The
Omaha
PART ONE.
NEWS SECTION
PAGES ONE TO EIGHT
unday
THE WEATHER
Fair
VOL. XLV1I NO. 10.
OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING. AUGUST 19, 1917 SIX SECTIONS THIRTY-EIGHT PAGES.
SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS.
0 DEAD IN AWFUL POWDER MILL
EXPLOSION;
OCIETY i
fVNIZER ASKS DIVORCE
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TWO HUNDRED WIDOWS GASP
WHEN TOLD MRS. TURPIN WED,
IS NOW SUING FOR DIVORCE
Organizer of "Society of American Widows" in Omaha,
Who Contracted Marriage With Arthur E. Enders
Last April, Has Brought Action for Legal
Separation on Ground of Cruelty.
If 200 widows, "grass and "sod," members of the defunct
Society of American Widows, organized in Omaha more than a
year ago by Mrs. Bessie C. Turpin, gasp when they learn their
organizer, leader and mentor contracted another marriage
AprU 20, they will be astounded to hear that Friday she filed
suit for divorce against her husband, Arthur E. Enders, charg
ing cruelty.
Few of the widows ever knew of
Mrs. Turin's second marriage, so her
divorce suit comes like a bolt from
the blue. She has been at her desk
as assistant bookkeeper at the Mc
Graw Electrical company every day
since her marriage to Enders is said
to have taken plac
A tale of a marriage made by a
woman "for the sake of the children"
is contained in the suit filed in district
court by Mrs. Enders.
Mrs. Enders says when she married
him at Sioux City, April 20 of this
year, he told her "she wouldn't have
to work any more to support herself
and her three small children.
She alleges, however, that notwith
standing the fact he was a drug sales
man earning $150 a moith, he failed
to contribute to the family exchequer.
She says he also soon developed a
quarrelsome and indifferent disposi
tion. SOCIETY BRINGS HUSBAND.
Mrs. Turpin-Endcrs ' first husband
is now living in Kentucky, where the
two elder Turpin children are pass-
a iic yuuugcai iijuu ujr uic uisc mar
riage is now with Mrs. Turpin's
mother in St. Louis.
Brief but meteoric was the career
of the Society of American Widows,
which brought Mrs. Turpin into the
public eye and incidentally the hus
band from whom she now seekfc legal
separation. A former active member
of the Widows' society reports that
Mr. Enders first read of Mrs. Turpin
while in California, that he wrote to
her and correspondence followed,
which resulted in his coming to Oma
ha and robbing Mrs. Turpin of the
right to serve as "head widow", of the
organization. Although Mrs. Turpin
Endcrs made several attempts to
keep the society together after her
marriage, asking the widows to meet
Friday evenings at her home since
the society could not afford to main
tain its rooms iu the Crounsc block,
only a handful stayed by the ship.
Widows Not Surprised.
Those widows who knew of her
marriage to Enders expressed no sur
prise that she is now suing for di
vorce. "Enders never worked a day since
he married Mrs. Turpin and we have
reason to believe she probably was
supporting him from her earnings,"
said one. Enders told his wife he
had traveled for a California drug
firm and it is said, she tried to get
him a position with an Omaha drug
house.
Another widow related how the
former Mrs. Turpin announced one
day that she was married, but mem
bers of the society refused to believe
her.
"Wc thought she was joking," she
said. i
"Later they arranged a wedding
supper for her."
Many prominent Omaha widows as
sisted in organizing the widows' so
ciety, which was formed to keep a
w&tchful eye upon the interests of
widows. Among. the plans furthered
by Mrs. Turpin was the sale of stock
in a building company, which was to
erect a:i apartment to house only
widows. A workshop for widows and
a recreation center for them were to
be features of the widows' domicile.
Officers of Widows' Society.
Stella Bedford Wilson, Omaha's
first woman lawyer, was the vice
president; Mrs. Florence Miller, sec
ond vice president; Mrs. Ada II. Picr
sall, third vice president, ana Mrs.
M. May Poast, secretary-treasurer.
(Continued on Vnge Two, Column One)
The Weather
For Nebraska Fair; nuot much change in
temperature:
Temperatures at Omaha Yesterday.
Hour.
5 a.
G a. m.
7 a. m.
Comparative Loral Record. j
1917. 1916. 1915. 1914.
