Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1903-04-16
NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL
Des Moines, April 10, 1908.

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to Des Moines, says he Is preparing
bulletin Of the department on the
subject of swine raising. Much of his
most important material has been
gathered among the pork producers
OF Iowa, and Iowa will stand out prom
inently in the bulletin, which is to be
published during the present season.
Mr.. Rommell is a graduate OF the
State college at Ames. He is son
of Prof. A. Rommell of Mount Pleas
ant. A year ago he prepared bulle-
tin on horse markets, which was pub
lished by the department of agricul-
ture, and which made name for the
Iowa young man throughout the coun-
try. He has gathered quantities of sta.
tistics concerning hog raising in Iowa
but withhoids his figures for publica-
ton in the bulletin.
In the supreme court the case of
the state against S. G. Theile is re
versed because of an instruction of
Judge o. ID. Wheeler in reference to
insanity at Villisca. Theile stabbed
his wife, Ida Marie Theile, with whom
he had had trouble and of whom he
was jealous The testimony in the
sion of the crime Theile was in q nerI
vous state of mind; that he seemed
to be unable to attend to his business
as person in possession of his senses
would; that he frequently broke down
and wept in discussing his troubles
and that he averred on frequent oc-
casions that there were passages in
the bible that justified him in killing
his wife for what she had done. Nine
non-expert witnesses and a number of
physicians testified that in their judg-
ment Theile was insane before the
murder was committed. The lower
court instructed the jury that it was
not sufficient to find that the evidence
showed that Theile was possibly" or
probably" insane in order to over
come the legal presumption Of sanity,
put that insanity must be shown by a
fair preponderance of the evidence.
This the court holds was erroneous
E. S. Ellsworth, president Of the
Des Moines, Iowa Falls and Northern
Railroad company, denies that there is
any truth in the story published re.
gently to the effect that this road has
been sold to the Chicago, Milwaukee
and st. Paul Railroad company. Mr..
ellsworth has written letter
n which he says: ut is decidedly
annoying to read in some of our state
papers, almost daily, sensational ar
ticles referring to sale of the Des
Moines, Iowa Falls and Northern rail.
way to some other company. While
In the past l have paid little attention
to such reports, | deem it only proper
to refute the article, purporting to
come from Lester Soule. l can assure
you if any negotiations were pending,
think l would be the first one to
know it. The Des Moines, Iowa Falls
and Northern road is first to be COM
pleted, when it's value and usefulness
will be then known. We are prescott.
ing the work with renewed vigor,
and / am pleased to say, with new
men. It's owners are quite able to
take care of it, and do not believe in
taking green apples to market
Governor Cummins has received a
letter from Washington informing him
the interior department had determin-
ed to repay the state of Iowa for the
sum of $1,000 which the last legisla-
ture appropriated to defray the cost of
renovating the Tama Indians and their
reservation. At the time the general
assembly was ir session, small pox
was raging in the reservation, and in
order to protect the surrounding
whites, Immediately, the state had no
other recourse but to temporarily bear
the expense itself. The reservation
was cleaned up thoroughly, the Indians
were disinfected, infected clothing de-
stroyed, and new purchased to substi-
tute for that which had to be burned.
The interior department has directed
the Indian bureau to repay the state
for it's expenditures.
Major William G.. Butler of the
Twenty-fifth infantry and Major Dan
lei H. Brush of the Fifth infantry have
been detailed from the department of
Missouri to inspect the Iowa National
Guard.
The meeting of the representatives
Of the various mutual fire insurance
companies of Iowa held at the Kirk
wood hotel was largely attended. The
only feature of public interest which
was discussed was the adoption of a
resolution expressing it as the sense OF
the companies that there should be an
insurance department created in Iowa.
After an extended discussion Of the
question, it was decided that a COM
mittee would be appointed to formu-
late definite plan of action for having
bill introduced at the next session
of the legislature looking to the estab-
lishment of the department
BY far the most important of the
railroad reports thus far received for
the year 1902, those of the Northwest
ern and the Rock Island systems, have
just reached the Office OF secretary A.
H. Davidson of the executive council.
Both systems show large increases in
their gross and net earnings as COM
pared with the earnings Of 1901. 1t IS
notable that the two systems have
each complied for the most part with
the demands of the council in respect
to classification of earnings. The
Northwestern has been especially
thorough in regard to this. The Rock
island has for the most part made out
Its report in accordance with the coun-
ellis wishes The Rock Island report
shows $77,970,0 22,93 as the total gross
earnings for Iowa in 1902. The gross
earnings per mile were $6.SO5.77. The
operating expenses were $4,75S,3S1.77
and the net earnings were$3, 0,641.16.
In 1901 the gross earnings were $7,783,-
sos, 36, the operating expenses were $4,-
III. 735.5O, and the net earnings were
So, COS, 1885, For an Iowa line only,
The B., C. r. & N. shows gross earnings
for 1902 of $4,5S1 ,631.70 Operating ex-
penses of s3,010,43S.51, and net earn
ings of $1,571 1919. In 1901 the