Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1905-01-26

Hawn has retired as probate judge
of Leavenwcrth county after con
tinuous service in the position OF
twenty-five years. 1t is said that nc
other probate judge in Kansas ever
held this Office for so long a period
During the twenty-five years Judge
Hawn held the position he granted
$500 marriage licenses and he per
formed the marriage ceremnoy for
300 couples. This record beats the
record of any minister in this sec
ton. One minister here for even
longer period only performed about
1 900 marriage ceremonies.
Farmer Suicides. n. A. Cham
bers. prominent citizen and retired
farmer. committed suicide at Wells
vile by cutting his throat with a
razor. He was found in barn at his
home about 1 o'clock with his throat
cut and lived but few minutes. a
daughter died two weeks ago and
worry over her death and failing
health are assigned as the cause OF
the act. Mr. Chambers was past az
years of age and had lived in this
county since the early 'T0s.
Against Carpetbaggers. - Jones, OF
Norton, is against the carpetbegger
in Kansas politics and proposes to
enact a law against him. He has
introduced a bill making a person
ineligible to hold Office until he has
resided in the state six months.
eve have a law which requires a
person to reside in the state six
months before he can vote, said
gible to vote he should be ineligible
TO hold Office.
Negro Shot and Killed. - Ezekiel
Martin, a negro, As years old, was
shot five times and killed in the
Office of the Dix livery stable at
Hutchinson by an unknown white
man, said by the livery people to
have been a man named Powell. The
negro had few minutes before or
dered the white man out of the rear
of the livery barn and he had gone
out the front way. He returned
shortly and the shooting followed.
The man escaped.
Public Aid For libraries.-Senator
Nofzger has a bill providing for pub
lie aid for free libraries. 1t author
ICES cities of the second and third
class to levy mill tax to establish
and maintain free public libraries.
Most of the libraries in the small
towns are now maintained by clubs
at private expense. The demand for
books has reached such proportions
that it is deemed a duty to maintain
libraries in small towns at public eX-
pense.
Died From ScaIds. - Clementine,
the 2-year-old daughter of Mr.. and
Mrs. George Wecker, living six miles
east of Emporia, died as a result of
scalds received. The child's father
left a bucket of boiling water on the
floor and while he was gone she en-
tered the room and tried to look in
it. She lost her balance and before
the parents could remove her she was
so badly scalded about the head that
her life could not be saved.
Abducted His Niece. - AT Concor-
dia the jury in the district court that
tried the case of John W. Lawrence,
charged with the abduction of Loie
Minard, his 17-year-old niece, for the
purpose of concubinage, returned a
verdict of guilty. The penalty is
from one to five years in the peniten-
tiary. Lawrence is 40 years old and
has a wife and child. The Minards
are prominent and well-to-do farm
ers.
FraternaI Orders Merge. - An
nouncement is made by an official OF
the Ancient Order of Pyramids, re-
siding at Concordia, of the conSolida-
ton of that order with the American
Guild an insurance fraternity OF
Richmond. Va. The Pyramids have
headquarters at Kansas City. Mo-,
and have 10000 members in the Cen
trail Western states
Burned to Death.-At Horton Mrs
Thomas Smith met death by a fire
She was found lying dead by the
kitchen stove with her clothing burn
ed from her body. A kerosene can
by the side of the stove told the
story of her death. 1t is supposed
she attempted to start the fire with
kerosene and an explosion follow.
ed.
For Bounty on Gophers. - Gophers
are still a menace to the cattle ran.
ges in the Southwest. 1t is estimated
that they destroy one-fourth of the
pasturage. Cones, of Mead, has in
troduced a bill giving counties the
right to offer and pay a bounty OF
from 5 to 20 cents for gopher scalps
optional with the county commits
sioners.
For Nine-Juror Verdict. Rob.
met. of Wyandotte, has in a bill pro-
viding that nine members of a jury
may bring in verdict. in case the
Jury is unanimous on a verdict il
shall be signed by the foreman. But
in case of a division, the verdict must
be signed by each of the nine jurors
returning it.
Verdict of 5000. At Fredonia
John A. Muchmore, who sued the
Standard Oil companyof Kansas for
$4,000, received a jury verdict for
$4,000 personal injury. This is the
largest verdict of the kind ever rem
dered in this district during the
twenty-one years service of Judge
Stilwell.
Killed His Last Quail. = One Hia-
watha man has shot his last quail.
He found 400 chinch. bugs in the craw
of one and draws from that that they
&c ,,,a,o roIrro in tho EnIJc Yhon