Iliehest yesterday ss ss fig 96
Lowest yesterday.... R7 "7 60 7S
Mean temperature... 78 . 64 S7
Treclpitatlon 00 (10 .17 .110
Temperature anil precipitation departures!
from the normal: i
Normal temperature 74
Kx'cesi for the. day 4
Total eefirl.y since March 1. 1917 191 J
Normal pruipitatlon 11 Inch ,
fiefli leney for the day 11 Inch
Total rainfall since March 1 IK. 49 Inches
Ueflilenty since March 1 1.91 Inches
I'efitieni y for cor, period 1916.. 9.08 inches ;
&xcrjs for cor. period 1915 .76 inch
L. X. WE1,5H, Meteorologist.
Dep.
I S a. m tils j
fi SlflB A a. m 73 i
557 in a. m sj ;
fUlJtK A I 11 a. m 83 1
'XfPtm 13 m
JrJil r D i p. m 8b!
s n 2 p. m ss '
3 p. m 87 I
2S 4 p. m 85 j
SgSfe 6 P. m SSI
I 7 p. m 8a I
SOUTH SIDE BABY
BURNED TO DEATH
WHILE IN CRADLE
Four-Year-Old Brother Obtains
Matches, from Which
Sad Tragedy is a
Result.
While lying asleep in its cradle,
Mary Milan, two years old, was
burned to death Friday afternoon
at the home of the child's parents,
Mr. and Mrs. John Milan, 4005 South
Thirty-sixth street.
The baby's parents were away . from
the home for a few minutes, leavinc
""WJ'ic miant in cnargc or a lour-year
old brother. The boy in some man
ner obtained matches from which a
curtain hanging in the Milan home
caught fire, and fell down over the
infant's cradle.
Neighbors were aroused by the
screams of the two children, but bc
fotc they could extinguish the fuy
the " infant was burned beyond
recogniiion. Dr. Hugo Chalouptka
was immediately called and took the
child to the South Omaha hospital,
where it died yesterday.
Burial of the infant took place at
the Gennrn Catholic cemetery yes
terday. British Engineers and
Firemen May Go qji Strike
London, Aug. 18. There is consid
erable danger of an immediate strike
involving about half the engineers and
firemen employed on British railroads.
The main point at issue is the recog
nition of the principle of an eight
hour day, although the demand does
not necessarily include making the
principle effective during the war.
The men concerned number about
40,000.
East St. Louis Rioter Pleads
Guilty; Given Five-Year Term
Belleville, 111., Aug. 18.-S. L.
Schulz, who was one of the 105 per
sons indicted in connection with the
East St. Louis riots, walked into the
circuit court here this afternoon and
pleaded guilty to a chearge of riot
ing. He was sentenced to live years'
imprisonment.
.
More Suffragists Given
Choice of Fine or Jail
Washington, Aug. 18. The six
women arrested yesterday in front of
the White House charged with un
lawful assembly were sentenced in
police court today to fines of $10 or
thirty days in the workhouse at Oc
coquan, Va. They said they would
not pay the fines.
Lieutenant 'Zimmerer Knows Game
When it Comes to Machine Guns
Lieutenant Edwin Zimmerer, Ne
braska City, of the machine gun com
pany. Fifth Nebraska, is said to have
the best tactical knowledge of ma
chine gun warfare of any National
Guardsman in the United States.
Last spring at Fort Sill, Okla
homa, was held the first school for
training members of "the National
Guard of the country. Officers and
enlisted men attended and here in
struction was given by skilled regu
lar army officers in this method of
warfare. Lieutenant' Zimmerer led
this class. Members of this class are
the only National Guardsmen in the
country with such training.
So few soldiers know anything of
machine gun work that the men from
the Fort Sill school are going to be
in great -demand. It is probable, it is
asserted, that the officers who at
tended will be put in charge of train
ing schools, teaching other National
Guardsmen, as well as those of the
National Army.
Lieutenant Zimmerer will probably
be the first one choScn.
He is a graduate of the Arts de
partment of Nebraska university and
of the law school of Northwestern
university. He was, -previous to last
year, when he went to the border
with the Fifth, a practicing attor
ney jn Nebraska City. '
WILSON WILL ACT
0? COAL PROBLEM
E ARLYNEXT WEEK
After Conference With Federal
Trade Commission Presi
dent Prepares to Set
tle Question.
