davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1920-12-15
Woman to Face
Trial on Charge
OF Killing Man
Roomins House Proprietress
Alleged to Have Murdered
Barber, Following Series
OF Quarrels.

Alliance, Neb.. Dec. l4.-(Special
Telegram.l Mrs. Evelyn Preiss
McElhaney, Is, will be placed on
trial in district court here Wednes-
day on charge of first degree
murder in connection with the shoot
ing of Earl B. Anderson, ex-soldier
and local barber, here December 7.
This will be the first case in which
a woman has been tried for first de-
gree murder, in western Nebraska.
Mrs. McElhaney is alleged to have
shot Anderson following series, OF
quarrels.
Mrs. McHhaney was proprietress
of the Wilson rooming house. which
has been raided several times by
officers. Anderson is said to have
been drinking on the night of the
shooting and to have been extreme
1y jealous of the woman. Testimony
was given at the preliminary trial
tending to show that Anderson had
threatened to kill Mrs. McElhaney
on previous occasion. He left the
rooming house a few minutes before
the shooting and Mrs. McElhaney
is alleged to have followed him into
the alley and fred the fatal shot.
There are reported to have been
several eye witnesses to the shoot
ing.
Cleanup Expected.
Public sentiment is strongly
against the woman, because OF the
alleged bad reputation of the room
Omaha daily bee., 1920-12-15
Letter Of Dead Girl
Introduced in Trial
Continued From Page One,

travellers check for $50, which was
later found on DR.. Fields person.
He said that he wrote another letter
later.
The answer to the letter from
Ruth was then introduced. 1t is
in part as follows:
"My Dearest Own Ruth-God
bless you dear heart. You are the
dearest, bravest girl that ever lived.
NGod knows how | love you. I've
missed you ever since you left. I'd
give anything to be with, you, but
Pm going to help you all can.
Prayed For Her.
"Don't give up and come right
straight here when it is all over so
| can. see you. Why. it's been year
already. I'll have to give up school
this year / am already $500 IN
debt, but Pm going later and maybe
then, you can help me.
"Yess dear, I'll find you if it takes
the rest OF my life. Dearest you
don't know how l long for you. III
pray for you tonight dearest, and |
know you'll come through alright.
Ruth, it won't be very long. Yours
forever. Watson"
This letter was addressed to the
home of Mrs. Deyo, practical
nurse, 2704 North Sixty-fourth
street, where the illegal operation
is said TO have been performed.
Travellers Check Identified.
Enclosed in this letter was the
travellers check, which, when intro
duced as evidence, was admitted by
Alexander as being the one he sent
from Hayes Center in reply to
Ruth's request for more money.
Alexander was still nervous from
the questioning and events of the
morning when he testified in the
afternoon. His answers came in a
low tone. He was admonished sew
eral times by Judge Troup to speak
louder.
Telegrams, which announced ths
death of Ruth, signed by DR.. Fields.
and an answer sent by Alexandes
also were introduced.
Up until yesterday afternoon DR..
Fields wore an optimistic smile. but
the admission of Ruth's last letter
seemed to lower his spirits. His face
turned ashen and he was .visibly
perturbed the remainder OF the aft
ernoon.
Displays Emotion.
Young Alexander began hts testi-
mony yesterday morning. He was
extremely nervous. His voice refused
to come sometimes and often sank
to whisper. He moistened his lips,
clasped and unelasped his hands.
He admitted the relations that ex-
listed between him and Ruth Aver
and that he was responsible for her
condition. When shown the last let
ter she had written him, he gazed
long at it and held it to his lips while
the lawyers were arguing. He de-
clared he begged Miss Aver repeat
edly to marry him as way out Of
their troubles. but that she refused.
DR.. w. r. Strickland testified that
he administered the ether to Miss
Aver. both on Tuesday, August 3,
and on Thursday. August 5. when.
he said, DR.. Fields operated.
DR.. Fields approached him, after
the death of the girl. and begged him
to. say nothing of the operation OF
Tuesday. he said. On the day,of the
inquest, he testified. FIELDS asked him
to forget the Tuesday operation"
5 Pennsylvania has more than 10000
miles of highways.
Omaha daily bee., 1920-12-15
WageReductions
Announced In All
Parts of Count, !,
Employees of Massachusetts,
Shoe Factory Voluntarily
Reduce Wages 10 Per Gent
Atlanta Laborers Cut.

