the
Western district for the government,
declared that the men were detained
technically in connection with a
forgery accusation.
Give Other Names.
At police headquarterr the prison
ers gave their names as Philip Mon
heit. aged -4, and Philip Schweitzer.
.-,gcd 25, of New York. They said
they were traveling opticians. Suit
cases seized when they were arrested
apparently bore out their statements.
Sets of optician's instruments and
quantities of spectacles were found.
The names given at police head
quarters and the story of the arrest,
as repeated by loungers in the hotel
lobby who witnessed it, do not coin
cide. Monlicit registered late Thursday
under the name of T. Monty, New
York. On Friday Schweitzer regis
tered as S. Phillips, Chicago. The
signatures on the register showed evi
dent attempts to disguise the hand
writing. Before either of the men arrived at
the hotel, the federal agents were
awaiting them. When they were as
signed rooms, the officers wailed until
they went upstairs and came down
preparatory to leaving. ,
The men apparently were desirous
of giving the impression that they
were not acquainted, and they were
leaving the hotel separately when the
officers took them. Monheit, when
tapped upon the shoulder and led to
a settee in the lobby, talked quietly to
his captors for a few moments and
then burst into tears.
News Spreads Quickly.
The incident attracted considerable
attention in the hotel and soon it be
came noised about that "govern .nt
officials had seized two spies."
Asked whether the forgery charge
was a subterfuge, the federal officers
laughed.
"Keally, it's just a simple case of
alleged forgery, and we're looking it
up. There is nothing exciting at all,"
they said.
After being searched, Schweitzer
was locked in one cell and booked on
the police blotter, and Monheit,
against whom the forgery charge was
alleged to have been lodged, was de
laincd in anoilicr cell, but no recird
was made of his detention
1 Y
And So It Goes
SEi MOW THl
a Swtu Tim fa;-:
. ,
" -
Btr .HIT
tin
1 1 -r-
You VJi"
W.0z-
BRITISH CAN'T BEAR
LOSS (SHIPPING
j German Secretary of Interior
Says U-Boats Sunk 1,600,
000 Tons.in Two Months.
MILLION TONS ENGLISH
Amsterdam (Via London), April
- In the first two months of un
restricted submarine warfare more
than 1,600,000 tons of shipping was
sunk by the Germans, Dr. Karl llelf
fcrich, German secretary of the in
terior, told the Reichstag main com
mittee yesterday.
Asserting that the submarine cam
paign was proving a great success, he
continued:
"The first month's results excelled
the best previous results by J.S per
cent. The second month's by 50 per
cent. Kxact figures cannot be given,
hut in the first two mouths the freight
tonnage sunk exceeded l,ht),000. of
which more than 1,000,000 was
British.
"Perception of economic conditions
in England u difficult, as the llritish
government since the beginning of
unrestricted submarine warfare has
decided on far-reaching statistical
concealment. Knglaml could no
longer afford the publicity of the
earlier period of the war.
"From our figures, one may esti
mate the total tonnage still available
for British trade at 7,000,000 to 10,
000,000. It is clear the Rritish mer
chant fleet cannot long bear sinkings
at the present rale. Adequate sub
stitutions by new constructions arc
impossible."
Nebraska History Teachers
Hold Two-Day Meet
Kearney, Neb.. April JO. (Spe
cial.) The annual convention of the
Nebraska History 'Teachers' associa
tion met ih Kearney Friday and Sat
urday. History teachers were pres
ent from Lincoln, Hastings. North
Platte, Odessa, Gibbon, Grand Island.
Campbell, Kavenna, Seward and
Kearney. There was a lantern-talk
ii "Nebraska at the Time of State
hood.'; by' Prof. H. V. Caldwell, of
the University of Nebraska, Fridav
evening. Displays of materials for
use in teaching history were exhib
ited. Explanatory lectures on the use
were given by Miss Briggs, Hastings;
Miss Crandall, North Loup, and iiv
students. Misses Fletcher and Nelson
and Clarence Olcson.
The closing day of the convention
featured a lantern-lecture by Miss
Mabel Jackson, Lincoln, demonstrat
ing the use of slides in history teach
ing. A luncheon was served to the.
visitors by the Kearney Commercial
ilub in their dining rooms.
The association will reconvene next
Friday and Saturday in Columbus.
Seward-York-Aurora
Cut-Off is Established
Aurora, Neb.t April 29, (Special.)
The ward-York-Aurora Cut-off
for both the Lincoln highway and the
O. L. D. highway is now a realiza
tion. The Commercial clubs of these
three cities have been notified by the
State Highway' commission ot the ac
ceptance and ratification of the new
highway. It will be known as the
S.-Y.-A-. cut-off and will pass through
the three cities At the Grand Island
bridge it will lead north to Grand Is
land and join the Lincoln highway,
and south to Hastings to the Om;iha-Liucoiu-Denvcr
highway
NfVfR
IN HIS
, how's THe
::'",f BoY
'fm ThnT vfet
.. , 1 5 Tory rtBOvn u;
OF THEIR
BANDITS MURDER
DRUGGIST AFTEti
STORE HOLD UP
Samuel C. Smith. Robbed by
Three Highwaymen and He
Then Is Shot Down
Without Cause.
