Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-11
PROFIT IN BEING HERO
Railroad Refuses to Pay for Life Lost in
Performances Of Duty.
FREEMAN DECISION OF LITTLE MOMENT
Belief that Districts VIII ne Few In
which ma WAL BE Made for
Enforcement of the
Ruling.
frrom a stan correspondentl

LINCOLN. oct. 10. - Especially In
the case Of Cornelius A. Healy Of Crete
Il didn't pay to be a hero. Healy was an
humble section foreman. and one day in
July. 1901, he was at work in a cut a mile
and a half east OF Crete when they heard
the noise Of an engine scarcely 100 feet
away. All Of the men save Healy and an
other leaped from the track. Healy's first
thought was to save his handcar and pre-
vent a wrecking of the train. Calling to
the other man to take hold he sought TO
life 1t from the rails. but before they could
get II clear the engine struck 1t and threw
It on Healy. killing him instantly.
The company declined to pay anything
to the widow for his death, alleging that
It was due to his own carelessness and
that this negligence contributed to the
killing. She brought suit against the COM
pany In district court, and a hearing
thereon was begun today. She asks 5000.
but the company denies liability, averring
that It was not within the scope Of his EN-
plyoment to act the hero in effect.
Memorial Exercises.
The Lancaster county bar will hold me-
mortal exercises tomorrow morning at $3.50
IN honor Of the late Hon. @. NJ. Lambert
son and the late Hon. william Leese. Judge
AA8tAg - - " u " AAnAAb
have been designated to speak Of the life
and virtues of the hrst named and TO Judge
Cornish, Halleck r. Rose and John N. Stew
art has been delegated the task Of re-
counting the good and the worth Of Mr..
Leese.
Eject of Freeman Decision.
Opinions seem TO vary as to the probable
effect Of the decision Of the supreme court
An tho nanIol Eraapaan noaa m the raadfnO
OF the Bible hereafter in the public schools
of the state and the conduct OF the usual
accompanying devotional exercises. II APP
pears to be the consensus of opinion that
the decision will have little effect outside
OF district No. 81. Gage county, TIC homo
OF Daniel Freeman, as 1t is not thought
probable that anyone Will object In any
other district and the exercises will con-
tinue because no protest is likely to be
raised.
This decision has brought out the fact
that there have been numerous inquiries
made for years at the ONCE Of the state
superintendent Of public instruction In re-
gard to the lawfulness OF such exercises
and for the information OF the probably in.
creased number Of inquiries which this de.
cision will prompt to submit inquiries State
superintendent Fowler has prepared some
formal replies. One Of his disquisitions or
the subject directs attention to the fact
that In only nine states OF the union does
the reading OF the Bible as a function Of
schoo exercise rest on a legal basis
plainly written In the state constitution oil
in the school law. These states are Mas
sechusetts, New Jersey, Indiana, Iowa, Kan
sas, Georgia, Mississippi, North and South
Dakota. In eleven states there Is no spe'
cihc mention OF the Bible in the c~onstitu.
tion or law. but the decisions Of courts anC
state superintendent upon legal provision
for instruction in morals give an authorl
tative character to the custom Of Blbl'
reading. New York is included in this list
Another list Of states has none of thesi
legal safeguards, but the custom Of reading
the Bible prevails. being supported by es
tablished usage and public sentiment. Ii
I'VE states. viz: Missouri. Minnesota, Mon
tana, Washington and Wisconsin, the de
clsions Of the courts, attorney generals an,
school superintendents are adverse to tn
reading OF the Bible, but books containin
selections from the Bible are in use.
The subject is one which has occasioned
great deal OF discussion among the leadin
educators Of the country during the pas
few years. At the forty-frst annual con
vention of the National Educational associ
alton. held last July In Minneapolis. thl
question was discussed ana the assoCiatlo
took a stand upon it In Its resolutions a
follows:
II Is apparent that familiarity with III
English bible as a masterpiece OF literatuI
10 rapidly decreasing among the pupils
our schools. This Is the direct result of
conception which regards the bible as
theological book merely, and thereby lead
10 its exclusion from the schools of SON
states as a subject of reading and stud,
We hope for such a change of public sent
ment In this regard as will permit and ell
courage the reading and study OF the Ems
lish bible as a literary work OF the highei
and purest type, side by side with the pO'
try and prose which 1t has inspired and
large part formed.
We 40 not urge this in the interest
sectarlan instruction of any kind, but thu
this great book may ever be the teacher
aid in the Interpretation of history and II
Orature, law and life-an unrivaled agenC
tn the development of true citizenship. 6
we'll as In the formation Of pure literar
style.
Court sustnins BOnRcum.
Among the interesting opinions hand,
down by the supreme court at the close
its session was one involving the contr
vsrsy between Bishop Thomas Bonacum