0
PART ONE
NEWS SECTION
MAfiA
THE WEATHER
Not So Cold
B-1
Y PAGES 1TO 14
VOL. XLVIII NO. 31.
OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, JANUARY 13, 1918. FIVE SECTIONS. FORTY-TWO PAGES.
SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS.
AMY CAPTA
FOU
AND
3
RGBS
BANK
.KEILJL
23 KILLED AND
INJURED IN WORST SNOW
STORM FOR MANY YEARS
Railroads Are Paralyzed and Several Cities Are Com-
pletely Isolated; New York Has,, Tropical Storm
Which Floods City; South and Southwest
In Grip of Zero Temperatures.
Washington, Jan. 12. The severest cold wave of many
years gripped the country today from the Rocky mountains
eastward to the Alleghenies, and will move on to the Atlantic
coast tonight and Sunday.
Twenty degrees below zero was the rule in Indiana'and
surroundirig territory, while the cold extended southward as far
as the Gulf of Mexico, with temperatures there ranging around
18 degrees above ezro. Traffic throughout the jniddle west is
greatly impeded and coal shortage causes much suffering.
To the extreme southern limit ofV
the Florida main land temperatures
tonight will fall below freezing and
cold will be more intense all the way
northward to the Canadian border.
The. cold will continue through
Sunday.
MANY KILLED.
Atlanta, Ga., Jan. 12. With the
south in the grip of its worst snow
and sleet storm of the winter today,
early reports showed that tornadoes
which swept through eastern Ala
bama and central 'Georgia had taken
a toll of 16 lives and injured more
than 100 persons.
Wire communication over a great
area was paralyzed, scores of small
towns in the interior being isolated,
while Savannah, Charleston, Jackson
ville and other cities along the south
Atlantic coast were cut off iron) out
side communication.
Many Deaths.
The deaths and injured reported
early today were as follows:
Cowarts, Ala., seven killed and 25
injured
Dothan, Ala., 6ix children killed and
40 injured in collapse of school house
til country near JJothan.
VJehh. Ala..' one killed and esti
mated 70 injured in destruction of
store and other -buildings.
Troy. Ala., one killed and several
Ininrpd.
Maeon, Ga., one killed at Camp
Wheeler and several injured.
Low Barometer.
The cold wave that extended as far
south as Florida was preceded by an
llv low barometric pressure,
28.98 being recorded at Knoxville,
while thunder storms and lightning
armmnanied a heavy snowfall at
Astifvilte. N. C.
It was thought today that sleet
. and high winds were the chief causes
of the Isolation of most of the lowns
and that little or no damage had re
sulted in the larger cities.
Blows Down Tents.
The tornado, at Camp Wheeler
blew down' some 16 hospital tents,
containing ISO patients, and heavy
rains flooded other tents. One
'nrivate was reported killed in the
fcollapse of the corral of the 122d in-
' . . t. " 1 a.1 .1 - tn11 A rl f&
lantry, wnue inc uasc uun aim -
Uraek erand stand at the fair grounds
were badly damaged and the winter
'quarters of a circus was aemousneu,
f. . .. .nimble htnor Irillprt.
-(Uaiijr auiuinm "J'i'e .... . .
Traffic Tie-Up.
Kansas City, Mo., Jan. 12. After
the lowest plunge of the mercury in
nearly 20 years, the southwest was
hoping for a reaction to . warmer
iweather today, based on weather bu
,reau predictions of slowly rising tem
perature. .
In the wake of the blizzard and the
record cold weather that followed at
many points came disorganization of
wire and train communication, fran
tic calls fo- coal, failure of gas serv
ice in the '.ahoma-Kansas fields and
much suffering everywhere, but espe
cially in the oil districts, where many
buildings were incapable of resisting
such low temperatures.
Worst Since 1873.
StfLouis, Mo., Jan. 12. A blizzard
that broke all records in St. Louis
county since 1873 raged through-m
the night, setting a low temperature
mark in St. Louis of 19 degrees be
low zero. Temperatures ranged from
(Continued on Page Two, Colnmn Two.)
The Weather
For Nebraska Fair; slowly rising tm
ratur. ' ...
TrmpenuurrB at umaua iwinuj,
WARMER.'.-
, Zj1 v . . 7 a
Hours.
De.
11
9
9
8
9
8
1
b
3
2
m..
3 p. m 0
Comparative 'Loral Record.
191S 1917' JSJ5
Highest yesterday ... t 1 44
Lowest yesterday 17 4 19 28
Mean temperature .. 111 10 56
Precipitation 00 T. ,!l .00
Temperature and precipitation departures
,from the normal at Omaha since March 1.
