Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-04-16
CONGRESSMAN NORRIS, OF NE.
RRAskA, A MAN WHO DOES
WHAT HE UNDERTAKES.
BECOMES AN INsURoENT
LEADER IN THE HOUSE
Equipped by Training and Experience
to Fight for What He Believes Is
Risht-Army and Navy Club Not
Drinking to Health of Senator From
North Dakota-There's Reason.
Especial Correspondence]

Especial Correspondence
Washington, April 16.-Representa-
tive George w. Norris, of Nebraska,
the man who has leaped into fame as a
leader of insurgency in the house and
more recently as the man who made
and won the fight against the house or
ganizat ton to give free petroleum, has
had more hairbreadth escapes in the
course of his political career than any
other man now in sight. He is what
they call out on the Nebraska plains a
scrapper. He started in politics fifteen
years ago when Nebraska, and espec-
tally its western part, was hopelessly
populistic, and is one of the men cred
tied with redeeming that state, now
once more wrested from the republic
ans and turned over to democratic
control in large part.
Norris was born in Ohio, which may
account for his capacity to squeeze
thru elections by hair-raising majori-
ties. He began politics by getting
elected prosecuting attorney of a west
ern Nebraska district. The district
went overwhelmingly populistic on
everything except Norris, who ran like
a coyote and won by a scratch. Then
he ran for district judge, and the pop
ulist who ran against him was beaten
by Just two votes That was in the
days when western Nebraska was hard
UP, and Norris was running on a plat
form of holding court and enforcing
the laws. 1t had been a cheerful pop
ulistic practice of the times to aban-
don most of the terms of courts, so
that eastern mortgages should be I'M
able to get DEGREES of foreclosure
against the poor farmers. Norris gave
1t out that if he We're elected the courts
| would hold their sessions, and would
| do business. He was denounced as the
agent of the eastern plutes, but some
| how he ran 1000 ahead of his oppon-
ent and won by two votes. He carried
out his program, but he convinced ev-
erybody that it was after all the best
| thing, and was twice reelected. Then
, he got the nomination for congress
and has been elected four times by
varying majorities, always leading his
ticket. Last fall he had his closest call
being the choice of 20,649 of his ad-
miring constituents, while his fusion
opponent received the support of 20621
enthusiastic followers. 1t was three
weeks before anybody knew who was
elected.
A thrilling incident in Norris career
on the old frontier now long since con-
verified into part of the rich agricuit-
ural empire, was related to a murde.
\ 3rio hi
| convicted of murder in the first de-
gree, the jury coming in at 2 o'clock
| in the morning to report to a court
room that was still TANNED almost to
suffocation. 1t had been long and sem
sational trial. The evidence was entirely
circumstantial
| The jury had fixed the penalty at life
imprisonment. The prisoner had con-
ceived a fanatical hatred of Judge Nor
ris during the trial, and believed him
responsible for the verdict.
| The prisoner had been brought into
court, thru the jam of people, to hear
the verdict Sitting four feet from the
| judge he watched the latter with
| peculiar malevolence. When the YER
| dict had been announced the lawyers
for the defense asked time to complete
| preparation Of their motion for new
trial, and 1t being granted, withdrew.
A moment later the sheriff did most
| unusual and irregular thing He went
| to the prisoner. and after speaking to
| him, led him out of the room, thru the
| crowd, to a small room in the rear Of
the judges platform. Judge Norris
wondered at the performance, but the
sheriff and the prisoner came back and
| the prisoner resumed his seat in the
dock before he could take steps to stop
the performance.
! The motion for new trial was made
and overruled minute later, and
Judge Norris sentenced the prisoner.
Court adjourned. and then the judge,
very angry, summoned the sheriff to
| him.
What did you mean by taking that
prisoner out of the presence of the
court in that fashion, without permis-
sion?" he demanded.
| The sheriff fished down into his coat
| pocket and produced a huge 3S-caliber
/ bulldog revolver and handed it to The
court. That's ALL" he replied quietly.
| Then it all came out THAT revolver
was showed into the prisoners pocket
while I was bringing him into the
court ROOM said the sheriff ut was
easy to do in the jam. didn't see it
done, but a man who did see it whis-
pered it to me just before I took him
out. / overpowered him and got 1t
away from him. He was going to wait
till you ruled on the motion for lew
trial, and If you ruled against him, 10
kill you and himself"
| The revolver had two bullets in it.
and they We're right next to the ham
mer.
! That sheriff didn't get any further