RIEF
BRIGHT
REE Z Y
BITS OF NEWS
SUSPICION RUNS HIGH
AMONG CHURCH MEMBERS.
New York, Dec. 18. The Lutheran
commission which recently returned
from a six-months "tour of France,
Germany, Poland, Austria and other
centers of Lutheranism in Europe,
reported at a conference that inter
national ill feeling and suspicion still
run so high, even among members
of the same church denominations,
that restoration of the unity of the
' church will be a delicate and dim
cult problem.
'The thinking of an European
christian." said Rev. Dr. J. A. More
headt president of Roanoke College,
Virginia, and chairman of the Euro
pean commission, "is conditioned by
his nationality in a quite remarkable
way. When self-respecting christian
men, who have been loyal to their
respective countries, meet again,
thtfre is a problem to be solved if
they are to realize again, frankly
and sincerely, the truth of the doc
trine of the Cummunion of the
Saints!"
"THE VELVET, HAMMER" LOCAL CELEBRITIES DONE IN VERSE ON EDITORIAL PAGE.
The. Omaha Daily Bee
VOL. 49 NO 158 J"! V r"-i su . itos. i
uu 9-iXJ. lOO. oukt P. 0. dr set ! March S. 1879.
OMAHA, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1919.
By Mall (I tr), Dilly. 15.06: Sratfty, If.SSi
Daily Mf Sua.. SS.N; tatildt Nab. wataaa antra.
TWO CENTS.
6)
THE WEATHER i
Generally fair Friday and prob
ably Saturday; somewhat warmer
in east portion Friday.
Hourly Temperature,
S at. m.
a, m.
1 at. m.
ft a. m ,
9 a. m.
10 m.
11 at. m .
.15
II Noon SS
I p.
P
8 p.
4 p.
5 p.
P.
I
P.
."!!si
.IT
I. ,IT
n It
era
MANY WAR BRIDES
CANT SPEAK ENGLISH.
New York, Dec. 18. New York
leads all States in the itninn in num.
ber of war brides brought back by
American r soldiers, according to a
report issued today by -the Y. W.
C A. Out nf a tnral nt 2 2RQ this
state received 347, representing 16
nations.
Of the entire number of brides
896 did not speak English, while 437
spoKe it sagnuy and you fluently.
Annroximatelv nne-half nf th total
number of brides have trades or
professions and have been self-sup
porting, ine grand total included
1,505 French brides, 426 English, 47
Irish, 49 Belgian and 46 Scotch.
AGED COUPLE DIE
THE SAME NIGHT.
St. Louis, .Dec. 18. Happiness
reigned in the home of Mr. and Mrs.
August Boettger. On January 14
they were to celebrate their 54th
year of married life. - Boettger walk
ed into the kitchen, buffering an
acute attack of nephritis, he fell un
conscious. Mrs. Boettger (ran to
him. The shock was such that she
collapsed in a chair. ' Mrs. Augusta
Weise, a daughter, found them. Both
were unconscious.
Mrs. Boettger died at 7:30 o'clock
nd Boettger a few hours later. The
husband was 81 years old, the wife
71.
FREE BEDS TO SPARE
DESPITE THE COLD,
New York, Dec. 18. Notwith
standing the cold wave which kept
the mercury hovering around the
zero point, free lodging houses in
this city reported they had beds to
spare. Directors of variotls missions
declared applicants for shelter were
75 per cent less than in other win
ters and interpreted this as evidence
that workers were enjoying pros
perity. "BAKERS' SCRAP MAKES
MR. H. C. L. LOOK BLUE.
Modesto, Cat., Dec ,18. As the re
sult of a price-cutting war "between
Modesto bakers, one dealer sold 24
ounca loaves of bread for 40 cents.
' Bread sold at 15 cents before price
cutting began Saturday.
STOWAWAYS DIE WHEN
SHIP TURNS TURTLE.
Norfolk, Va., Dec. 18. Five mem
bers of the crew and 15 stowaways
Were believed to have been lost
when the Cuban schooner Sunbeam
turned turtle 135 mils off the Vir
g nia capes. , Capt. Riveron and
two members of the crew were
brought to Norfolk on the coast
guard cutter Manning.
FATAL AIRPLANE
SMASH IN SKY.
Arcadia, Fla., Dec. 18. Lieut. N.