,aua compared with tile last two years:
.Normal temperature SO
tlwncleney for the day 28
Total deficiency since Marrh 1 540
Knrnial lWlnlf.f.n " A9 In.h
Deficiency for the day OS Inch
Total rainfall since .March 1...22.11 Inches
Deficiency since March 1. . 7.42 inches
Deficiency for cor. prriort, 1914.1S.M Inches
ZXXicitnqr lor cor. period. 1915. 1.61 inches
I BfTtt . 1 p. ra...
4 p- m
6 p. m
x VJ 6 p. m
7 p. m
HUNDREDS
BLIZZARD HITS .
CHICAGO: TIES
UP ALL TRAFFIC
City is Isolated From Outside
Communication; Snow is
, Blown Into Great Drifts;
Paralyzes Railroads.
Chicago, Jan. 12. Chicago is iso
lated from rail communication with
the outside world by one of the worst
blizzards in its history.
Its business is paralyzed.
With snow two feet on the level
and swept into great drifts, trains are
neither arriving nor leaving the city.
Surface lines were scarcely able to
move. Telegraph wires were in bad
shape. J No milk trains arrived.,' nor
were 'coal wagons able to move 10
per cenfbf the coal needed. .
The thermometer dropped to 14 de
grees below zero and a sharp wind
from the northwest added to the suf
fering, i
" Trains Stall in Drifts.
The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
started three passenger trains out last
night. They were unable to negotiate
tne dntts and all were held within
40 miles of the city. Other trains, in
view of this experience, were not
started at all. Other roads took simi
lar precautions.
Grocers all over the city notified
customers that deliveries would not
be attempted until conditions im
prove. Worst Storm in Years.
"The worst storm we have ex
perienced," steam road and street rail
way officials said, "because the drift
Jag snow piles back on the tracks
after we clear them." All night, how
ever,, the officials of the several sys
tems kept at work with snow plows
in an effort to keep trains and cars
moving.
The street car and elevated lines
met with greater success in the fight
against suspension of service than the
steam roads. Several of the railroads
abandoned their suburban schedules
(Continued on Page Two. Column Three.)
"Status Quo Ante
Bellum" in Muny Court
"Status quo ante bellum" prevails
at the municipal court, with Judges
Britt, Holmes and Baldwin pursu
ing their usual activities with seem
ing insouciance.
The communiques, however, have
not been re-established between
these judicial disputants.
Judge Sritt, after having warmed
his feet and nose at a radiator, com
mented smilingly upon the situa
tion, stating that he intended to gJ
ahead as if nothing had happened. 1
Charles Britt, the judge' son,
continues at his post anti has not
enounced his dis:nclinarion to re
move himself from the payroll, this
being the cause of the trouble.
Sleeps Out, Goes
Does Not
Because he feared a stvrn calling
down which he thought his parents
would administer to him for taking-13
cents belonging to his mother and
disposing of the money in the pur
chase1 of candy and admittance to a
movie," little 11-year-old James Su-
chanek, 1911 South Fourteenth street,
spent two days and two nights away
from home, with no previous thought
of proper shelter from the piercing
cold.
His adventure was brought to an
end when Officer Burchard found him
huddled in a corner of an express
wagcJn in the Merchants Express com
pany s stable last night and the lad
was brought to the police station for
the -night.
I m all right, only I ain t ate a meal
for two days, an I'm hunerv," he
told officers, whereupon James was
taken to a nearby restaurant and he
BRITISH SET UP
RELATIONS WITH
- "REDS" LEGATE
Russ Continue Peace Negotia
tions at Brest-Litovsk;
Trotzky Declares Against
Secret Diplomacy.
v (By Associated Press.)
London, Jan. 12. The British gov
ernment has decided to establish in
formal relations with Maxim LitvP"
noff, who was appointed by the Bol
sheviki . government as Russian am
bassador at London, according to the
Daily Mail. This stepadds the news
paper, has beei taken with a view to
obtaining useful information in regard
to conditions in Rdssia.
Remain at Brest-Litovsk.
Amsterdam, Jan. 12. Leon Trotzky,
the Bolsheviki foreign minister, at
the conference at Brest-Litovsk yes
terday said that in order not to leave
any possibility in the fight for peace
unutilized the Russian delegation ac
cepted the German demand that the
negotiations be continued at Brest
Litovsk. The chairman of the Russian -delegation
said that, in full accord with
their former resolution, the Russians
desired to continue the peace negotia
tions quitex apart from the fact
whether or not the entente powers
participated.