Washington, Aug. 18. President
Wilson will take some action in be
coal situation earjy next week. He
carried back to the White House
from a conference with the trade
commission a mass of statistics on
coal production costs and will go
over them tomorrow. His decision
probably will be announced Monday.
The president's intention, it was
learned authoritatively, is to reduce
the present price not only at the
mines, but of jobbers and retailers.
The trade commission's report indi
cates that operators can sell their
bitumiuous at a price far . below the
maximum of $3 fixed at a recent con
ference between mine managers and
government officials and still make a
handsome profit.
Agreement is Broken.
Evidence was given the president
that operators have failed to abide by
the $3 a ton agreement and that they
have been selling their product for
any amount they could get. Short
ages in some parts of the country
have made it possible, it is said, for
them to obtain extortionate prices.
The trade commission gave to the
president specific recommendations
as to its ideas of handling the situa
tion. It was suggested, it is under
stood, that the president immediately
put into operation provisions of the
food control bill, which give the gov
ernment authority to take over and
resell to the public all coal mined.
Italian Press Deplores
Pope's Attempt at Peace
Rome, Italy, Friday, Aug. 17. With
the exception of tne Catholic ' press,
the Italian newspapers agree that a
discussion of the question of peace at
present would favor Austro-German'
plans. The newspapers deplore the
attempt of Pope Benedict, even if
made in good faith, saying it may
weaken the resistance of the popula
tion at a moment when all the en
ergy of Italians is necessary to bring
about a victorious end to the war.
LUT. . ZIMMERER
UMEPi: PHOTO.
f ' ' 1
He Should Worry
Germany Favors Peace
Says Berne Dispatch
Rome, Aug. 18. Dispatches re
ceived here from Berne, Switzer
land and published in the Idea Na
zionales state that Germany is will
ing to follow the lead of its ally,
Austria, and accept the proposals
laid down by the pope in his peace
message.
COUNCIL REBUKES
THE PRO-GERMAN
PRESS OF STATE
Declares that Public Sentiment
Must Deal With Foreign
Language Press to As
sist America.
The Nebraska State Council of De
fense, in a sharp rebuke to editors
of the German press issued in the
form of a statement, declares that,
until congress can enact laws to deal
with these foreign language papers,
public sentiment must take the mat
ter in hand.
Continuous misleading statements,
cleverly covered under the guise of
news matter, is the principal form of
pro-German sentiment, declares the
council.
Council's Statement.
The, statement is as follows:
"The Nebraska State Council of
Defense hereby protests against the
insidious methods of the German
language press in America. Reports
received by the state council show
that in communities where German
language papers are widely circulated
hostility toward the American cause
is pronounced.
"It is difficult to handle some of
these German language newspapers
under the law, but their offense, while
cleverly covered, is so plain that they
must be dealt with by public senti
ment until congress shall provide a
remedy.
"The German language press is
constantly misrepresenting America's
allies and presenting a line of propa
ganda that is clearly meant to mis
lead its readers. The fact that these
German language editors are clever
enough .to avoid laying themselves
open to prosecution under the law
does not mean that their very ap
parent efforts to misrepresent the
great enterprise for humanity and
democracy upon which America has
entered should be tamely submitted
to by men having the interests of the
country at heart.
Urges Federal Legislation.
"The State Council of Defense
earnestly urges senators and con
gressmen to pass laws that will ade
quately meet this situation, protect
ing America from the insidious wiles
of these newspapers if present laws
are inadequate. In the meantime
awakening on the part of Americans,
regardless of birth or ancestry, to
the seriousness of the practices of
the German language press will ac
complish much good.
"It is the solemn judgment of the
State Council of Defense that sooner
or later the German language press
must undergo a strict censorship if
not actual suppression during the
duration of the war.
"The State Council of Defense
takes' the position that in America
there is only one side to America's
war, and that those who do any
thing to hinder or embarrass the gov
ernment in the conduct of that war
should be held strictly to account,
through the force of public senti
ment. "In this view the state council re
spectfully suggests to the editors of
German language papers that they
call a halt upon their cleverly ar
ranged propaganda and cither stand
up for the country which provides
them protection and prosperity, or
suspend publication until America has
completed the important task it has
in hand."