Marlborough, Mass, Dec. IA
voluntary wage reduction Of 10 per
cent was voted today by employees
of B. A. Corbin 4 Sons. shoe manu-
facturers. The action was taken. it
was said. to insure the filling at the
local factory of government con-
tract for army shoes which the em-
ployes feared would go to the COM
pany's plant in Webster, where a
similar wage cut recently announced
is in effect.
Atlanta, Dec. 14.-Wage reduc-
ton of from 16 to 20 per cent for
common laborers, carpenters, paint
crs, plasterers, bricklayers and ce-
ment finishers. effective January /,
were announced toda, by 81 con-
tractors and builders, members of
the master builders association of
Atlanta. Union leaders claimed
that the employees effected were nom
union workers. ...s
Fresno, Cal, Dec. 14.-Reduc-
tons of wages for farm labor of
from Is to 50. cents a day we're put
INTO effect today by the Valley Fruit
Growers association. large farmer
organization.
Omaha daily bee., 1920-12-15
State Board to
akeControl Of
Insurance Firm
Agreement Between State and
Company Stipulates That
Building Traded for Stock
Be Returned.

Lincoln, Dec. 14.-(Specia1. y
The troubles of the Bankers Fire In
surance company which was recently
called before the state board of Sc
curities, charged with unlawful
transactions covering insurance oi
stock, will be assumed by the state
board, stipulations having been
agreed upon by the company and the
state and approved by the district
court of Lancaster county in. which
the suit had been brought by the
state, restraining the company from
going farther in its business which
involved other companies in which
the officers of the Bankers Fire COM
pany were also officers, but which
are not included in the present
transaction,
The stipulations are that the state
department take over the business
of the company pending settlement
Of its difficulties; that approval OF
action of the company in reconyey-
ing to A. H. Armstrong the office
building, which was traded to the
tOiiiPdily III SlOSk dHl, Ill luFu, al Hl-
strong assigns all his rights and in
terest in the fire company. Ap-
proval is made of action of the
board of directors of the company
in assigning to Charles Maixnor and
H. w. Kenyon, stockholders in the
company, all interest in certain
Colorado land mortgages and the
withdrawal of same and also ap-
proves payment to Maixon and
Kenyon of $500 cash, with assign.
ment of all rights of the men in the
company. The court affirms. (
According to Attorney General
Davis, stockholders of the company
luay be called in later and the COM
pany continued under a reorgani-
zation plan, as he feels that pos
sibly things are not SO badly mixed
but what the company may be
saved. The board >of directors have
resigned, but will be held liable for
all losses.
Omaha daily bee., 1920-12-15
Decrease Shown in
Value Of Farm Crops;
Continued From Page one.) }