General Peace.
" Trotzky said he , had noted the
statement of the central powers that
the basis of a general peace as for
mulated in their declaration of De
cember 25 was null and void and
added:
"We adhere to the principles of
democratic peace as proclaimed by
us.
Referring to the objection raised
by the central powers that the trans
fer of the negotiations to Stockholm
or some otner neutral point, as re
quested by Russia, nrght enable the
entente nations to interfere, M. Trot
zky said the Bolsheviki government
had been consistent and independent
in its peace policy and that there was
no reason to assume entente diplo-
(Contlnaed on Page Two, Colnmn Six.)
to Movies, and
Eat for Two Days
fell to a hearty lunch, in Huckdberry
Finn style. ,
When questioned concerning his ex
periences during the last two days,
James said:
"Wull, de first night I bonght 3
cents worth of candy and den went
to a movie. It wuz cold afterwards,
an' I couldn't sleep outside, so my
chum said I could sleep in de hallway
of his fiat near Thirteenth and Hick
ory all night. - s
"I went tx school all day yester
day an' den I went to another movie
las' night, wid de nickd what wuz
left." -
"It wuz cold again las' night, so I
climbed in dat express wagon and
wenttright.in delivery barn when de
men pulled de wagon in. An' I wuz
sleepin' fine when de p'liceman
pinched me.
"I hope I get home now, cause I'm
tired an' hungry."
The boy's parents were notified and
took hira home this mornine.
Buying Everything in Sight
cSov
WAR SECRETARY GRILLED BY
SENATE COMMITTEE; SHARP
DIFFERENCES 0 , OPINION
Baker Is Accused of Giving Country Wrong Impression of
Departmental Conditions; U. S. Will Feel Secure
When Facts Are Known, He Assures In -vestigators
at Washington.
Washington, Jan. 12.-Secretary Baker came in for more
sharp cross-examination today at the hands of the senate mili
tary committee conducting the war inquiry.
The committee demanded to know what had been done
about 1,200 Lewis machine guns held in storage, while canton
ments and camps need them for practice.
Secretary Baker promised that they immediately would be
distributed, and Senator Weeks observed that the distribution
had been delayed a month. , '
Tflf) MTTPH nPI.AV O
"That is the essence of this whole
thing," said Senator Weeks. "There is
delay, too much delay. Things that
could be done at once are delayed
when every day counts.
"Mr. Secretary," Chairman Cham
berlain broke in, "your general state
ments of conditions are all calculated
to leave the impression that all these
matters are really in good shape.
The senator cited reports of cloth
ing shortages at Camp Sherman and
aaaea:
' FEELING OF SECURITY.
The effect on the - country of
your statements isttf lull it into feel
ing of security that everything has
been done that should have been done.
I don't think it has."
"I think the country is-entitled to
feel secure," Mr. Baker replied
earnestly. "When the facts are known
the country will feel secure."
Senator Hitchcock, another demo
cratic member of the committee said:
But. Mr. Secretary, we have
specific testimony of exact clothing
shortages, while your testimony seems
to contraoicrtiiem completely.
Mr. Baker said the shortages cited
might.be of final and not initial
equipment. "
"I agree with the chairman," con
tinued Senator Hitchcock, "that you
seem to have the impression that ev
erything is lovely, that there are no
shortages and that these reports are
unjustified."
Conditions Not Perfect.
"Quite the contrary," Mr. Baker an
swered. "I want to give the picture
as it is. There was a shortage of
overcoats and other clothing. But I
ilnlc the figures of shortages you
have were at the climax of the short
ages. I think the country ought to
have the knowledge that since those
discouraging days supplies have been
very much increased. Conditions are
not perfect, of course." I
"The fault I find." the chairman re
plied, "is that if congress and the peo
ple get me impression, wn.ch your
general statements give, that every
thing is all right, they will believe that
no legislation to correct the depart
ment'j system is necessary, and from
our testimony I think it is necessary."
"But I must insist," said Mr.
Baker, J'that under facts as they are
the country is entitled to reassur
ance." Early Mistakes.
Mr. Baker cited statistics of short
age early in December and how sup
plies had been increased during the
month. Mistakes in distribution and
(Continued on P Two, Column Thre.)
I NAVfMr
A WMD TO BUY
fsirr nnT f t
WHAT 'SAY'?
