Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-08
Iowa
COMMISSION IN CONTEMPT.
Lawyers for Des Moines Police
Matron So Hold in Petition.
MAYOR AND CoUNCnMEN BALK
Direction of Court, az Ins
terpreted by Attorneys for Mrs,
BsbcOck, Her Reinstatement
IL Not ordered.

From q staff Correspondent)
DIES MONIES, June I-(Speoial Tel6-.
grsm)-That Mayor A. J. Mathis, Coun-
Gilman John L. Hsmery and Councilman
J. Wesley Ash are in contempt OF court
for refusing to reinstste Mrs. l. L. Bah
cock as police matron, is recited IN a petit
ton Attorneys Mclaughlin and ~Shanklahd
presented District Judge w. II. McHenry
this afternoon, and the court Is asked TO
take immediate action.
This elimination Of the discharge OF Mrs.
Babcock for placing a negro boy on the
foot Of the bed OF a white gtri, has. been
carefully planned. and by a clever coup the
mayor and Councilmen Hamery and Ash
were officially placed on record by Mrs
Babcook's attorneys today. Attorney Nc
Laughlin prepared the following resolu-
ton and asked Councilman John Mac
Vicar to introduce 1t;
BE II resolved by the city council Of
the city of Des Moines that Mrs. L. Il.
Babcock, police matron, be reinstated, puFu'
suant to the Judgment Of the district court,
as provided in Judgment entry In No. l22t5,
law Of the Polk county Iowa, court record,
said judgment stating that tho discharge
Of the said Mrs. l.. L. Babcock by Super
intendent OF Public Safety John l.. Ham
cry and the subsequent action by the coun-,
ell, to be void and of no effect, and
ordered and commanded the defendants
III baNu law dNAlOH To IClIEAhNG neIt III
said Mrs. l.. l.. Babcock. "'
Councilman MacVicar moved the adop.
ton OF the resolution, but there was no
second TO the motion. There 1t died, but
in refusing TO vote for reinstatement the
mayor and the two councilmen placed
themselves on record, and this will be the
grounds on which Mrs. Babcock's .attof.
neys will make application for an order
citing the three to appear before Judge
McHenry and show cause. II they can, why
they should not be fined or imprisoned for
contempt. .r
Governor b. f. Carroll today appointed
as members of the Iowa Drainage and,
Conservation commission the following: Al
c., Miller, Des NIoines; T. M. Mcbride,
Iowa City; Il. A. Burgess. Sioux City; "A.
f. Frudden. Dubuque; w. II. stevenson,
Ames; j. w. Keerl, Mason City u. w.
Anderson, Cedar Rapids.
Flag Day Proclaimed.
Governor Carroll today proclaimed June
IA as flag day and called all citizens to.
display the American flag and honor 1t
in every way possible.
Miner Is Killed.
While working alone in. his room at the
Blount-Bvans mine at Coaldale. Frank
Sokesse, aged AZ years. was pinned be=
meath a fall of slate at $50 o'clock this
morning and received wounds about the
head which caused death fromr- loss OF
blood. =
Public official Dies.
Judge S. S. Etheridge, for forty years
a resident Of Des Moines. during which
time he held varioGs public offices and
practiced law, died suddenly at his home,
5H Thirty-sixth street, early, this morn
ing from an attack Of heart trouble.
Although he had been subject tesattacks
since January Of this year, and had been
J confined to his bed for the last two weeks,
his death was unexpected. He had been
in poor health for a year, but continued
to administer all the affairs OF his office,
as referee of bankruptcy for the southern
district of Iowa. and his own private
business. Since being confined to his bed
these last two weeks he had kept in touch
with his business until Saturday, when he
began to fail.