S. Bailey of Worcester, Mass., was
Instantly killed and Lieut E. W.
Brandenstein was injured in-a col
lision of their airplanes at an alti
tude of 4,000 feet. When the ac
cident occurred the aviators were
doing offensive combat maneuvers
over Carlstrom field where they
were attached to the naval air force.
Lieut Brandenstein, whose address
was not announced, escaped with a
broken arm and minor injuries.
POISON TRAGEDY ON
"MILLIONAIRES' ROW."
, New York, Dec. - 18. Monoxide
gas poisoning caused the death of
four persons whose bodies were
found at the home of Regner Ber
doun at Sheepshead Bay, according
to Edward Martin, medical examiner
for Kings county, who investigated
the tragedy.
The bodies were discovered by
Mrs. Rynhild Berdoun, who went to
visit her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Olga
- Berdoun. She found Mrs. Berdoun,
her two-day-old baby, her daughter,
aged 4 years, and a nurse, Mrs. Alice
Sheridan, lying on a bed. Physicians
said they had been dead several
hours. . .
The Brockerbon bungalow is on
what - is known as "Millionaires
row."
FEARS "UNSCRAMBLING"
WILL MEAN "OMELET."
Chicago, Dec. 18. - Clifford
Thome, counsel for the National
Wholesale Grocers' association, said
that he had communicated with the
big packing companies, insisting that
hearing of the Interstate Commerce
commission of the associations
complaints that the railroads favor
- the packers in allowing groceries to
be hauled in and distributed from
packers' refrigerator cars, be re
sumed January 10 or early there
after. . ..
.Mr. Thorne said that "efforts to
unscramble eggs have generally re
sulted in producing an egg omelet
He said that "the public has been
entertained with several interesting
and amusing farces, staged m our
. court rooms entitled, 'dissolution
suits, and that the original organi
zation emerged stronger than before."
DRAMATIC
SCENES AT
DAVIS TRIAL
Case of Man Charged With
. Attacking Mayor Given to
Jury Last' Niqht After
Four Strenuous Days.
JUDGE STOPS ATTORNEY
FROM ARRAIGNING MAYOR
J. J. Hill's Widow HI.
' St PauCDec. 18.-Mrs. James T.
Hill, widow of the "Empire Builder'
is reported seriously ill. Louis W.
Hill, a son, said his mother's health
has been, failing for some time and
tht she has been confined to her
home fonix weeks. :
William jamieson Criticizes
City Executive for Remarks
To Mob Says He Brought
Attack Upon Himself.
Exciting scenes marked even the
arguments to the jury in the case
of George Davis yesterday after
noon. Davis' trial on charges of assault
with intent to murder and assault
with intent to do great bodilx in
jury to Mayor Smith the night of
the court house riot was brought to
a close and given to the jury at 6
o'clock last night after four days of
strenuous work. .
The jury was reported at 2 this
morning to be : -till out.
So great was the crowd that
wanted to gain entrance to the court
room yesterday afternoon that sev
eral deputy sheriffs and two bail
iffs were stationed at the door. The
hall immediately outside was
jammed -so that when Judge Redick
announced that the door must h,e
opened, according to law, to adntft
as many as could find seats, the bail
iffs could hardly admit the crowd.
Judge Rises From Chair.
A dramatic scene occurred when
Judge Redick stoppad William Ja
mieson, one of the attorneys tor
Davis, in the midst of an arraign
ment of Mayor Smith for what he
called "inciting the mob."
As Mr. Jamieson proceeded m a
loud voice on this line of argument,
Judge Redick rose from his chair,
stood a moment by the side of it
and then stopped the attorney.
Do you think that is a goon line
of argument, Mfl. Jamieson?" he
asked. i "
"It's the truth as I see it," said
Mr. Jamieson.
"Well. I don't care to sit here
and hear you charge the mayor with
bringing on what happened to him
in the riot," said Judge Redick.
"Not Discharging Duties."
Mr. Jamieson had criticised Mayor
Smith for his remarks to the mob
which had him on Seventeenth
street after he had been dragged
from the court house.
"I do not consider that Mayor
Smith was discharging his duties as
chief executive of this city when he
made some of his remarks to the
mob," Mr. Jamieson argued. "He
not only told the mob that he didn't
have the keys to the jail, but that he
'wouldn't give them up if he had
them.'