COAL SHORTAGE
BECOMES ACUTE
' IS TESTATES
Washington, Jan. 12. Fuel Ad
ministrator Garfield today ordered
mines in West Virginia, Kentucky
and Pennsylvania to concentrate for
the next izn days in shipping coal to
'certain d'stricts, in Ohio and Michi
gan, where the shortage is acute.
France Will Not Conduct
Peace Negotiations Now
Paris, Jan. 12. That France does
not purpose to have anything to do
with the peace negotiations at Brest
Litovsk between the Bolsheviki and
the Teutonic allies and that it will
have no peace dealings with the
enemy until they shall make them di
rect was stated in the Chamber of
Deputies this evening by Stephen
Pichon, minister of foreign affiairs.
The statement was made in reply
to a demand that the government
issue passports to socialists desiring
to proceed to I'etrorad, and that
the entente powers make a joint dec
laration of their war aims.
Horse Draws Baggage Trucks
At Union Station in Freezeup
That "necessity is the mrfther of in
vention was proven tor tlic mil
lionth time Friday night when horses
were used at tne union giauon 10
draw baggage trucks. Thin, heavily
packed layers of snow blocking the
runways was the cause.
At, first the apparition of a great,
bonv white horse aione the shadows
of the station platform caused a num
bcr of surprised and questioning
glances, but as the reason for the
spectcr like strangei became apparent
people ceased to wonder, and their
interest became quite casual.
This, however, was only one of
the evidences of the extreme cold of
last night. His majesty, the per
sonage whose business is to heat the
depot and outlying yard sheds,
sauntered through the general waiting
room at 10:30 and scattered his per
sonal views broa'icast among the
common human beings assembled
-o
SUICIDE FIXES .
GUIL T FOR CRIME
AT CAMP FUNSTON
Lewis R. Whisler of Salina, Kan.. Found Dead in Office
After Order Is Issued to All Officers to Have
Finger Prints Taken; Leaves .Note
To Woman.
V '
Kansas City, Mo., Jan. 12.-After murdering four men in
charge of the army bank at Camp Funston with an ax and bat
tering their bodies beyond recognition in an effort to obtain
$475,000 in cash which was believed to be secreted in thej
vaults, Captain Lewis R. Whisler of Salina, Kan., late today,
took iiis own life. , .
His suicide followed a general order issued after the quad
ruple murder requiring all captains to report and have their
; finger prints taken.
DEMOS GROOMING
KEITH NEVILLE
FOR U. SENATE
Mysterious Visit of Senator
Hitchcock This Week Sets
Tongues to Waggir.g as to
the Best Timber.
"It is my 'opinion that John II.
Morchead, former governor, is doing
some hard thinking on the subject
of entering the race for United States
senator," commented Mayor Dahlman
during a discussion of the political
rumors that Governor Neville may get
into the senatorial race and Mr. More-hcad-may
strive to return to the state
house as governor.
Mr. Morchead visited the mayors
office this week and was unusually
rhattv. ffivlng the impression that
there is a senatorial bee in his mind.
The former governor gave the im
ncAcAinn that he has arrived at that
mature age which would lend dignity
to the position of senator and he
added that he never felt in better
physical condition.
Neville or Moreneaa.
"Mr. Morehead said he was think-
ing of tne senatorial aniDiuon, om
had not made up his mind. I think
he is feeling around a little and it is
my firm conviction, noweyer, mai
should Governor Neville decide to get
into the senatorial race, that More
head would not oppose him. There
fore, it appears to me, that either Ne
ville oi Morehead will make the race,"
said Mayor Dahlman.
The report that the governor is con
sidcrinsr running for senator was
given color by events of the week,
The visit of Senator Hitchcock to
Omaha for a few days is said to have
had some bearing on this political
situation. Neville is generally be
lieved to be the choice of the Hitchcock-Mullen
political combination
which is opposed to the idea of Edgar
Howard as senator.
- Arthur Mullen went to Lincoln as
soon as he had conferred with Sen
ator Hitchcock in Omaha and the na
tional committeeman made straight
way for the state, house, where he
sought the -gubernatorial ear.
Ashton C. ShahenberKer M. L,
Corey, W. E. Reed and Congressman
Stephens are also being mentioned in
connection with the senatorial race.
City hall politicians who are close
to the inside of things aver that there
is a strong possibility that Neville will
be groomed and that the Hitchcock
Mullen crowd will move heaven and
earth in his behalf.
Record Cold in Fremont
Fremont, Neb., Jan. 12. (Special
Telegram.) All records for continued
cold weather in Fremont were
smashed Friday when the government
thermometer registered a minimum of
24 below and a maximum of 18 below
for the day. A number of Fremont
cTiurch will have no services Sunday.
there. The views concerned the
weather, Rock Springs coal, and him
self mai;wy himself.
