Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-18
GAS CLAIMS TWO VICTIMS
Man and Woman Found Dead in Room
Looked in Each Others Arms
SISTERS TO START SCHOOL IN BLUFFS
supreme Court Passes on Number of
Cases, Among Them Appeal in
Libel suit of Florence Harrison
Against the NonpareiI.

Against the NonpRreu.
CFrom a stan Correspondent
DIES MONIES, Dec. H.-(SpeciaL)-Mrs.
! Zela Drake, age a. and John Van Hermert
age IS, were found dead I'm the apartments
! over a saloon at lis West Fourth street
/ at o'clock this afternoon The connection
with the gas stove was broken. They died
from asphyxiatlon. They were locked in
each others arms, 1t is possible that they
committed suicide by agreement. The dis
covery OF the two bodies was made by
Roland Drake, the 15-year-old son of Mrs.
Drake Finding the door to the apartment
| locked, he broke it in and discovering the
! dead bodies, dragged his mother to her bed
/ room and then took the body of Van
! Hermert to his room across the hall He
then called the police. The detectives were
mystifed at two strange deaths I'm different
rooms in the same house till the boy broke
down and told of having taken the bodies
| to the bed rooms in the hope of saving
his mothers reputation. The bodies are
now at the Harbach undertaking rooms.
According to the story Of Roland Drake
! the bodies were found In the kitchen The
entire interior of the apartment was filled
with gas and the smell of gas was still
| In the rooms when the officers reached the
| place. Mrs Drake Is a sister of Jennie
! Wood, who formerly conducted a place Of
unsavory reputation in this city. 1t is be-
! lieved that she also has a sister who has
recently moved to this city, whose name is
Webster
school at Council BLUFFS.
At a conference Of Catholics in this city
today Mother Superior Vincent of Council
| Bluffs announced that school for small
boys would be opened in Council Bluffs
early next year. Mother Vincent is at
| the head of that class of work in the state
and this will be the first school of the
kind I'm this state. 1t will be a school for
small boys, but in no sense a reformatory
| or detention school.
At the same conference it was announced
that the Brown home, recently purchased
in this CITY, is to be made boarding home
! or hotel for aged women and girls. The
place consists of a block of land, on which
stands a brick dwelling house, erected some
years ago by T. e. Brown. 1t is on West
Grand avenue just east of the Eighteenth
street bridge and just at the beginning of
the beautiful residential sections The home
will be called St. Katherlne's Hall. with
Mother Vincent is Mother Magdalene, also
of Council Bluffs, The hall will be con-
Quoted on the same plan as others of the
kind in Council Bluffs. Davenport and
other cities.
Council BIuIfs Libel Case.
The supreme court today decided the libel
suit of Florence Hartman against the
Council Bluffs Nonpareil in favor of the
Nonparen. The decision was reversal
of the lower court on the ground that the
court should not have left to the jury the
question Of whether or not the words used
in the alleged libel were libeous of them
| nh t,ot
a question is not for jury to determine.
The court also holds with the defense OF
the newspaper that the statements were
true, in which the jury in the case is
reversed.
Rehearing for BIydenburE.
The supreme court late today granted a
rehearing in the case of the state against
Blydenburg, appealed from Hardin county.
Blydenburg was convicted of numbering
his wife some years ago. He is the father
Of Irene Blydenburg alleged to have been
killed in this city through criminal opera
ton some weeks ago.
Supreme Court Decisions.
Lewis and Della Wilson, appellants,
against Fred B. Jump, Montgomery county,
Judge Wheeler; reversed by the court.
w. NJ. Long against Carey Investment
company, appellant, Taylor county, Judge
Towner;. affirmed; opinion by Ladd.
Harrison county against E. E. Ogden,
treasurer, appellant, Harrison county,
} Judges Thornell and Macy; affirmed; opin-
ion by McClain.
Take Advantage of Old Law.
After being on the statute books for eight
years unused, the law renting the fliI :
fee for sugar beet corporations was made
use of today for the first time. The law
provides that all sugar beet corporations
organizing in the state of Iowa and fling
their articles of incorporation here shall
be charged no filing fee. The Iowa Beet
Sugar company of Waverly Ia, has been
organized and today filed its articles of in
corporation with the secretary of state
with an authorized capitalization of $4,000.
The filing fee would have been $500, and it
was RENTED. W. J. Churchill, w. H.
Wallace and c. r. Warren are the incor-
porators.
Gov. CumminE in Washington.
Governor Cummins is today in Washing
ton, d. c., on state business. Among other
J things, he will endeavor to ascertain from
I the War department who is entitled to the
$3.50 that has been sent him for the light
batteries. The claims Of a part Of the
, light batteries organized for the Spanish
! American war were allowed. The gov
ernor has received a check for $3.50, but
! nothing TO show to whom It is to be paid.
Foundry Moves to Des NOineE.
The Des Molnes iron foundry has been
organized in this city with a capitalization
3 OF $4,000 c. r, Harper Of the c. r. Harper
! Manufacturing company Of Marshalltown,
Ia, Is president of the new company and
the interests Of the Marshalltown company
viii he moved to this city. A twenty-five
year lease has been taken on the Cranston
property at Seventh and Elm streets.
Gives Inheritance TO Church.
e Frank Martello an Italian. sacrificed his
10 desire TO die in his native land today by
= turning over an Inheritance of 500 to the
n Catholic church TO be used for the South
a Des Mo!nes parish. Martello is a man Of
n years and has an incurable disease. Realz
3 ing that at best he had but a few years tc
h Five II he did return, he gave the money
p TO the church.
{ Revival Meetings Closed.
r The Chapman revival meetings, which
G have been under way In this city for the
last two weeks, closed tonight Dr. ]
Wilbur Chapman preaching in the Audi