ENTER IN MIDDLE EVENING
Robbers Force Proprietor and
Others to Hand Over
Money.
BULIET PENETRATES LUNG
Samuel C. Smith, proprietor of the
S. C. Smith dru store. 22i Military
avenue, was murdered by one of three
bandits, who held up and robbed his
diug store, shortly after 10 o'clock
Saturday night. He was shot through
the right lung, the bullet severing an
artery. He was dead from loss of
blood before Police Surgeon Connolly
and Dr. Shook arrived.
C. V. Warficld, a grocer at 22U9
Military avenue, was an eye-witness
ol the affair. He told the following
story:
"Vc were talking about the cro,i
prospects when three well dressed
men, not over 23 or 311 entered. They
were not masked. When they got
within a few feet of Mr. Smith, who
was behind the counter, they pulled
nut their guns and ordered us to
throw up our hands.
Cash and Check.
"Is there any one in 1 lit- bark part
of the store!'" one of the bandits
asked. Mr. Smith answered. "No."
Mr. Warlield and Smith were
ordered then to the back part of the
store where two of the bandits robbed
Warlield of a S10 check and $5 in cash.
The other robber walked from the
hack of the prescription counter to
the cash register.
"Is it all right?" he called back.
"(io ahead.' he was answered.
It was then. Mr. Warlield said, that
one of the two remaining bandits tired
at the drug store proprietor.
"Mr. Smith did not resist the ban
dits. He had his hands in the air
when he was shot," Mr. Warlield said.
The bandits did not go through
Smith's pockets. As soon as the shot
was tired, they ran out of the store
Thirty-five dollars was taken from
the cash register.
David Marks, a grocer at J-'O.l Mili
tary avenue, was going home when
he heard the shot.
He said he saw three men run.
When they got to the street, one of
the robbers pointed a gun at another
and with an oath ordered him to take
the opposite direction. Two of the
bandits went south and the third
north, Marks said.
When Marks entered the place, he
said he found WarlieK in the back
part of the store with his hands still
above his head. Smith lay wedged in
between two counters where he had
fallen.
Smith was known to have kept large
sums bf money in his place Saturday
evenings to cash checks. The rob
bers, are thought to have known this.
That the bandits were amateurs is
the belief of police. Nervousness is
believed to have caused one of the
holdup men to pull the trigger. They
appeared greatly excited during the
robbery. Warlield said.
;fl TOWO
BOUl Ills -IAH
,1KB 'THE h
KiN - K.IYOCKEP .p
' S EM orr into i--!
I ' . CtVMRS JZ-
ffj m
terg ptiewi x
ADMINISTRATION WINS EIGHT FOR
SELECTIVE CONSCRIPTION IN
. BOTH HOUSES BY DECISIVE VOTE
Volunteer Amendment Advocated by Men Opposed to
Draft Measure as Drawn by General Staff Is Re
jected, 278 to 98, in Lower Branch.
SENATE VOTES DOWN
Chairman Dent of Military Affairs Committee, Who Spon
sors Movement, Gives Up Counting Before House Roll
Call Is Completed Hitchcock Does Not Vote
MANN WITH PRESIDENT
Washington, April 29. By overwhelming majorities the senate and house
late last night passed the administration bill to raise a war army by selec
tive draft.
The final roll calls brought into line behind the bill many senators and
representatives who had fought for the volunteer system, until they were
routed by the decisive defeat of volunteer meildment earlier in the day in
both houses.
.The senate passed the bill by a vote of 81 to 8. The house passed the
bill, 397 to 24.
In the senate the vote on the volunteer amendment was 69 to 18, and in
the house it was 279 to 98, supporters of conscription marshalling a strength
which surprised even administration leaden.
Later on a roll call the house rejected the volunteer proposal by i vote
of 313 to 109.
In the senate the bill's stipulation that men between 19 and 25 should be
liable to the draft was changed to mike the minimum 21 and the maximum
27. The house voted down all proposed changes in the military committee's
recommendation that the limits be fixed at 21 and 40.
VOTE TO EXEMPT FARMERS.
Amendments adopted in the house empowers the president to exempt
from the draft in his discretion, persons engaged in agricultural work.
Another would require each state to furnish a quota of men apportioned
according to population and still another provides "That no bounty shall be
paid to induce persons to enlist" and that "no person liable to military service
hall hereafter be permitted or allowed to furnish a substitute for such'
purpose."
The senate adopted an amendment to make it unlawful to sell or give
liquor -to officers or men. in uniform or to members of congress or other
officials, and then the senate reversed itself and adopted substitute limply
forbidding sale of liquors to soldiers in uniform and giving the president wide
discretionary power to make other prohibition regulations. In the house a
similar amendment was rejected.' ' -j
An amendment by Senator Curtis that men subject to draft who volun
tarily present themselves shall be recorded as volunteers, and accepted by
Chairman Chamberlain, went into the bill.
"CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS" LOSE.
Amendments by Senator Thomas and LaFollette to exempt from con
scription those having "conscientious objections" to military service were de
feated. Many radical amendments are expected to be thrown out in conference
and administration leaders hope to restore virtually all of the important fea-
,tures of the bill to their original form.
PUUEB AG UAT ITMTi717PTThe "l!9tion of "8" pbabiy win
uilLiM no iULUMIjIjR form "ie '88!' brri to a i""
PLAN IS VOTED DOWN
Wild Applause in Lower House
as Kahn Amendment Loses
by Decisive Count.
NEBRASKANS ARE DIVIDED
Washington, April 29. (Special
Telegram.) When the vote was an
nounced Saturday night in the house
of representatives on the Kahn
amendment striking out the volunteer
features in the army bill wild applause
followed.
Members stood up, pounded the
desks and j elled.
On tfie vote by tellers, Stephens,
Reavis and Kiukaid voted for tlie se
lective draft plan, and Sloan, Shallcn
berger and Lobeck for the volunteer
plan
Of the Iowa delegation, Woods.
Ilagen ami kamsej'cr voted for the
volunteer plan of raising the army.
The remaining members of the dele
gation in favor of consci iption.
On the final vote on the bill, the
Nebraska delegation stood united for
the bill.
Representative Sloan of Nebraska
olfcred an amendment during the day
providing that all male citizens sub-
uuy
jret to draft between the ages cf 21 i la" scrvl r "?"
and 60 sho-ild be taken into the i V"M1,S of, "Willed vo unleers for serv
servjce ! ice on the- Mexican border or m any
He said it was presented for the ! ig" country the president may-di-
men, and lie named them, Borland of ;
Missouri, Gardner ot Massachusetts
and I'latt of New York, an oppor
tunity of getting into the service as
the original "drafters."
Mr. Sloan's amendment was defeat
ed in the committee of the whole by
a teller vote of oj to 117. Many
amendments were presented to
change the age limit reported by the
committee from V) to 40.
The amendment of Representative
Mondell of Wyoming, raising the age
limit to 45 years, was defeated by a
tie vote of 130 even. When a tie vote
was announced there were cries from
all parts of the house demanding that
Congressman Saunders, who was in
the chair, should vote and break the
tie. Saunders announced that under
the house rule this was not permis
sible and that the amendment was
lost because of the tie.
1 Other amendments were offered
raising the maximum age, but each
met defeat.
Anti-Draft Advocates
In New Zealand Whipped
Wellington. New Zealand (Via Lon
don), April 2. All the laborites who
opposed conscription have been de
feated in the municipal elections in
I New Zealand
DRASTIC PROHIBITION
CLARK AGAINST HIM
agreement,
Senator Morris of Nebraska voted
for the volunteer amendment, oenator
Hitchcock's name did not appear in
the list of members voting.
An amendment proposing sub
stitute the volunteer system through
out the bill was rejected by an over
whelming roar of "noes."
T. R. Army Amendment Wins.
Senator Hardin's amendment to the
army bill designed to permit Colonel
Roosevelt to raise four infar.try di
visions for service in Trance was
adopted by the senate, 56 to 31. Many
.democrats voted for it. A similar
amendment was rejected by the house
yesterday.
The amendment does not specifi
cally mention Colonel Roosevelt, but
its purpose has been understood and
its author referred to the fact it would
permit the former president to raise
troops to go to Europe. It was not
discussed at length.
. dilators As hurst, broussard Uorc,
Hardwick, Ilollis, Hustiug. Johnson,
South Dakjta; Kirby. McKellar,
Myers, Owen, I'omercne, Ransdell,
lieed, Robinson, Saulsbt-ry, Thomas,
Thompson, Vardamar and Williams,
democrats, supported the amendment.
Senators Brady, Gronna, La Kollettc
and Warren, republicans, voted
against it.
The senate also accepted, S3 to 25,
amenilmeiit by Sen itor rail of
... , . . , - . . , . . .
-'Cw .Mexico autiiori.uig tne president
Vlic senate approved an amendment
by Senator Stone which would defi
nitely confine the opeiation of the
draft to the war and another that each
- (t'ontlmiH nn Thr Tm-ii, Cnlumn Ooe.)
ers in Sioux Falls
Will Strike Tuesday
Sioux Falls..S. D., April 29. (Spe
cial.) Everything indicates that on
May 1 what may prove to be the most
serious strike in the history of Siou
Falls will be inaugurated by members
of the Building Trades council, which
is composed of carpenters, plasterers,
lathers and all other classes of men
engaged in the building trades.
The Building Trades council sev
eral weeks ago adopted a new sched
ule of prices and rules, which are to
go into effect May 1. The building
contractors say some of these rules
are so obnoxious that they cannot
accede to them, and at a recent meet
ing the contractors and allied inter
ests organized for the purpose of re
jecting the demands of the Building
Trades council.
If a strike results, a number of car
penters who are without families in
timate they will leave the city and
enter the employment of the govcrn-
I ment as shipbuilders