Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1908-04-09

| Will be clamped on tight. | intend
to use my influence to get an ideal
chief of police. l am in favor of a
man with some police experience and
he must know Des Moines. There will
be no open gambling and the men
! who are running clubs had better be
careful. l will not express myself
upon the social evil. 1t needs great
deal of attention. In dealing with it
shall remember that the code of
Iowa plays great part and, as an
official, / WI be expected to be
guided by it,"
The Third Rocker Appeal.
The third appeal in the Charles
Rocker case has been taken and the
case will be submitted to the supreme
court in May.
Deputy Attorney General Lyon has
just started upon the states brief in
this case, having been served with
the abstract and argument of the APP
| pellant.
! Rocker lived in Lyon county and
was convicted of numbering his wife's
first husband. He appealed to the
supreme court and the decision was
reversed. He had been given a death
sentence. On retrial he was found
guilty of the crime and was given a
| life sentence by the jury. But the
court set aside the verdict and grant
ed Rocker a new trial.
For the third time he was convicted
and again his punishment was fixed
at life imprisonment. 1t is from this
judgment that he now has appealed
vi IA
testimony of his wife to the effect
that he had disclosed the murder of
her first husband by talking in his
sleep. The court held that she could
not testify. But it was on the infor-
nation furnished in this way that he
was convicted later, it is said, and it
is claimed that the state could not
have convicted him if it had not had
the information as a basis.
Points on Iowa Railroads.
Perhaps but small percentage of
the people of this state realize that
Iowa is the most thoroughly railroad
ed state west of the Mississippi river
and that it ranks among the first in
the United States. A glance at the
railroad map of Iowa will reveal the
fact that there is not one county in
the state that is not traversed by at
least one railroad. There are only
seven very small parts of the state
that are located more than ten miles
from railroad. At no placs does the
distance exceed twenty miles. Thirty
six railroads and electric interurban
roads, with 1904 miles of tracks
have lines running through the state
in one part or another. The steam
railroads have 1924 miles of tracks IN
the state and 220 miles of interurban
systems are in operation. Two hun
dred miles of additional interurban
roads are under consideration. The
railroad tracks of Iowa, If made into
a single track, would reach from Des
Moines to Hongkong, and would make
continuous line from Des Moines to
Sydney, Australia. The rails used in
the railroads of Iowa would construct
q three track system between New
York and San Francisco.
Maj. Byers Loans Painting.
Major and Mrs. S. H. M. Byers, who
are soon to go upon a tour of three
months to Italy and the other Medi
terrane-l countries, have placed their
famous painting of the Madonna in
the historical department, to remain
until their return.
The canvas hangs in the Office of
Acting Curator Harlan, who accepted
it without risk to the state during the
absence from this country of the
owners. Major Byers superintendent
the hanging of the picture.
Before transferring it from their
home, St. Helens, Major and Mrs
Byers secured an insurance of $4,000
on the painting. AS companies &C.
cepting this sort of risk do not in
sure for an amount greater than one
third the value of the property, their
risk in this instance may be taken
as a suggestion of the intrinsic value
of the work. What valuation might
be put upon 1t by fanciers of the
work of the artist to whom 1t is at
tributed, can only be connected.
1t is pronounced to be from the
brush of Annibale Carracci, Bologn-
ese, born Nov. 3, 1860.
Elected Under New Plan.
A. ]. Mathis will be the first mayor
of Des Moines under the Des Moines
rlan, and John MacVicar, Wesley Ash,
Charles Schramm and John l.. Hamery
will serve with him on the council
These men were elected by the
people Of the capital city of Iowa, dur
ing rain that drizzled all day long
The vote cast was as large as that
polled at the primary election of
March 16.
Eugene w. Waterbury, Des Moines
plan candidate for mayor, and J. r..
Hanna, b. S. Walker, C. S. Worth
and w H. Brereton, candidates for
commissioners, were defeated.
Attorneys Are Undaunted.
Although turned down by the su.
preme court of the United States, the
attorneys for Charles Thomas have
not entirely abandoned hope of Sc
curing for him a new trial. Judge C.
G. Cole and Mulvaney & Mulyaney
are now considering the advisability
of asking for rehearing before the
highest tribunal in the land. 1t is
probable that petition for a rehear-
ing will be filed within a few weeks.
The United States supreme court did
not pass on the merits of the ques-
tions presented by Thomas attorneys
or upon the question of iurisd elton.