wheat came from almost every i'm
portant winter wheat state. The
greatest gain, 100000, is in Kan
sas, the leading producer of win
ter wheat. In that state the in
crease was helped by an area of
ever 100000 acres of volunteer
wheat sprouted from shattered grain
in the autumn of 1919, which, de-
spite its unpromising beginning and
doubtful prospects in the spring Of
1920, came finally to harvest.
"In general, it appears that the
reduction in crop acreage in 1920
below 1919 is less than was thought
and reported at the beginning of
the crop season. Notwithstanding
the early unfavorable conditions for
farm work, the efforts of the farm
ers to fully seed their fields. as
sisted by favoring days that came
late in the planting period, resulted
in paintings greater than antici-
Increase Over November.
Increases in almost every crop
were reported in the revised pro-
duction figures, as compared with
the preliminary estimates announced
in November. Corn, with record
crop, shows an increase of about
100000 Bushels, winter wheat an
increase of almost 4S,000,000
bushels; spring wheat decrease Of
9,000,000 bushels, oats an increase OF
almost 70,000,000 bushels, barley in.
creased almost 100000 bushels,
potatoes increased 100000 bushels
and tobacco increased 32,000,00O
pounds.
The yield of corn per acre set a
record with an average production
of 800 bushels. Only once before
has the average yield per acre ex-
ceeded 80 bushels and that was in
1906 when 30.3 bushels was made.
While the corn crop is record
one, its value this year is 81 ,662, 600.
600 less than last years crop, which
was smaller by 374,00oOOo bushels.
The price being paid to farmers for
Omaha daily bee., 1920-12-15

Hydraulic brakes on both front
and rear wheels are among the>re-
cent developments for motor vehicle.
Omaha daily bee., 1920-12-15
Hay Rates From
/. Idaho Lowered
By 33 Per Cent
Union Pacific Officials Say
Reduction Is to Induce Ship
ping of Alfalfa Now Held
Up in the West.

Omaha commission men interest.
ed in the hay and alfalfa market re,
ceived with cheer an announcement
made yesterday by the traffic de-
partment of the Union Pacific rail
road of reduction on hay and al.
falfa meal rates from Oregon Shor,
Line points in Idaho. The reduc-
ton is 80 1-3 per cent of the present
hay rates of SIS ton.
This change is planned to effec,
all important movement of hay and
alfalfa from Idaho. \
Millions Of tons of the produc,
have been held up by the farmers
in that section of the country on ac.
count of prevailing financial condi.
tions, the traffic bureau announced
Other Rates Not Affected.
Reduction in freight rates on hay
and alfalfa from other ard nearer
points to Omaha can not Nbe justi-
fled, the bureau announced. 1t is
the emergency of the tieup of alfal-
ia hay in Idaho that is being me:
and that only, report issued by the
bureau states.
The new $40 ton emergency rate
will be published as such shortly
and will expire on April 80, 1920
This decision on the part of the
Union Pacific railroad has been
made at the urgent requests of the
governor of Idaho, commercial
clubs and shippers in that section OF
the country. Countless kilograms
setting forth impossibilities of NOV
ing the hay and alfalfa at standing
rates, have been received by the rail-
road.
Hay Is Only Crop.
Alfalfa hay is a staple crop and in
most sections of inter-mountain
country is the only farm product.
An enormous hay surplus has been
cut and stacked in all irrigated sec
tions of Idaho, conservatively est,-
mated at more than 100000 tons.
This amount is greatly in excess OF
home feeding demands, and is too far
away to be sold on any eastern mar
ket and leave anything for the pro-
ducer after baling, hauling and pay
rnent of present freight charges, the
bureaus report states.
Conditions Exceptional.
Hay and alfalfa conditions in Ida
ho are therefore different than in
any other section of the west.
Hay commission men in Omaha
have been working on this matter
with railroad and state officials for
sometime.
1t was through the efforts Of c. E.
Childs, head of the traffic bureau Of
the Omaha Chamber of Commerce,
and c. ]. Lane, general freight agent
of the Union Pacific railroad, that
the reduction was effected.
Omaha daily bee., 1920-12-15
Daniels Opposed
ToProposal for
Naval Holiday
Secretary Says Alliance With
Other Nations to Restrict
Building Program Would
Be Bad Blunder.

