Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-06-02
THE RANKS ARE Thinning
Membership Of the Grand Army Of
the Republic Crows Less
Year by Year.
SONS OF VETERANS ALSO eRow WEAKER
Parole Department Of Governors
once Given a surprise-After Ru-
raj Mail Service Headquarters
Trying to Break n WMl-Other Iowa
Notes of General Interest.
Especial Correspondence

Republic is being rapidly depleted.
members of the organization, where
as last year there were 10000. There
are 376 posts in the state. OF these
but 362 are reported to keep their
records in perfect shape. There are
227 Women's Relief Corps in Iowa.
There are 90 posts of Sons of Veter-
ans. and this organization also is
growing weaker since the organiza-
ton of the Philippine Veterans as,
ISOLATION. The posts Of G. A. II. own
about $4,000 worth of property. Of
fcers of the department believe that
it never will again have the member
ship it has had. Col. L. b. Raymond,
the newly elected commander, is edi-
tor of the Hampton Recorder. He is
native of Rock county, Wisconsin,
and is 65 years of age. He enlisted
In the Sixth Wisconsin infantry, his
regiment being one that constituted
the famous "Iron Brigade"
Given n Surprise.
The parole department of the office
of the governor was surprised at the
decision of Judge Miller, of Anamosa,
in the Frank Davis case, in which the
question was involved as to whether
pr not the governor had the power to
gut off the good time'' earned by
taspunishmentf for his violation
of his parole. Davis served a number
of years and was paroled two months
before he would have been released.
During his term he earned seven
years good time. When he violated
his parole the governor tried to cut
off the seven years good time and
make him serve 1t. The courts held
that the governor did not have this
power.
Pulling the Wires.
Congressman J.. A. 7. Hull is pull
ing the wires to get located in Des
Mofnes the headquarters for the ru-
raj mail service in the central vest
ern states-Iowa, Nebraska, Mime
sofa, the Dakotas, Wyoming, Mon
ltana and Colorado. The headquar-
ters have been In Denver heretofore.
having been located there because of
the fact that the appointee for chief
sof the district had the consumption.
He has died recently and the depart
ment has been planning on moving
the headquarters to Omaha. It's To-
cation in Iowa would mean. the re-
moval of n dozen families here and
| the transaction of all of the business
connected with the CONSTANTLY grow
ing rural mail service in these eight
states from the headquarters here.
Attack n VIII.
| Frank E. and Ella j. Vail. of YER
mont, have attacked the will of the
late Rev. f. J. Vail, of this city, who
left his fortune. worth about $4,000,
to Simpson college at Indianola.
They claim to be the adopted chill
| dren of the divine and to have been
cut off without even a penny. They
were adopted in 1870, according to
their pleadings in court, and are en-
titled under the law to three-fourths
OF his estate, a regularly adopted
child in Iowa being in the same posi-
| zion in the law as child Of flesh and
blood. The college will defend by
attacking the legality of the articles
ef adoption:
LnM IL Valid
Judge smyth. Of Burlington, has
had occasion in the last week to de-
clare the Iowa inebriacy law valid.
One of the inmates at Mount Pleas
ant had applied for writ of habeas
corpus to secure his release and set
up the alleged invalidity OF the law.
The court held that 1t was In proper
4 form and guaranteed the constitu-
tional rights OF the victims of its
operation. The same point had been
similarly decided in Polk county.
Neither case has been appealed.
Not Under the Law.
Judge James A. Howe, Of the Polk
4 county district court, has just de-
i cided that a natural monopoly does
not come under the purview of the
Iowa law. which requires competition
in bidding on public improvements
The case was that involving the right
of the Des Moines city council to or
der pavement made Of Trinidad or
Permudez pitch lake asphaltum. The
4 contention OF the brick men was that
this was violation of the law be.
cause both of these deposits are con
trolled by one company. The court
holds that the fact that there is a ma
| tural monopoly does no come under
II the law and that the order Of the coun-
Gil was valid.
Il Peculiar Case.
A peculiar case has arisen in tbs
Ifistrirt court In Rolk county.
II fran charged with heinons crime
named Ernest Friday. committed sui
eide after he WINS convicted and be
fore he was sentenced, thus. acknowl
edging his guilt. A motion for new
trial bad been filed by his. attorney
before his client killed himself. The
lawyer has insisted upon q rgYing thiiss
i motion TO the cplrt and SECURING :
Tuling with respect tn II despite the
fact that his client is dead. The
court has taken under advisemcni
the question Of whether or not ii
should consider the motion under
these circumstances. Such another
question never arose in Iowa.
prNsless HealeFs Exempt:
AT Webster City the fact that th,
state MEDICAL practices act does no