"I do not care whether that was
a brave thing to do or not. It was
not justifiable to defy the rnb. He
knew men were there whose brains
were aflame because of the outrag
ing of women bv black fiends. He
knew that he and the police had lost
the battle and such remarks were
not iustifiable at that time.
"Suggested Hanging Himself."
"According to the evidence in
this case, the mayor himself is the
one who first-suggested his hang
ing. Testimony is that he said
'You'll have to hang me before you
do the nigger. And the crowd said,
'Fine, we'll do that." Whatever
happened to the mayor he brought
upon himself."
At this point Judge Redick stopped
the attorney, who then proceeded
to flay John Overby and Russell
Norgard, the two principal state's
witnesses besides Mayor Smith.
A terrific arraignment , of Dvis'
"alibi" was a feature of the open
ing argument by Chief Deputy
County Attorney Coffey. .
Ihink of it, gentlemen 'of the
;ury," he exclaimed. lhe people
who get up here on the witness
stand and swear vthat they saw
George Davis at his homesall even
ing the night of the riot are his
sister, his sister's gentleman friend,
a trained nurse who has moved to
the. Davis' home since the night of
the riot, another girl friend of Miss
Davis and two soldier boys, particu
lar friends of these two girls.
Prosecutor Scores Witnesses.
"Four of these people had never
seen George Davis before they say
they met him the night of the riot.
(Continued on Pairs Two, Column One.)
Turco-Arabs Threaten
Fight in Mesopotamia
London, Dec. 18. A Turco Arab
movement of considerable propor
tion has developed in Mesopotamia
and there is danger of a flare up if
the trouble should spread, accord
ing to the war office today. The
Arabs are reported to have burned
the government buildings it Bhezez
zar and appears to be still in pos
session of it, the reports state.
Numerous Bedouins were en
camped in the neighborhood. A
Turco-Arab column is reported
moving down the Euphrates in the
direction of Bagdad.
The British authorities are taking
measures to handle the situation.
Humble Mother's Sad Tale v
Wins Back Baby Abandoned
Through Stress of Poverty
Shade of King Solomon Sits in Children's Court Beside
. Judge Who Tries to Decide, and Does, the True
- Mother of Little "Love O'Mike," Claimed by Two
Women Unromantic Policemen Mute as Woman
Sobs Out Story.
New York, Dec. 18. The shade
of King Solomon sat on the chil
dren's court bench beside Judge
Levy as he tried to decide who was
the mother of litte "Love O'Mike,"
claimed by two women by Mrs.
August Wentz as her kidnaped son,
and by Mrs. Lena Lisa as the baby
she had planned to abandon to the
mercies of Mrs. Elizabeth Seaman
(Nellie Bly) for his own happiness
and because J he could not support
her little family of three, herself,
the baby and three-year-old William,
on the $12 a week which was all she
could earn. The infant was found
in the Grand Central terminal with
a note.pinned to its clothing, saying
"For the. Love of Mike, take care
of this kid I can't."
Mrs. Lisa, brokenly and through
her tears, told how she had schemed
to have the infant left where Mrs.
Seaman might notice and adopt it.
She narrated her trembling anticipa
tion of news of it after the deed had
been done, of her ache when she
read that it had arrived at Bellcvue
hospital by way of a police station
and of her panic when Mrs. Wentz
claimed it as her own. .
Not a sound in the court inter
runted her storv. Bier oolicemen.
unromantic officers of the Society o,
rrevention for Cruelty to Children,
scores of others and Mrs. Wentz
listened in a silence that was
dramatic. '
When she had concluded, her small
frame shaken with sobs, the judge,
with obvious emotion, ordered the
baby returned to her.
The little woman cried aloud with
joy and hugged her baby to her
breast. She had deliberated days and
nights before deciding to let him
go she told the judge. A friend of
her dead husband had taken him,
promising to leave him "in Nellie
Bly's arms." t
Her husband's death last May, had
left her with a burden she often
despaired of bearing, she said. She
thought "Nellie Bly" would adopt
him, or find a good home for him
where he would have enough to
eat, warm clothes and be sent to
school and allowed to grow up like
any other. She said she was frantic
when she found her plans had gone
wrong and could no longer repress
her mother's instinct. -
WOMEN'S SOBS
CAUSE RECESS
. IN NEW TRIAL
Judge Halts rroceechngs as
Mother Tells of Events Pre
ceding Daughter's Death.
