Iron County register., 1916-11-09


Louis. serving a life sentence In the
penitentiary here for the murder Of
his father. escaped when at McClung
Park. where. as a member Of the or
chestra, he was playing at the week
ly dance
Bittner's escape was not noticed
until the orchestra members were b
ing checked in on their return to
the penitentiary from McClung Park.
1t is supposed he disappeared about
midnight, near the end Of the dance.
He was the first violinist. The band
members always have been attired
in white suits with no visible num-
bers.
The dances have been held at Nc
Chung Park since the completion,
about eight months ago, of large
pavilion. They are attended mostly
by the leading residents of the capi-
Tai.
McClung Park is state property
that has been improved and made in
to pleasure resort with the aid Of
convict labor and public subscriptions
among Jefferson City residents. 1t
was named after Warden McClung.
Detectives, notified Of Bittner's es-
cape, have been watching st. Louis
trains for him.
Bittner murdered his father, Ar
thur Bittner, Sr., July %, 1913. At that
time the youth wanted to marry Miss
Myrtle Benhoff, but was without
money, and his father, North st.
Louis butcher, refused to supply him.
One morning, as his father and his
brother, Edward, were driving down
town in an auto truck, Arthur got up
behind them and shot his father in
the head. Edward later accused
Arthur of the crime.
Edward told the police he had not
heard anything from his brother and
hoped that they would catch him "be-
fore he sees me-"
Miss Benhoff some time after Bit
ner went to prison, married Dun
dell Goodwin, an electrician, who
killed her at her mothers home.
Battery A Not to Be Returned.
A. c. Elnstein, vice president and
general manager of the Union Elec-
trio Co. of st. Louis, who recently
wrote to the war department for in
formation as to when battery A of
Missouri would be relieved-from duty,
rnQpiUnd q rnn1xr inf oiY,n ,, 1at
it was not determined when the bat
terry would be sent home.
"The department has very keen
appreciation of the sacrifices which
these men are making by their en-
forced separation from home and
business and, where the emergency
less commanding, woulc he very
happy indeed to relieve them of fur
ther sacrifice" the letter states.
"The situation, however, is not
such as permits the withdrawal of
the militia at This time, so that the
most the department can do is to
look forward to an early improve
ment in the border situation"
This letter states that the decision
as to which troops shall be relieved
is left entirely to Gen Funston.
Apple Crop Short.
Missouri's big, red, luscious apples,
known the world over for their deli
cious flavor, in 27 years ending with
the close of 1915, brought to the horti-
culturists of the state approximately
126,718,50, this sum representing the
worth of 84,479,000 barrels at the ex-
ceedingly low wholesale price of $1.50
barrel, announces bureau of labor
statistics bulletin issued by Commits
sioner John T. Fitzpatrick to placN
Missouri on the map as a fruit-grow-
ing state. Reduced to bushels and al
lowing three bushels to the barrel, the
quantity of apples considered amount
ed to 233, ,437 900 bushels. It Is seldom
Missouri's big, red apples, when the
price is averaged the year through,
bring less than So barrel Wholesale
and, therefore, the estimated value
placed on the total output Of 27 years
is very low
Unfavorable weather conditions
have reduced the 1915 crop of Mis-
souri's apples to approximately 2,700,-
600 barrels, but the output of 1915,
consisting of 6,2S7,0G0 barrels, more
than made up for the shortness OF the
1916 crop.
The 1910 federal census revealed
that there were 14,359,673 apple-bear-
ing trees in the state, scattered plenti-
fully over 102 counties, and with few
found, here and there, in the 12 cot
ton-growing counties of southeast Mis-
souri,. The production of apples that
year amounted to 9,968,977 barrels.
The indications are that at the COM
mencement Of 1916 there were nearly
100000 apple trees in the state.
Gen. Clark to Command.
Brigadier-General Harvey c. z
of Missouri will assume command of
all troops, regulars and guardsmen,
in the Laredo district when &c
liam A. Mann leaves Laredo for
Washington to take his new position
as chief of military affairs. 1t is not
known when the change will take.
place.
Missouri regiments of the national
guard, now on the Mexican border,
will be brought to Leavenworth, Kan,
for muster, according to information
received here. Preparations already
have been made for their reception.