STATE CROPS ARE
BETTER AS FALL
HARVEST HEARS
Northwestern's Report for the
Week Gives Indications of
a Bumper Corn
Yield.
The Northwestern's Nebraska crop
report for the week ending Friday
night, the data of which is gathered
by the agent$rwho make personal ob
servations and talk with farmers, ele
ctor and mill men, has been compiled
and indicates pretty close to a bumper
yield.
Wherever the Northwestern oper
ates in Nebraska, and that is in prac
tically ;.ll portions of the grain beltj
as well as out in the range country,
there was an abundance of rain dur
ing the last week. This has b,ren ac
companied by the most favorable
growing weather, such as warm days
and generally warm nights. The cli
matic conditions have pushed the corn
crop along to the extent that if the
fall is reasonably late, considering the
increased acreage, the yield will be
greater than last year and probably
the largest in the history of the state.
Corn Only Slightly Damaged.
As time passes it becomes apparent
that there was only slight damage
done to the corn by the hot weather
of three weeks ago. Indications are
that this little damage was in a few
of the counties of the southern por
tion of the state and there only in
spots.
Threshing of small grain is well
along. While the acreage of wheat
was far below the normal, the yield
of both the spring and winter varieties
is heavy and the quality excellent.
The oats crop is a bumper, both as
to acreage and yield. Reports from
the fields and from the elevators in
dicate that the yield is anywhere from
thirty to sixty bushels an acre. Many
of the fields run as high as seventy
five and some up to eighty bushels
an acre.
Alfalfa Tonnage Heavy.
The third cutting of alfalfa is being
gathered and on account of the recent
rains, which were general, the ton
nage of the crop is unusually heavy,
nearly as great as the first and second.
Potatoes promise an average crop
in most sections of the state. In the
southern section the yield will be
a little below the normal, but in the
central and northern portions, where
are found the immense fields of the
tubers, the yield promises to be
greater than last year, though the
harvest will be a little late.
Pasturage has improved greatly
during the last week and the reports
are to the effect that the range was
never in better condition.
Throckmorton and Alexander
Win Tennis Championship
Boston, Aug. 18. Frederick B. Al
exander and Harold Throckmorton
of New York today won the final
match of the national patriotic dou
bles lawn tennis tournament, which
t'.is year took the place of the na
tional doubles championship. They
defeated Irving C. Wright and II.
C. Johnson of this city in straight
sets, 11-9, 6-4, 6-4. on the courts of
the Longwood Cricket club.
Federal Officers in Texas
Hold Austrian Army Men
Laredo, Vex., Aug. 18. Four Aus
trian army officers, alleged to be ac
complices of Captain Irving
Schneider, recently arrested' at San
Francisco on a charge of being a Ger
man spy, were arrested by Department
of Justice agents here todayand
placed in jail. It is said they Cine
from San Francisco and were en
route ,to Mexico.
FIFTEEN BLASTS
DESTROY MONSTER
MUNITION PLANT
Hundreds Killed and Entire Village Destroyed at Riguad,
Quebec, When Explosions Wreck Powder Mill Cover
ing Five Square Miles; Bodies Buried in Smoulder
ing Ruins; No Death List Until Embers Cool.
Rigaud, Quebec, Aug. 18. The great plant here of Curtis
& Harvey, Ltd., explosive manufacturers, was wrecked today
by a series, of terrific explosions and buried beneath the ruins
of a dozen or so structures that comprised the factory are an
unknown number of dead.
Several thousand male and female workers employed at
the plant were in the danger zone for Ik 3. An early estimate
TEUTONS HURL
HEAVY BLOWS
AT CANADIANS
Concentrate on British Posi
tion Recently Taken in Vi
cinity of Lens; French
Retake Wood.
(By ftnorlatod rrw.)
Crown Prince Rupprecht of Ha
vana continues to hurl counter at
tacks against the new positions cap
tured by the Canadians in their re
cent offensive in the, region of Lens.
Saturday morning the Gennnas forced
their way into the Canadian trenches
northwest of the French; mining cen
ter, but after furious hand to hand
fighting they were ejected, leaving a
considerable number of dead on the
battlefield.
French Penetrate Steenbeke Region.