Los Angeles, Dec. 18. Twelve
men, all but two past the meridian
of life, were sworn late today, to try
Harry S. New, on the charge that
he murdered Freda Lesser, his
sweetheart, last July. Neither state
nor defense permitted women to
pass peremptory challenges, al
though several were passed Tor cause.
Formal proof of the alleged crime
was introduced and then with set
face and motionless body New lis
tened while Freda LesserV mother,
Mrs. Alice Lesser, told between in
tervals of hysteria, of her daughter's
love for New "and his actions.
Mrs. Lesser was taken to the
court room from her home, in an
automobile by the county detectives
and as she was led toward the court
room door, she fell in a faint. When
she arrived, her piercing, hysterical
screams penetrated throughout the
hall of justice in which the court
room is situated, and several women
in the court room, becoming hyster
ical, Superior Judge Gavin W. Craig
ordered a-short recess till quiet had
been restored.
. Courted by New.
' Mrs. Lesser testified that her
daughter was. in her 20th year at
the time of her death and that she
had been courted for some months
by New. They had been fellow-em-
Eloyes in a Los Angeles business
ouse.
Two days before the alleged mur
der. Miss Lesser said, New told her
he wished to marry her daughter on
the day which proved the last of
her life. She urged him to wait, she
said, but he insisted that he desired
to marry as quickly as possible.
On the day after this conversa
tion, according to the witness, she
and her daughter and a neighbor
woman and New went on an auto
mobile ride, returning to the Lesser
home in the afternoon.
New and Miss Lesser then left
again and that was the last Mrs.
Lesser saw of her daughter, she said.
Loved Each Other.
"He seemed to love her and I
know she loved him," said Mrs.
Lesser. "He said he would bring
her back to me, but he never did."
Under cross-examination by Le
compte Davis, who, with Attorneys
Jud R. Rush and John L. Richard
son, is defending New, Mrs. Lesser
said New had always been kind to
her daughter and also had been very
considerate of the witness.
"I never saw a nicer young man,"
she said. "I had every confidence
in him."-'
Mrs. Lesser was preceded on the
stand by E. A. Davidson, a police
detective. The witness said he was
on duty, acting as desk sergeant at
central police station here about 3
o'clock on the morning of July 5.
when the defendant entered and
handed him a revolver. No effort
was made to introduce at this point
confessions New is alleged to have
made to Davidson and others, but
the prosecution announced it would
try to place these before the jury
later. 1
Saw Lady in Auto.
Davidson said he and another po
lice officer and two newspaper men
went outside the station and saw
within a closed automobile in which
New had driven to the station the
body of a. young woman he after
ward learned was Freda Lesser.
It is the theory of the prosecution
that New killed his sweetheart in
Topango canyon, a few miles from
here, in a burst of anger because of
her refusal to marry him and then
drove with the body beside him to
the police station to surrender,
AUTO GAS CAUSE
OF GIRL'S DEATH;
TINSLEY FREED
Examination by Omaha Special
ist Clears Up Columbus
Mystery.
Columbus, Neb., Dec. 18. (Special
Telegram.) The inquest over the
body of Stella Uryaszk, who was
found dead in the Tinsley automo
bile December 10a 4jeld in the
county court room Thursday after
noon and at 5 p. m. the jury agreed
upon the following verdict:
"That Stella Uryaszk came to her
death December 10, 1919, by acci
dcjntal inhalation of poisonous gas
from the exhaust of the automobile
in which she was found." ,
Cam Tinsley, who was found in an
unconscious condition in his car with
the girl, testified as follows:
On the night of December 10. 1919,
he met Stella Uryaszk in company
vith a lady fnend at the Swan the
ater and invited them into his sedan
car to take them home. On the way
he stopped to let out Stella's friend
and immediately proceeded directly
to Stella's home, arrived there about
10 and stopped his car, and after
that he did not remember anything
of what happened to him.
The doctor's analysis, the result of
examination on material from Stella
Uryaszk, sent December 12, was as
follows:
All evidence points undoubtedly
in one direction, that death was-due
to carbon monoxide poisoning. The
chemical evidence, which is in itself
practically conclusive, is supported
by the gross appearance of the tis
sues. There was nothing tending to
a contrary opinion in the microscopic
examination of these. The somewhat
peculiar lung findings are presum
ably to be explained on the basis
of inhalation of impure gas, in ad
dition to carbon monoxide and other
iritating elements.
