The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-01-12
The Nebraska Lawmakers Going
After Kidnapsrs.
FIX THREE GRADES OF PUNISHMENT
Bills Introduced In senate On Second
Day Of Session Joint session to
Canvas. Return. of Recent
Election In state.

The senate broke the record We'd
nesday January by introducing bills
on the second day OF the session.
Among the bills were four providing
penalties against kidnapping. The
most stringent bill OF this kind was
introduced by Ransom of Douglas.
His bill, senate file No. %, provides
penalties for three grades of crime.
Plain kidnapping is made punishable
by term Of seven years in the peni-
Tertiary. Kidnapping for the purpose
Of extorting money is punishable by a
life sentence and kidnapping and threat
ening injury to the person or reputa-
ton is punishable by death.
Harlan of York introduced two sep
arate bills on the same subject. One
bill deals with the kidnapping of chill
dren under fften years Of age and pro-
vides penalty Of one year in the pen
itentiary. The other bill mentions no
ages and provides a penalty of seven
years. The senate smiled broadly
when it appeared that every other bill
introduced was bill against kidnap-
ing, indicating that the subject will
become somewhat worn before the. ses-
sion is ended, yet it is considered se-
rious question in the light of the Cud-
ahy case at Omaha and everyone be-
lieves the legislature will insist on pro.
viding an adequate remedy for a crime
that is now not punishable under the
statutes.
The appointment of committee on.
privileges and elections. which will
consider the four contests for seats in
the senate, together with resolution
by Trompen, of Lancaster, expressing
sympathy for the Beers, constituted
the only business of interest. The
contest papers and ballots were turned
over to the lieutenant governor and
will be disposed of later.
In The house on Wednesday, January
2, very little business was transacted
as the only matters that could be at
tended to were permanent organic
alton before the preliminary ceremon-
les were gone through. The house APP
pointed committee on employees which
will report the number Of EMPLOYEES
advisable to employ. The members
will have to take action on this before
the speaker can announce the lucky
ones.
The greatest difference existed
among members over the PROPOSE ton
to have the house journal printed each
day. This was proposed as safe
guard against errors in the record. AS
the resolution now stands, the clerk is
ordered to prepare the journal each
day for the members but there is moth
ing definite as to the manner Of pre-
paration. A committee was appointed
to investigate and report the cost Of
preparing the journal in this manner.
Joint Session
Lieutenant Governor Gilbert called
the joint convention to order, presid-
ing with Speaker Sears. He announced
the purpose of the session to be to
canvass the votes on executive officers
of the state, presidential electors and
members of congress-
Speaker Sears opened the returns
and declared the successful candidates
elected, mentioning each by name.
The reading Of detailed returns was
dispensed with and the abstraet of
votes furnished by the secretary of
state was accepted and made part Of
the record.