On the Belgian front from the
North Soa coast to the Ypres sector,
where the British and French in their
offensive begun iu the middle of the
week took 1,800 prisoners and twenty-four
guns, the French again have
pushed forward, capturing a strong
German pouit of support east of the
Steenbeke. river. The British have
organized their newly conquered ter
rain and the artillery bombardment
on this front again has assumed a
degree of drum tire intensity, presag
ing another vicious blow at the Ger
man lines. The Berlin war office now
admits the loss, after severe fighting,
of the Belgian village of Langcmarck,
northeast of Ypres, and says the Ger
man troops have occupied lines in
front of the positions conquered by
the British.
. Aisne Attacks Repulsed.
On the River Aisne front the Ger
man crown prince directed a number
of attacks on the French trenches,
notably in the vicinity of Froidmont
farm, but all were repulsed. Prepa
rations for a German assault in the
Massiges sector of the Champagne
region were broken up iby French
fire. On the Verdun front a spirited
attack swept over the German posi
tions in Caurieres wood, enabling the
French to Tetake all the trenches
which had been wrested from them
on August 16 and 17.
Aviators of all the belligerents on
the western front were active as the
week closed.
German Planes Fall.
French aviators shot down seven
German machines and forced eight
others to land in a badly damaged
condition. On the night of August
17-18 French aerial squadrons
dropped fourteen tons of explosives
on German aviation grounds, railway
stations and encampments. British
airmen destroyed twenty-three Teu
tons' airplanes and forced thirteen
others to land. Eleven British planes
and two French machines, according
(Contlniird on I'M Two, Column Thrm.)
The Bee
77 SttXy, o
" a .
4-. a?.-.z iLrA.
CLJ
Obascd on first reports placed the num
ber ot killed at about 250.
RELIEF TRAIN ARRIVES.
A relict train arrived from Mon
treal at noon bringing doctors and
nurses, but owing to the fierce heat
from the burning ruins of the plant
they were unable to approach. No
death list can be obtained until the
ruins cool.
The loss in the value of buildings
and stock will reach well up into mil
lions. The first explosion was caused by
the overheating of the machinery iu
the nitric acid building. The flames
leaped along through the building and
another explosion occurred. Most of
the workers, however, are believed to
have had ample time to escape.
Other Explosions. -1
Other exolosions occurred everv
five minutes or so, shaking the sur
rounding country like a scries of
earthquakes. Altogether fifteen deto
nations were counted.
One of the explosions blew down
a number of houses in Dragon, where
most of the workers lived, and farm
houses in the vicinity also caught fire.
Provision was made by tne people or
Rigaud for accommodating the home
less workers.
Arrest of Ficke May .
Stop Leak to Germany
New York, Aug. 18. The arrest of
Heiilrfch S. Ficke, the auditor in this
city of the North German Lloyd
Steamship company, as an alien en
emy, was expected to be followed
today by the detention of nu
merous other men, all of whom prob-i
ably will be interned until the end
of the war. Ficke was arrested last
night by United . States Marshal
Power, who said today that "through
his arrest and others to be made soon
the leak to Germany will be stopped."
New Bond Issue Before
Ways and Means Members
Washington, Aug. 18. The house
ways and means committee had be
fore it today Secrttary McAdoo's pro
posal for a bond issue of $7,538,945,
000, to bear 4 per cent interest and
subject only to income supertaxes,
war profits and excess profit taxes.
The proposed legislation is intended
to provide $4,000,000,000 for additionat
loans to the allicj and for retirement
of the $3,000,000,000 nontaxable 3i
per cent bond issue now authorized
to meet allied loans.
Austria Considers China's
War Declaration Illegal
Peking, Thursday, " Aug. -16. Austria-Hungary
considers that China's
declaration of war on the central
powers proclaimed August 14 isjllegal
and unconstitutional, according'to Dr..
Arthur von Rosthorn, the Austro
Hungarian minister at Peking, in a
note replying to a notification from
the Chinese foreign office announcing
the existence of a state of war.
Webb Export Bill Reported
By Commerce commission
Washington, Aug. 18. Webb export
Din, permuting comoiations oi dusi
ness interests to engage in foreign
trade, was reported today with mi
nor amendments to the senate by the
interstate commerce committee. It
already has passed the house.
Suits Best
M "
c.
.
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