As a result of the verdict Tinsley
is considered free to go, as soon as
ht is able to leave the hospital.
Pioneer Woman of
Omaha Asphyxiated
On Her 77th Birthday
Mrs. Julia Gutting, 77 years old,
a resident of the city for 49 years,
came to her death on her 77th birth
day yesterday in the family home,
1729 South Twelfth street, by as
phyxiation from gas "escaping from
a heater in the bath room. The body
was found by her 16-year-old
nephew.
Mrs. Gutting is survived by six
children, August, Gus and Charles
Gutting of Omaha, Amiel Gutting
of Minneapolis and Mrs. Ida Smith
and Mrs. Minnie Summers of
Omaha.
The body was taken to the Hoff
man funeral home.- Services will
be held at 2:30 Friday at the home.
Burial will be in West Lawn cemetery.
EXECUTIVES
EXAMINED
IN KIRK CASE
Governor and Acting-Governor
at Time of Bandit's Re
lease First on Witness Stand
In Bar Commission Probe.
FURLOUGH SIGNED IN
OFFICE OF PETERSON
Alleged Reason for Delay in
Presenting Order Was "To
Be Certain He Was Placed
In Good Hands."
Centralized German State
Wish of Prussian Assembly
Berlin. "Dec- 18. The Prussian
state assembly by a vote of 210 to
32 today adopted a resolution for a
centralized German state
.Caruso a Father.
New York. Dec. 18. A daughter
was born to Mrs. Enrico Caruso,
formerly Miss Dorothy Park Benja
min of New York, who was married
to the tenor in August, 1918.
(By Staff Correspondent.)
Lincoln, Dec. 18. (Special Tele
gram.) The probe into the issu
ance of a "furlough," whereby Beryl
Kirk, notorious Omaha bandit and
convicted murderer, was released
from the state penitentiary began
before the State Bar commission
this afternoon. '
Governor McKelvie, Lieut. Gov.
Barrows, State Senator Bushee, who
signed the furlough and who was
acting governor at the time, and
State Parole Officer E. M. Johnson
were examined. Governor McKelvie
and Senator Bushee may be recalled
Wednesday, to be questioned upon
points expected to be brought out
through other witnesses.
Signed in Peterson's' Office.
The testimony developed the fact
that the' furlough was signed by
Senator Bushee, as acting-governor,
in the Lincoln office of Peterson &
De Voe, attorneys for Kirk, Mr.
Peterson having called the acting
governor by telephone from the
governor's office to the Peterson &
De Voe office to do the signing.
senator Bushee testified that he
had reported to the governor 10
days after the governor's return to
the state that he had signed the
furlough, and said that the gover
nor had approved his ctemr-
He stated that Senator Peterson
did not tell him what Kirk was in
the penitentiary for, but did say
that he was in for 20 years, and
therefore, said Senator Bushee, he
concluded that Kirk mast be in for
murder.
Senator Bushee -denied that he
had made a statement to a World-
Herald reporter, or to any one else,
that he did not know what Kirk was
accused of or sentenced for, and
that he thought the man had been
convicted of "bootlegging,"
' Called Upon Governor.
Governor McKelvie testified that
the Kirk matter was first brought'
to his attention by Attorneys Peter
son and De Voe, with Warden Fen
ton. He said they had called upon
him at his home, and that this had
been perfectly proper, as any place
in which he discussed state business
was for the time being his official
office.
Convened at 2:30.
The bar commission convened at
2:30, the members present being
J. A. Stradenburg of Omaha. J. F.
Ledwith of Lincoln, David McNeny
of Red Cloud, A. D. McCandless of
Waymore and Charles A. Goss of
Omaha.
Attorney General Clarence A.
Davis opened the proceedings, stat
ing that the commission had con
vened upon the order of the state
supreme court for the purpose of
probing the release of a convict,
Kirk, from the penitentiary and to
ascertain if any members cf the bar
had been concerned in the release
in an unethical or illegal manner.
Issues Involved
"The issues involved," said At
torney General Davis, "are the
status of the furlough, how was it
signed, who took part in procuring
it, and was it ethical or 'gal?"
