Omaha daily bee., 1908-10-14
BLAST LEAVES GIRL BEHIND
Bryan Club President Deserts Her
Who Says She is His Wife.
MAID OF ONLY SEVENTEEN YEARS
Denver Detective Arrives in Omaha
for Toni just a. Newspaper
Champion Publishes Pane
Eyric of Him.

A blue-eyed, fair-haired girl living in
Joplin, Mo, will read with interest OF the
departure from Omaha OF Toni Blast, the
great democratic local leader. This young
woman. or rather girl of II years, styled
herself Mrs. Toni Blast during the months
she lived with the president of the Italian
Bryan club in Omaha and insisted that
she had a full legal right TO the name.
Blast said so, too. until he grew tired of
her and ~repudiated her to her face and
before Mrs. Tobias, at whose home on
Pacific street they lived.
1t was only three weeks ago that the
girl, Bessie Bradley. or Mrs. Blast, tear
fully packed her scanty clothes and went
home 10 her brothers. house.
She previously had outbreaks with Blast,
and the elimination came when friends
told her that Blast had been at the theater
and at a cafe with another woman. She
reprosched him and the reputation al
legged Is said to have followed.
The two came straight from the train
which bore them here from Denver to
Mrs. Tobias. The latter supposed then
and did all along that there was no ques-
ton as to their being man and wife. But
Mrs. Tobias distrusted Blast and told her
husband 30.
Relieved at His Going
i DTeaIneO easier Wlen ne lelI 10 TIT
day" said Mrs. Tobias, and 1 never liked
him after he began abusing the poor little
girl. She was a coed child. quiet and un-
complaining. but awful fond of Blast. 1t
nearly killed her when they told her that
he was taking another woman to the
theater.
He had introduced her as his wife and
there was no earthly reason even to sus-
pect otherwise. Bessie. herself. insisted
that they were married, even after he
said she was nothing to him. and I'm sure
the poor thing believes that she is his
lawful wife. And she may be. too. It's
only his word against hers, and for me,
I'd take hers every time.
II don't know the exact reason, but It
was she who decided on Omaha when they
left Denver, where he met her. He always
said he gave up a good position on her
account. but she said that he never could
go back to Denver. So there you are again."
added Mrs. Tobias.
"Blasi always paid me regularly and
never sconied to be short of money, though
I don't know how he got 1t. However, as
long as he came by 1t honestly, that was
none Of my business. I was glad when he
quit, and some Of my other roomers did
not like him at all. and had told me that
either he'd have to go or they would. /
used to tell my husband that I did not feel
safe with him in the house. so his departure
was not wept over here. But It's too bad
for that little girl"
Italians AEhast at Expose.
Italian residents of Omaha are aghast at
the Blast expose. The better class are
chiefly sorry because they fear that the
reputation of Italians will suffer. Many Of
them are Of as high a sense Of personal
honor as any other men in tha city and as
law-abiding. Tales of the black hand the
country over have made them suffer and
they regret another chapter thinning the
luster of the Italian name. Those who
have never liked Blast. but who kept quiet
to avoid trouble and left the man and his
works severely alone-these are not now
rejoicing over Blasts downfall. but are
glad for the sake of the. colony that what
they deemed a baneful influence has been
removed.
As for the Jimocrats, they cannot find
words to express properly their feelings,
} because their feelings are so confused, their
emotions are so mixed up and complicated
that Henry James himself could not de-
scribe the intricate state Of mind In which
the. mayor, his satellites and parasites find
themselves. If there is a dominant feel
] ing, It is chagrln, deep, black chagrin.
Toni is stlIl absent, from his wonted
haunts. The italian restaurant knows him
not and the far reaches OF Metz hall nc
longer re-echo with his perfervid eloquence
Meanwhile, intelligent people are snick-
ering at a full-page panogyric CT Tom
Blast written by some emotional young tot
and blazed forth by an excitable publication
Sunday. That this labored laudation should
! come out In print the very day before The
Z Denver detective arrived in Omaha lookins
for the subject of the screed is being toutec
2 as one of the best jokes OF the season.