Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-29
TELECRAPHERS At BANQUET
Old Timers Give Feast in Honor Of
Andrew Carnegie.
ROBERT G. CL0WRY PRESIDES
Five of First Nine Men to Enter
Military Corps in 1851 Are
Present-Many Messages
of Good VIII. !
ROBERT G. CLowRY PREs1DEs

NEW YORK, Nov. 2S.-The Geographic
flash sign 49," meaning regards" licked
scores Of times tonight over special wires
to the banquet room at the Hotel Man
haitian, where the old-time telegraphers
of New York entertained Andrew Carnegie
on the occasion of his seventy-third birth
day anniversary. At the table with him
were Thomas A.. Edison. the inventor, a
former operator, and five of the nine first
operators regularly employed by the United
States government in the civil war, sent
from the Pennsylvania railway line in
response to a message dated Washington,
April %, 1861" and signed by Mr.. Carnegie.
Colonel Robert c.. Clowry, president of
the Western Union Telegraph company,
presided as POSTMASTER, and the speakers
included Colonel David II. Bates, one of
the early military telegraphers, who said
that when the government refused to pen
sion the military telegraph operators Mr..
Carnegie at once provided life incomes of
$12 per month for such members OF the
old corps as were recommended by their
organization. The souvenirs were minia-
ture telegraph saunders of ebony and
bronze, one of which recorded the many
messages which came from various parts
of the country through the evening.
II believe" said Mr.. Carnegie, that
| Wnen we get TO heaven anu are CudiienBtu
and asked why We want to come in we
will pick up one of these little instruments
and say 49," and he made the signal as
he spoke the numeral.
Mr.. Carnegie said that he spoke in M
/ Pickwickian sense when he stated that he
regarded the expressions of old fellowship
and good will tonight as the greatest public
honor he had ever received. He felt, he
said. a note Of sincerity in the tone Of the
speakers and their expressions Of regard
for him.
There is no higher compliment which
can be paid you than to have the friends
of your boyhood days, the friends of your
older days, and I would rather have your
certificate of friendship than one signed
by all the priests and bishops in the land. -
Edward Vanderbilt Cross-Examined.
The last testimony was taken today in
the case of Edward Vanderbilt, whose
daughter, Minerva, seeks to have him
adjudged incompetent to conduct his bust
ness. here chief contention being that he
indicated his alleged incompetency when
he married May Pepper Scannell, the spir-
itualistic medium. Mr.. Vanderbilt was I'M
der cross-examination before both sides
rested. He told OF his association with his
second wife before and after their mar
riage. From his statements II appeared
that when his first wife was dying she
asked him to nave Mrs. Pepper commune
with the Spirits and learn for her
whether she would die. Mr.. Vanderbilt
said he had arranged TO bring Mrs. Pepper
to his home. but his wife died before she
arrived. Mr.. Vanderbilt married the me-
dlum several years later. A verdict is ex-
pected early next week.
Playwright Attempts Suicide.
Using a pillow to muffle the report of a
revolver, Mrs. Eleanor Merron Cowper, a
talented playwright and actress, shot her
self in the right temple today in an apart.
ment at the st. Regis hotel. The explosion
Of the cartridge was heard. but Mrs Cow.
per was rendered unconscious and is slowly
dying.
struction, Mrs. Cowper had written a mum.
Der OF letters, one to her lawyer. another
to the coroner. a third TO an undertaken
and a fourth to JohE Hood, a friend. In
the letters she apprised the four persons OF
her intention to commit suicide.
Investigation showed that Mrs. Cowpei
had made careful preparations to end hei
life. In addition to writing a letter to hel
lawyer. County Judge r. b. Joyce OF Mid,
dletown, n. Y, to take charge of her body
she had painstakingiy written a brief auto.
biography.
The sketch stated that she was born IL
England and that she came to this countrS
at the age OF 3 months. Her maiden nam,
was Eleanor Merron. Her stage career
began in Boston in a production called