"The matter was first brought to
mv attention the evening of August
1' he stated, "by Attorneys Peter
son and Devoe, who called at my
home with Warden Fenton. In an
swer to comment on this point I
may state that any place where I
happen to take up official business
is my office.
"The presentation of the Kirk
case was not made in writing, but
I recall that there was reading from
a transcript of the case. Then
Warden Fenton made his report as
to the behavior of the prisoner
stating that he had been a model
jn all respects, was well behaved,
industrious and above the average in
intelligence. I considered the pro
ceedings entirely regular.
Referred to Board.
"However, I told the attorneys
that the matter would have to' be
referred to J the board of pardons
and parole. I stated that I did not
feel that I wanted to take the en
tire responsibility upon myself.
"The next day I referred the mat
ter to State Parole Officer E. M.
Johnson. I understand that he
made his report to my secretary
in my absence on a vacation. I
knew nothing more about the mat
ter, and . feel free to state that I
had entirely dismissed it from my
mind."
Barrows Out of State.
Lieutenant Governor Barrows, the
next witness, stated that at the time
(Continued on Vst Two, Column Four.)
(0)
I. W. W. MEMBERS
GET 3 TO 9 YEARS
FOR CONSPIRACY
Kansas City Judge Passes Sen
tence on 27 Found Guilty
On Federal Charge.
Kansas City, Dec. 18. Federal
Judge J. C. Pollock passed sentence
on 27 members of the Industrial
Workers of the World found guilty
by a jury in the federal district court
of Kansas City, Kan., of conspiracy
against the government. The sen
tences ranged from three to nine
years in the federal penitentiary at
Leavenworth, Kan. Judge Pollock
granted the defendants 90 days in
which to perfect an appeal He did
not sentence V. W. Lyons, the de
fendant who changed his plea from
not guilty to guilty. Court officials
said Lyons would be sentenced later.
John Caffrey, another defendant,
hadbeen judged insane prior to the
beginning of tbe trial and is now
in, the Wyandotte county, Kansas.
jail. Michael Quinn, an official of the
Industrial Workers of the World, is
now in jail in Omaha; James Davis,
R. A. Lambert and Thomas O'Day
are fugitives and are not affected by
today's verdict. George H. Yarlott,
who also disappeared in the course
of the trial here, was found guilty.
C. W. Anderson of Minneapolis,
secretary-treasurer of the agricul
tural and oil workers' branch in
Kansas -and Oklahoma, was sen
tenced to serve nine years in prison,
"and until the costs of this prosecu
tion are paid."
F. J. Gallagher, traveling repre
sentative of the I. W. W. in Mis
souri and Kansas, received an eight-
year sentence.
Sentences of seven and one-half
years were pronounced upon Phineas
Eastman, Wenzil tranciK, Oscar f.
Gordon and Michael Sapper. East
man had been described, as "the
brains of the organization."
MADE OVER 200 .
WHISKY OUTFITS,
POLICE CHARGE
South Side Tinsmith Said to
Have Done .Wholesale
, ' Business in Stills.
PROMISE
TO SELL ALL
INTERESTS EXTRANEOUS
TO PACKING OF MEAT
Must Get Rid of Holdings in Public Stock Yards, Stock
Yard Railroads, Terminals,' Market Newspapers
and Similar "Side Lines" Two Years Are Given
in Which to Comply with Compromise "Big Five"
Effects with Government 87 Corporations and 49
Individuals Are Affected.
Police Officer S. P. Samardick
and Federal Officer Larry . Flynn
claim- that in the arrest yesterday
afternoon of George W. Briggs,
tinsmith, 2606 N street, South Side,
they have found the source of many
private liquor stills in Omaha.
Briggs, according to the officers,
has supplied more than 200 civilians
and farmers in and around Omaha
with stills this year.
Officer Samardick disguised him
self as a farmer' Decembsr 13 and
placed an order for a still with
Briggs. Briggs, Samardick said,
told him to return December 18.
Samardick returned yesterday, and
was given worm, boiler and coil,
complete.
He then arrested Briggs. Rec
ords in Briggs' office showed he
had filled orders for 25 stills in the
past two months, Samardick says.
Briggs and the still were taken to
the county jail. Briggs will be held
for investigation by federal authorities.
