Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-05-02

State the entire caSn ROAD TAX WIS De-
ing collected at the first payment of
taxes in March. Under an old law re-
lating to the payment of a portion OF
the road taxes and all delinquent road
taxes all was due in the spring and
payable then. The impression pre-
walls that this system continued
under the new Iowa law. But good
many complaints were made and the
attorney general was asked for an
opinion. Attorney General Mullan
rendered to State Auditor Carroll
written opinion that under the new
law there was in effect a repeal of the
old law and that the road taxes are
collectahle like other taxes in install
ments. Only one-half of the tax was
payable before April I, but in a great
many of the counties of the state the
entire road tax has been collected and
lis in the hands of the county treasur-
er. The railroad companies, in many
instances. refused to pay more than
half the tax due. but few of the general
tax payers raised objections.
In counties where the tax has all
been paid road work can be done early
in the year. This year will be the
first year in which the law can be
given a fair test, because this Is the
first year the taxes have been collected
fairly. The effort made to repeal the
law was before it had been tried.
80
The annual year book of the state
department of agriculture Is now being
printed and will soon be issued for
free circulation. The year book has
been delayed because of the rush OF
work for the state printer incidental to
the legislative printing, but dt is now
being finished The book will con-
tain the report OF the state farmers in
stitute held in December last, with re-
ports OF the state agricultural board.
report of the state dairy convention, OF
the live stock breeders and of various
allied bodies, together with valuable
papers and special articles on farm
topics. 1t has been edited under the
direction Of j. C. Simpson, secretary OF
the agricultural department.. There
will be in the book pictures of some
typical Iowa farms and farm buildings
on the best farms of the state, espec-
tally some in northern Iowa.
With announcement OF the sentence
of death on Charles Rocker of Lyon
county, the chance for legal hanging
in the state of Iowa is increased so per
cent, for there are already two men in
the peIttertiary under the sentence Of
death 1t is exepcted however. that
the supreme court, at the term which
begins tomorrow, will grant new
trial to Louis Busse, of Butler county,
for whom strong fight IS being made.
Busse lived on farm about six miles
from Allison. In June, 1902, ne was
living with his second wife to whom
Ire had been married about two years.
She was found with her throat cut and
IS has- a u1 hurrei Sli,t, Q wound
ever the frontal part OF the face. Pill
lows had been cut open and the fea tn
ers taken out, saturated with kero-
sene, and match applied In the ex-
pectatfon that the body would be COM
pleteiy consumed. There was no
doubt that Busse odd 1t. The question
about which there Is doubt is as to
whether the homicide was such a de-
liberate and premeditated murder as
TO make it a first degree case. After
Buses arrest the sheriff got state
ment from him in which he claimed
that he had a quarrel with mis- wife
over some trivial matter aid he fol-
lowed her to the house from the barn,
when she suddenly struck him over the
head with a chair. He seized the same
chair and struck her the blow which
killed her. On the trial 1t was SHOWN
that 1880 O'Clock on the day OF the
murder a travelling solicitor for IL
ouor house gave Busse four or hve
drinks of whisky, and that he was at
least a part OF the day drunk. The de-
Yense claims before the supreme
court that the jury had been INSTRUCTED
that if rhey found Busse was under the
influence of Aquor at the time OF the
crime. while this w~s no excuse ior or
radiation or the crime itself. 1t should
be considered as showing his passion
and want of deliberation and premeal-
All Of the confession should
have been introduced and considered
and not a part of 1t. There was also
alleged error in the reference by the
nrosecuting attorney to a number OF
cases' of his own knowledge on hein-
Gus crimes, instead OF confimng NM
self to a reply to the attorney iof the
defense. The defense hoped only 10
secure a conviction for some degree
less than that punishable by death.