"Why," he said, swelling out his
chest with great importance, "I'll
use 20 ton of coal vtonightl Rock
Springs coal, too. 'Tain't cheap; by
no means, 'tain't. You know, when
they tried to get me to take this
job " And so on interminably until
fate and a puff of cold air through a
suddenly opened door brought him
back to the original subject.
"Twenty-eight below. Yeah. Fact!
Gettin' colder fast. By morning it'll
be 30 below, or I'll" here the im
portant chest puffed up dangerously
"or I'll know why!"
The personage doubtless forgot to
"know why." And, judging from the
sputtering pf the radiator? all night
long, he fnrpot that such a word as
"Hooverize" exists, and that 20 t'uis
of Nock Springs coal was hh own
set limit.
y NOTE TO WOMAN.
Captain Whisler used a regulation
service rifle, shooting himself twice in
the head.. The first bullet glanced
and the second entered the brain.
He left t nots addressed to a
woman, which read: "I have been
thinking of committing suicide for a
long time but I never had a good
reason. Yesterday I went out and.
made myself a reason." '
His body was found in his office.
Where Captain Whisler had washed
himself last night there were found
many splotches of blood. A table in
the room was smeared with blood, and
two soaked towels were found.
Borrowed Two Hatchets.
Captain Whisler, it is said, bor
rowed two; hatchets from a nupply
company late yesterday, and today he
borrowed two more. . ,
Four hundred and seventy-five thou
sand dollars in cash, the larger part
of which would have been deposited
in the army bank at Camp Funston,
was sent from here yesterday .and
was scheduled to reach the bank late
yesterday afternoon, it became Vnown
today. However, the shipment was
delayed nd did not arrive-until ti-fK
Kearney Wornall of kansas City,
the only suryivor of the five men who
were in the army bank here last night
when the institution . was robbed, told ,
the authorities the robber was an
army captain whom he .recognized, it
was announced this afternoon. '.
"The murders were committed by
a captain," Wornall told tilt authori
ties. "He wore no mask. He came
into the bank and said he was short
of money and hated to do it. The
man's face is familiar with me. Win
ters was well acquainted with him."
Sees He I- Recognized. '
, Efforts on the part of Wornall's
questioners to obtain further informa
tion were futile,' as the injured man
soon lapsed into unconsciousness.
When he made the statement that' an
army captain committed the murders
his mind seemed to be. working clear
ly, it was said.
According to Wornall. an insistent
knock at the door of the bank building -about
8:30 o'clock last night, caused
them.to admit a man who immediately
covered- them with a revolver. . He
then commanded rWornall to tie the
hands of the others, Wornall says,
after which' he tied Wornall's hands.
Wornall said he thought the robber ,
realized that he was recognized by
some of his victims and that he de
cided to kill them. The robber picked
up a handax from the floor and began
raining blows pon the heads and
faces of the helpless men.
Sentry Found WornalL
C. F. Winters, vice president of the
National. Reserve bank of Kansas
City and cashier of the army bank,
wasthe first man attacked He died
early today.-O. M. Hill and Carl
Ohelson, clerks, were next struck
down, after. which the man attacked
Wornall and John Jewell of Spring
field. Wbrnall, when found by a sentry,
was taken to an infirmary. A detail
was sentf to the bank building. The
four bodies were found and the mili
tary police notified. Wornall was re
moved to the base hospital at Fort
Riley.
Winters received four or five severe
cuts on the head and forehead. Hill ?
and Jewell were beaten about the
head almost beyond recognition. -Ohelson
was apparently killed in-;
stantly by a blow on, the forehead
with the blade of the 'ax.
Murders a Mystery.
Officials in charge of the case were
asking themselves how it was pos
sible the murders could have taken
(Continued on rsge Two, Column roar.)
T"
REDS BATTLE FOR
HOURS WITH ARMY
OF UKRAINIANS
Fetrograd, Jan. 12. Fighting last
ing seven hours has-taken place be
tween Maximalist and Ukrainian
troops near Rachmatch, in the gov
ernment of Tchernigov. according to
advices received here. The fighting is
said to have resulted in severe casu
alties. '
A Reuters Limited dispatch from
Petrograd says it is reported there
that the Ukrainian troops have occu
pied Rachmatch, in the government
of Tchernigov, after severe fighting.
bolslieviki fletacliments have ser.-e d
the stations at Debalzavo. in W .'.Sr
kov, Inovska and Semenov.
(1