Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1903-05-22
NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL
pes Moines, MAY 90, 1909.

g.
Des Moines, MAY %, 1908.
Y Governor Cummins has issued q
proclamation, Offering rewaiu "
5000 for the arrest and conviction o.
the slayer Of Arthur Mead OF "es'
Liberty. Mead wits killed by an IN
known man the morning OF May ::
He was slain in the restaurant Oh
Thomas Mccarthy by a robDer, "no
entered the place about O'CLOCK IN
the morning. commanded those with.
In to throw up their hands ana cppea
the restaurant. Mead dld not AZ ohts
not at once comply with the orael "
throw up his hands, and was snot anu
killed. The robber was masked, anu
while the citizens of West Llperty
made vigorous search for MN, ne
could not be discovered. Mayor ). y,
McIntigh, Marshal z. j. Wiley ana the
members of the council united in ask
ing the governor to offer reward
Allen X. Riddle, better known as
Koch Riddle, is in the city jail on the
charge of embezzling $500 belonging
to the United States Express company.
Riddle was formerly employed as
night clerk for the company In THIS
city and it is alleged while employed
in this capacity he appropriated FUNDS
of the company to his own use. Riddle
Is a young man who has lived TOT
years in the city. The express CON-
pany has been wanting him for a
wear. but he has been out of the city
and according to his own story mas
been in Kansas City, in Texas and
Arizona. He says he was employed IN
different places as waiter and that
when in Los Angeles, he Joined the
local walters union there.
1t is declared on the best authority
possible--the people who have seen
and talked with them--that the ROCK
Island engineers now working in the
western part of the state are making
surveys for the Strengthening of the
tracks in that section of the state. One
survey which has been finished is OF
line directly from Avoca to Minden,
cutting off the huge curve that runs
the road up into Shelby county to the
town of Shelby This cut off will leave
the town of Shelby without any rail-
road However, the Great Western
that is now building will pass within
very short distance west of Shelby.
Another survey which is being made
now is the one which leaves the pres
ent Rock Island line at Avoca and
swings down to Council Bluffs in an
almost straight line. cutting out the
towns of Shelby, Minden, Nicola, I'm
derwood and Weston, and making a
new route for more than twenty miles.
Still another proposition, which is
said to be even more favorably con-
sidered by the Rock Island officials, is
survey which will carry the line
from Atlantic directly to Council
Bluffs This would reduce the dis
lance fifteen or more miles between
the two cities.
The supreme court upheld a tax
ferret contract in Pottawattamie coun-
ty in which the county agreed to pay
SO per cent of collections. The case
was on a contract made before the
new law limiting fee to Is per cent
went into effect. The contract was
with one Cunningham. and he was not
only to discover taxes but collect them.
A taxpayer tested the case in the
courts, and it is held that there was
nothing to show that the percentage
allowed was unreasonable. r.
Allen Koch Riddle, formerly night
clerk of the United States Express
company in Des Moines, was sentenced
to two and one-half years imprison-
ment in the penitentiary at FIT. Madi.
son, having pleaded guilty to embez.
zling from his employers. When asked
if he had anything to say, he respond.
ed that he had not and sentence was
imposed upon him by the court Three
indictments were returned against
Riddle. but on his pleading guilty to the
embezzlement charge the two larceny
indictments were dismissed by the
county attorney. Riddle was formerly
night clerk at the Rock Island station
for the United States Express COM
pany and while there employed took
the money belonging to the company
Complaint is coming to state officials
over the law passed by the last general
assembly which permits the state fish
commissioner to give permits to per-
sons to seine the rivers and take out
certain fish which the fishermen do not
regard as good. The complaint is that
deputy wardens are engaged in sein.
ing out these fish at season when
the spawn is easily destroyed. George
A. Delavan, former fish commissioner,
states that he has been informed that
at Lake Okoboji two bushels of spawn
We're dragged out in a seine and of
course included all kinds Of fish. The
intent was to permit seining so that
sucker and other such fish could be
Gle AIRED from the rivers and lakes.
The state board Of health has elect.
ed DR.. J. A. McKiven of Charlton pres
ident to succeed Dr. Adams 1t is GUS
tomary for the presidency to rotate
among members. DR.. J. F. Kennedy
was reelected secretary and COM
menced his nineteenth year in that
position. having been reelected every
year. Prof. Kinney of Drake Univer-
sity, was elected chemist to succeed
Prof. Macy Eli Grimes was re.elect-
ed bacteriologist. a.s
"The fixing of damages to a mans
estate because Of his death is, after
all, more or less, matter of guess
work, said Judge Smith Mcpherson in
instructing the jury in the case of
Rose De Tar, administrative, vs.. the
Wabash Railroad company, in the
federal court, and the twelve men who
had heard the evidence after guessing
for several hours, returned a verdict
awarding damages to the plaintiff in
the sum of $3,500
Yes, our society's new president
certainly is busy woman, but thew
Cos oh 10, i. u