"Bozo" Sees Terrible
Christmas Tragedy
And Writes of It
Bozo, the nimble wit and lees of
The Bee night editorial staff and oth
erwise copy carrier for the Asso
ciated Press, witnessed a Christmas
tragedy at Sixteenth and Farnam
streets last night. The editor told
him to write the story. Bozo com
plied with the following result:
I he mystery of who dropped the
whisky at the northeast corner of
Sixteenth and Farnam streets at 7:30
p m. Ihursaay evening."
The men folks gathered around
the broken bottle. Then one of them
picked the cork up and smelled it
and he said: 'That sure did smell
good.' And then one said, 'The state
is dry.' Ever since the state went
dry there is some one with his cellar
full of Mr. J. Barley Corn.
And cne young woman passing
by the spot where the broken bottle
was lying said, 'That sure does smell
good.' I bet that fellow will be sing
ing the blues tor the next six-
nionths. He threw away seven bucks.
"And yet the women folks say
that the state is dry. That is where
they are .wrong."
(Editor's Note: Last night at Six
teenth and Farnam streets an un
identified man lost a pint of liquor
from his hip pocket. The bottle
shivered into atoms when it struck
the pavement. The unfortunate one
did not tarry following his loss,
which was not reported to the po
lice.) Jury Disagrees In Trial of
Railroad Head for Wreck
Mineola, N. Y., Dec, 18. The su
preme court jury before which John
J. Dempsey, former superintendent
of the. New York Consolidated Rail
way company, was tried for man
slaughter in connection with the Mal
bone street tunnel wreok in Brook
lyn a year ago, when nearly 90 per
sons lost their lives, was discharged
today, when it reported it had failed
(
liberating 23 hours,
r
to agree upon a verdict after declaim to throw up his hands. The
Washington, Dec. 18.--The government's anti-trust suit
against the great meat packers, began at President Wilson's
direction last summer as part of the fight on the high cest of
living, has been compromised under an agreement by which '
the packers will confine themselves hereafter to the meat and
provision business. , .
An injunction decree to which the packers have acceded
will be entered in the federal courts to make the agreement
binding. Under its terms, the Big Five Swift, Armour, -Morris,
Wilson and Cudahy have agreed to divorce their
meat packing industries from their other commercial activi
ties and to sell their holdings in public stock yards and their
interests m stock yard railroads, terminals, market news
papers and similar "side lines."
Two V(ir ari cn'vn ti
with the decree which affects 87
corporations and 49 individuals.
Lose Market Control. X ,
"In general," said Attorney Gen- .
eral Palmer's official announcement,
"this decree prevents the defendants"
from exercising any further control
over the marketing of live stock.
It forever prevents them from any
control over the retailing of meat "
products. It eliminates .them from
the field of meat substitutes, with
the exception of eggs, butter, poul
try and cheese, which are left for,
future consideration and action; and
therefore the price of meat is within
the control of the people them
selves. It places the conduct of
these great aggregations of capital
immediately under the eye of a fed
eral court with reference to their
business practices. -
"But, greater than , all, it estab- .
lishes the principle that no group ;
of men, no matter how-powerful. ' '
can ever attempt to control the food
table of the American people 'or
any one of the necessities or i
component part of it. ;
Satisfied With Result -1
"The Department of Justice, bar
ing in mind the necessities and in- '
terests of the whole American peo
ple in this critical reconstruction'
period, feels that by insisting upon .
this surrender on the part of the
packing interests it has accomplished .
more for the American people than
could have been hoped for as the
result of a long drawn-outlegal bat
tle" ,
While Mr. Palmer views the
packers' submission to , the gov
ernment's contentions as a "sur
render," Henry Veeder, counsel for
Swift & Co., announced that the
step was taken at the suggestion of '
the Department of Justice to avoid .
any appearance of. antagonizing the
government and to remove causes -of
friction with live stock producers
and food distributers. Emphatically'
Mr. Veeder stated that the decree
was not to be construed as an ad
mission that Sw'ift & Co. had vio
lated any law. , , -
Veeder's Statement.
"The company feels that the same
spirit which caused the business
men of the country to submit to
nersonal sacrifices to win the war.
he said, "is just as essential drfring
this period of reconstruction as then
and therefore it meets the request
of the government for the sacrifice
of its own interest. The com-.
pany has consented to the proposal
of a decree of injunction only upon
the expressed condition that . it
should in so many words recite that
the decree does not adjudicate that '
the coninany has violated any law
of the United States."
