Omaha daily bee., 1905-10-28
LETTER LUTS A BIG FIGURE
Failure to Spell Vans Name Correctly
Costs MshSsha County Nan Dearly
COURT FAILS TO PASS ON SOLDIER LAW
Des Moines People Propose to Try
city Government by Means OF
Commission I'm Place OF
the Present system.
CFrom a stan correspondents

DIES MONIES, Oct. T.-(Special)-1he
supreme court concluded the work of the
third period Of the September term today
and brought in a decision in a case that
hinged all upon one letter. Down in Ma
haska county negro named Sheffey. who
was illiterate. was in debt 10 G. NJ. Downs.
Downs secured judgment against him and /
the name was spelled Cheffey, that being
the closest that the spelling could be
certaned Subsequently the negro came
into possession of some land and gave
mortgage to Robert Boyd. Boyd sued 10
foreclosure under the mortgage. In the |
mortgage and abstract the name was given
Shelley or Cbeney." The abstract showed
a clear title and Boyd loaned the money |
on the strength OF it. The supreme court
today held that the mortgage was lien
prior to that of the Judgment held by
Downs
The failure Of the court to bring in de-
cision at this period on the soldiers prefer
ence law case from Marshalltown is an
other disappointment TO the old soldiers
who are anxious to know whether or not /
the law is constitutional. The court has |
had the case for about year. The court
will meet again November IA for the third |
period Of the term.
Doctors Investigate schools.
The Polk County Medical society is max |
ing a rigid investigation of the health and |
sanitary conditions of the West Des Moines |
schools at the request of the West Des |
Moines school board The society has /
culture plates" which are arrangements |
for catching or absorbing the bacteria and |
microbes that float around in the school |
rooms properly placed in each room of a !
building. At the close of the day these /
plates are sent to Prof. Ross Of Drake uni |
versity, an expert bacteriologlst, and in !
vestigated under a microscope. The West
High school building has been investigated
and nothing startling discovered. The other
buildings will be investigated in order
Propose Communication System.
The commission system of government,
similar to that in use in Galveston, is to
be proposed to Des Moines to displace the
system of politics. Hon. ]. G. Berryhill,
who went to Galveston a couple of weeks
ago to study the system there, returned
today and stated that he was in favor of
the system. He stated that his visit to
Galveston was on business but admitted
that his trip took place Immediately follow
ing a meeting of business men of the city
at which the commission plan was dis
cussed. He will report soon on the plan to
meeting Of the business men of the city.
Indiana Regulation.
Governor Cummins today honored the
requistion of the governor OF Indiana for
Arthur Christian who is confined at Fort
Madison. Christian while out on parole
from the Indiana reformatory at Jefferson
came to this state and broke his parole by
being convicted of burglary. He will now
return to serve the rest of his sentence
| there.
Iowa Sells an Island.
Secretary of State Martin today sold the
I
Brassfield Island in Woodbury. county to
| ]. w Brown of Des Moines for ssh There
were three bidders. ]. M. Hodges bid SlS
and John Schwartz bid $50. There are 1888
acres in the island ami II was appraised
| at $40 an acre. Brown was the original APP
plicant for the island.
Census Bulletin soon.
| The executive council has decided TO
| issue in bulletins the census information,
pending the publication in book form of
/ the entire census report. The first bulletin
/ will be issued in a couple of weeks and will
contain the census figures for each county
with the census from 1885 down to and in
Guiding the present census, and also the
population of all the incorporated towns of
the state with the number of native born
from native parents, native born from for
eign parents, foreign born and colored.
BIashAeId Painting Complete.
The capitol commission meeting today at
the state house received information from
New York that the Blashfied painting that
is to have the position of honor in the state
house decorations is completed and is on
exhibit there In one of the art institutes 1t
will be sent soon to this city and the work
of putting it in place will begin. 1t is eX-
pected that it will be completed by the first
of December The picture costs the state
$4,000
Interurban TO Ames.
Oficials of the interurban railway of this
city have been sounding the sentiment of
matter of extending the new interurban
line to that city. They have been given
considerable encouragement. The Folks of
this city yesterday signed an agreement
with the Newton & Northwestern Construc-
ton company for the construction of a line
between this city and Newton to be COM
pleted by April a. 1906.
Chest Protector Saved Life.
Joseph Huverstuhl, 20" engineer, was
shot by a holdup man last night exactly
over the heart. but the bullet failed to pene-
trate a heavy chest protector which he
wore. 1t passed through all his clothing
and through one fold Of the chest protec-
tor, which had been doubled up. but failed
TO go through the last fold.
Supreme Court Decisions.
On closing the period today the supreme
court brought in the following decisions:
| Robert Boyd against Joseph BOYD ad-
ministrator, and {. NJ. Downs, appellant