Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-09-24
JOHN ACCUSES aopeE OF HER MANY FALs1FIcAr1oNs.

hne eyes were ablaZe with tragic FIRE.
II, weak woman, have a message
for you men men Of America!" she
cried, her well-trained voice reaching
every ear and Its pathos touching
every heart. 1T is brief, but very
much to the purpose. Get Panchol
Get Pancho! Get Pancho!"
Trusting a. hand into her bodice,
she produced small American flag
and held it alofti
That supreme moment gave Madge
Kerr the chance OF her life, and she
seized it with magnificent abandon.
Her success was instantaneous.
Never again would she be compelled
to fawn on theatrical agents or pes
ter managers already bewildered by
the ever-increasing mob of applicants
for stage honors. Now they would
hunt her in droves. She had become
notability. That cry, Get PanchoP
was destined to become the slogan of
a great party in the state, a party Of
which Madge Kerr, the actress, was
recognized as at once the mouthpiece
and the prophecies.
Truly, she did then look inspired.
Small wonder II men shouted them
selves hoarse, and well-balanced
minds forgot the dictates Of common
sense. Apparently overcome with
emotion. she sank back out of sight.
Burton imagined that a frail woman
had bent under too great strain. He
little dreamed that the incident had
been planned beforehand, and its eff
feet calculated to nicely.
He was so concerned about her that
she played up to him with skill she
had seldom displayed in her profess
sion. At the close OF the meeting he
insisted on driving her home in his
car. With well-feigncd hesitation,
she told him her story--how she and
her husband lived happily on ranch
in Chihuahua, until the day when
Pancho rode up to their homestead,
shot Mr.. Kerr at sight, and offered a
helpless woman the vilest indignity
his depraved mind could conceive,
This thrilling story provided the
last straw so far as John Burton was
concerned. He entered heart and
soul into political campaign de-
signed to bring about the introduce
ton OF American law and order into
disturbed Mexico. He backed the
project with all his energies and accu-
INFLATED wealth. At his own cost he
recruited and equipped a company
among his fellow workers, and his
services were recognized by the gov
eminent by the bestowal Of tenn
porary commission.
Thus, the whirligig Of life saw John
Burton, the philanthropist, the social
worker, a man essentially devoted to
the arts OF peace. become khaki
clad warrior. Yet never did knight
embark on deeds of daring do with
truer sense of high purpose than this
young millionaire. Fie was convinced
that his crusade against racial law
lessness was holy one. 1t was, he
thought, only one of the accidents OF
an extraordinary situation that the
foundry should now be coming money
by producing rifles and bayonets.
Such fearsome implements offered the
sole effective means yet devised by
mankind whereby crime might be
avenged and the guilty punished.
Never before had he been so sure OF
rectitude OF purpose.
With him, travelling west on a troop
train, we're Rogers and Madge Kerr,
the latter now the accredited cores
pondent OF a ring of important news
papers. She had contrived to make
herself one of the leading figures in
the punitive expedition. While the
country was arming, her rallying cry,
Get Panchoi" had never failed to
secure recruits or fog waning enthus-
iasm. What more natural than that
she should be chosen to record for
the waiting millions the story of that
expeditions prowess in the field and
its ultimate success?
Very natty she looked in a work.
manlike outfit devised for the cam
spaign. While on the train she obcyed
convention by wearing short skirt,
but as soon as the frontier was reach
ed, she appeared in khaki blouse and
breeches, with stout leather riding
boots, pistol belt and bandoleer.
'Geep cried Rogers approximately,
when first he and John saw her in
this soldierly rig, "Madge is some
grill No wonder you fell for her
at once, Mr.. Burton"
John could hardly do other than
agree. He had not exactly fallen
for the lady, but it would be churlish
to bcgrudge full tribute TO her daunt-
less spirit. ..
This is not record of war but of