Attorney General Palmer said
that overtures for a compromise
came first from the packers after the
Department of Justice had placed
'Is .evidence before a grand jury in
Chicago.
The attitude of Morris & Co. was
expressed by M. W. Borders, gen
eral counsel, who said the firm had
consented to the decree "in the
spirit cf true Americanism.".
"We gave up certain legal rights ..'
and made certain business sacrifices
in order to meet the views of the
government," he continued, "and
to forever set at rest the fear-of '
monopoly of the American table 'by
the packers. In this period of re
construction and unrest we desired
to promote confidence, co-operation
and stable conditions."
Won't Abandon Bills.
Bills proposing government regu
lation of the packing industry now
before the senateagriculture com
mittee will not be abandoned at a
result of the decree. Senators Ken
you, Iowa, and Kendriclc, Wyoming. '
authors of the measures, announced
tonight. f
"The attorney general's victory i$ '
merely a step, though a very long
one. toward the goal we have been
seeking to attain," said Mr. Ken- "
drick. "The fruits of his victory
may be made permanent onlv by
legislation along the lines of the
measures now pending. ,
Senator Kendrick said the decree '
was the "most telling blow" yet
delivered against the high cost of
(Citntlnurd n Fnr Fear, Colama OaJ
PACKERS REGARD
COMPROMISE AS
BUSINESS EPOCH
For First Time in History of
U. S. Big Industry "Bows
To Public Opinion.
Chicago, Dec. 18. Segregation or
disposal of commercial lines not di
rectly allied with the meat and pro
vision business of the five great
packing companies, as agreed upon
between them and the United States
attorney general, announced by the
latter today, will involve reorganiza
tion of a huge industry with assets
cf more than $1,000,000,000. .
The agreement was regarded bv
the packers as marking an epoch in,
inaustry m mat for the first time
big business bows to public opinion.
The packers tsaid heretofore they
have conducted their business with
regard to economies and legality.
They have been sure of their econo
mies and equally certain of the legal
ity of their business methods, they
say, and now they have taken ac
count of the good will of the public.
New Businesses to Arise.
Tn divorcing their lines not di
rectly connected with the meat and
provision business, many organiza
tions with separate identities, in
volving millions of capital, are ex
pected to come into being. Some of
them had already begun the segre-,
gation process.
In the reorganization the firm
names of Armour & Co., Swift &
Co.. Morris & Co., Wilson & Co.
and the Cudahy Packing company
are expected to be absent from the
controlling boards of the separate
corporations.
The five big packing ' companies
will be restricted to meats and pro
visions, including butter, eggs, poul
try and cheese. While prohibited un
der the agreement from owning
stock yards, stock yard terminals
and other interests not directly re
lated to meats and provisions, they
were not separated from ownership
of refrigerator car lines, but the use
of such cars was restricted to han
dling their meat business.
To Manufacture By-products.
According to packers' representa
tives, soap, glue, cleaning powder
and fertilizer manufacturing is di
rectly connected with the meat busi
ness and will be retained.
Groceries, canned fruits and vege
tables, cereals and leather were
among the side lines expected to be
dropped by other concerns.
Swift & Co. already has segre
gated its leather, canned fruit and
vegetable business. Armour & Co.
does not manufacture cereals, which,
it was explained,' is the province of
the Armour Grain company, al
though the former company had dis
tributed the latter's products. Wil
son & Co. also has disposed of its
groceries.
All statements from the packers
tonight reaffirmed that they had vio
lated no laws, that their agreement
with the attorney general implied no
guilt on their part, but that they had
encountered prejudice which they
wished to eradicate.
Allies Won't Wait on U. S.
To Make Peace With Turks
London, Dec. 18. Without any
disrespect and without wishing to
deprive America of the honor of
sharing in the guardianship of
Christian communities, the allies
have decided to make peace with
Turkey at the earliest possible mo
ment, Premier Lloyd George de
clared in the House of Commons.
Woman Bandit Shot.
Chicago, Dec. 18. A woman auto
mobile bandit was shot when she
and a man accomplice attempted to
hold up the jewelry store of Heiman
Jacobson, on the west side. Jacob
son fired at the robbers when they
pointed revolvers at him and ordered
bandits fled in an automobile.
r .
-V,
