Omaha daily bee., 1907-05-08
RULING ON RIGHTS OF WOMEN
Iowa Supreme Court Decides a Peculiar
Case From Johnson County.
NO DAMAGES FOR INJURY BY BASE BALL
Principal of East Des MOines High
school Accuses Druggists of Sell
ing Liquor 60 Boys Attend
Ing the school.
From a staff Correspondent

NtFOm n bJiAI COrre8pOn0enGl
DIES MONIES, May 7-(Special .)--Women
are no longer bound to men and are capa-
BILE Of independent action, according to the
supreme court Of Iowa, which handed down
a decision today that is likely to be for
many years a guide to lawyers Elizabeth
Fowler Of johnson county decided TO her
husband some land that she owned. The
husband later decided the land to another
party, but the wife did not sign the deed.
Later the wife signed quit-claim deed to
the same party for the piece of land and
the husband did not join in signing.
Both deeds were unrevoked. Later the
husband died and Mrs. Fowler then started
suit to claim her dover interest on the
claim that neither Of the deeds were good.
on the theory that both husband and wife
must sign the same deed. Her attorneys
cAed common law and the supreme court
admits that the common law is in her ia
vor, but holds that the. old idea of the
common law that the wife is incapable of
independent action separate from her hus-
band has been superseded by latter day
precedent and statute. It holds that the
wife could not deed her dover right to
some other person than that TO which the
husband had decided the property, but holds
that there is no reason why a separate deed
from her to the same person as that hold
ing the deed from the husband should not
be valid The court takes occasion to say
further that the wife could not legally
hamper the husbands business by indie
pendently disposng of her dover rights to
his property without his consent IL he had
not already decided his right to the prop
erty.
County Fair Not Responsible.
In a decision handed down today. which
harOpna oe a the Waterloo
beer bottle case, the supreme court holds
that the Upton Qa.) Fair association Is
not responsible to Lizzie Williams for dam
ages resulting from her being hit by base
ball while attending the county fair. She
was in the grandstand witnessing the races
while base ball game was in progress
nearby. The court holds that the ball
game was legitimate under the statute and
the association can not be held liable.
Phillips IL Reelected.
AT a meeting of the state pharmacy com
mission here today Charles w. Phillips of
Jackson was reelected secretary of the
commission.
Big Musical Preparations.
Preparations are practically completed
for the biggest musical festival that Des
Moines has ever known. 1t will be given
by the Apollo club of this city at the Audi
torium Monday and Tuesday evenings. May
10 and IA. The principal numbers are the
choruses by the Apollo club under the
direction Of Dr. NJ. L. Bartlett. The club
will be assisted by the Chicago Symphony
orchestra, Nine. Marie Zimmerman, Mr.. e.
c. Towne. Miss Elaine De Sellem, DR.. Hugh
Schussler and Frederick Martin.
Headquarters at Boone.
Announcement has been made that the
headquarters of the Newton & Northwest
ern and the Fort Dodge, Des Moines &
Southern will remain in Boone. Ia, and
that contract has been let for the con-
struction of an $4,000 depot and office
building in Boone. Fort Do1ge has been en-
deavoring to get the headquarters moved
to that city.
Sold Liquor to school Boys.
At the meeting of the members Of the
Board of Education of East Des Moines
last night Miss Goodrell, principal of the
East Des Moines High school made the
| claim that druggists and saloon keepers
! had been selling liquor in bottles to the
boys Of the East high school and that
some OF them had come to school drunk.
The board appointed a committee consist
ing of the president of the board, the su-
perintendent of the East side schools and
| the principal TO make an investigation ana
endeavor to ascertain who had sold the
: liquor to the boys. Prosecutions will fol-
low II the guilty are detected.
p. Il. O's. Gathering.
Members of the P. f. o. were gathering
in Des Moines all day today for the open
ing of the annual state convention here
tonight. There was a meeting of the ex-
ecutive board this afternoon at o'clock
to make arrangements for the convention
and for caring for the delegates. The con-
vention opened with reception in the
Shrine temple tonight at 1880 Following
the reception there was the formal open
ing OF the convention with an address of
welcome by Miss Nellie Elliott, president
of the local chapter, and a response by Mrs
Helen ID. Townsend, the first vice president.
There were also GREETINGS by the presi-
dent of the State Federation of Woman's
clubs, the City Federation of Woman's
clubs, the Congress Of Mothers and the
Regent of the Daughters of the American
| Revolution.