Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1901-10-04
NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL
Des Moines. Oct. 4. 1901.


The friends of Secretary of Agri-
culture Wilson living in Iowa and
Des Moines have discovered that the
movement to induce President Roose-
Welt to name +. ID. Coburn, secretary
of the Kansas board of agriculture,
for Mr.. Wilson's place in the cabinet
is becoming aggressive. They are
not disposed to regard the move
ment as likely to result seriously, but
think thai some attention should be
paid to it and steps taken to show
that in the majority of the agricul-
tural states a change is not wanted.
1t has developed that influential pol
iticians of Nebraska have Joined
forces with those of Kansas in All
effort to secure the change, and that
overtures are being made to the
South Dakota and Oklahoma politi-
clans to lend their support to the
movement. The attack so far seems
to consist of criticisms of some of
the reports of the department and
of recent interview given out by
Mr.. Wilson. This interview reported
him as saying that Kansas and Ne
braska cannot be counted as. corn
producing states; that after getting
out a distance from the river there
is no assurance of moisture sufficient
to raise crop. Statistics have been
prepared to counteract this claim and
to make it appear that it shows lack
of information on the part of Will
son. 1t has been learned that these
were prepared personally by Coburn.
Correspondence mat has passed be-
tween the Kansas and Nebraska peo-
pie and those whom they have been
seeking to enlist in their cause con-
strues this criticism to be criti-
cism of the entire transMissouri
river country and one calculated to
work to its injury and prevent it's
Development Mr.. Wilson's friends
feel that this will not have much ef-
feet and that it will be quickly dis
posed of, but propose, if it becomes
necessary, to make a showing that
will corroborate the claims of the
secretary or that will at least be an
answer to his critics.
The supreme court has reversed
the case of State VS.. Thomas King,
a prisoner in the Anamosa peniten-
tiary who made his escape from the
guards by secreting himself in a
natural crevice in a stone quarry
where he was employed. He was re-
arrested and sentenced to serve a
year in addition to his original i'm
prisonment. He appealed and Judge
Ladd holds that his otfense was not
an escape from the penitentiary and
consequently King was not amenable
to the statute under which he was re-
arrested.
Mrs. j. w. Butler. representing the
syndicate of capitalists in Cleveland,
Ohio, that has been building inter-
urban electric lines all over the mid
die states, has called upon members
of the city council with Il view to Sc
curing a franchise in Des Moines. She
explained that right-of-way and a
tax had been secured at Colfax and
that most of the right-of-way had
been secured from here to Newton.
The line has been surveyed from Des
{ MoineS to Newton and north to Mar
ShalltOwn. Mrs. Butler exhibited I'M
miStakable credentials to show that
she has authority to act and almost
unlimited backing. She demonstrated
that the Cleveland company means
business by showing that it is rapidly
constructing lines in number of
places in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Mich
igan and other states, and that the
expense it has already gone to here
would not have been incurred except
with view to carrying out the pro-
ject. 1t is stated the line will be
completed next summer.
More papers have been filed with
the supreme court in the Hossack
case from Warren county. The attOr-
neys, Henderson q Berry. for Mrs.
Hossack, filed denial of the amend
Il l,I {1,c
state. This relates to the question of
identity of the Photographs which
are with the paper as an exhibit, and
also to the question of the time of
the marriage of the Hossacks. To set
at rest all doubts about the testimony
on the marriage question the tran
script of the evidence on that point is
given in full.
Bert johnson. alias Nelson, has been
indicted by the grand jury for OBJ
tanning money under false pretenses.
Eight counts on that charge are in
cluded. AL accomplishments are SER
want girls from whom johnson Sc
cured from So to $40 each as first
payment for sewing machines. 1t is
said Johnson secured about $3.50 in
the scheme, and that he carried out
like deals in Boone, Carroll and sew
eral other towns.
Yacht Race II FIuke.
New York, Oct. esterday's at
tempt to sail the second of the pres
ent series of international yacht
races for the blue ribbon of the sea
proved a dismal failure. Between
25 900 and 10000 people who crowded
tho nleaSu fleet off Sandy Hook
in the hope of seeing rep
etition of the thrilling sport of last
witnessed instead more Of
a drifting match than a race. The
wind, with crews lined up on the lee
rails, was not sufficient at any time
to make the racing machines heel to
their lines At the end of four and