h. Washington, Dec. 14-Rumored
Il intentions OF Great Britain and Japan
II TO seek tripartite agreement with
(. the United States for limitation of
N warships building programs came up
( today in congress.
In the senate resolution was Of
h fcred by Senator Borah, republican.
@ Idaho, requesting the president to
K seek an agreement with those pow
f:ers for a fve-year naval building
@sstruce with construction programs
cut during that period. 1T would"
he said, develop whether Great
\ Britain and Japan are sincere IN talk
OF curtailment of armament
Before the house naval committee,
Z Secretary Daniels presented his rec
concentrations for naval construction
f with this comment:
II profoundly believe that the
United States cannot afford to take
a FIVE years naval holiday as it has
been rlimored England and Japan
will suggest to this country.
Alliance Blunder.
E ut would be blunder, almost a
crime, for the United States to enter
into an alliance with any two or
three n..tions either to suspend or
llscurtail naval building or for any
f5other purpose. 1t would certainly
tmake for suspicion among the other
nations.
ID Senator Borah's resolution went
TO the foreign relations committee
without debate. The Idaho senator
tzsaid he would urge prompt action.
e The house naval committee pre-
pared to inquire into the relative
Strength of the navies of the three
aapowers. 1t was informed by Ad-
t-miral Coontz, chief of naval opera
lions, who accompanied Secretary
Daniels, that if all building were
ssuspcnded today the comparative
capital ship tonnage figures would
be: Great Britain, $4,000; United
States. 100000; japan, $4,000.
s. To Discuss Strength.
< The officer was instructed to be
ready tomorrow to discuss in de-
tail at an executive session, the
question Of relative strength, exist
ing aud projected.
" Secretary Daniels told the COM
s.mittee re agreed entirely with Sena-
s.for Harding's recent statement at
Norfolk, that the navy should be
commensurate with the nations in
71erests, reitcrating his opinion that
lit should be equal to any in the
15yorld"
e II wish we could have a world
agreement to settle disputes with
{ out recourse to arms" he added,
"but until that time comes and
comes surely, we ought to carry out
gour naval building program.
Omaha daily bee., 1920-12-15
Military Probe
/ OfCork Fires to
Complete Work
Mayor and Sim Fein Parlia.
ment Members Called Upon
To Explain Allegations
-
Alleged Made.

London, Dec. ADMINISTRATION
by military commission of the fires
which swept the city of Cork on Sat-
urday night and Sunday was expect
ed to be completed there today. Ma
jor General Strickland, commander
of military forces in Ireland, is the
head of the commission, and the TAX
ing of evidence began yesterday.
The mayor of Cork and two Sim
Fein members of the Parliament
have been called to explain allega-
tions they have made in a~dispateh
sent to- various foreign ambassadors
here relative to outrages which they
declare to have been perpetrated III
Cork during the last week.
Announcement Of the commissions
findings was awaited with keen inter
est, as the question of who was re-
sponsible for the fires in Cork has
assumed great Importance since the
conflagration. In the absence of
clear evidence rival elements have
been doing theft utmost to fix the
blame on the auxiliary police or the
Irish extremists, respectively.
Sir Hamar Greenwood, chief Sec
retary for Ireland, speaking in the
House of Commons last night, as
serted his belief that the auxiliary
police did not start The fires, and
pointed out they were not equipped
with incendiary bombs, which news
dispatches assert, were Used to
spread flames in Cork.
Prospects of truce in Ireland ap-
pear to have been blasted by the
most recent events in that island,
declared Sir Harnar.
Telephone service between Eng
land and Dublin, which was in
terrupted last night, was resumed
this morning. Dublin passed a
quiet night, said message TO the
Exchange Telegraph company to-
dSv
Omaha daily bee., 1920-12-15
Brothers Confess
Jewelry Robbery

Lincoln, Neb., Dec. 14.-(Special
Telegram with nearly 200 fine
rings and other articlesl of jewelry
in their possession, Stephen and
Wilber Boblet, brothers, were ar
rested here this afternoon following
information that a jewelry store at
Billings, Mont, had been robbed OF
$1,000 worth of gems. The rings
still had attached the tags showing
they had come from a Billings store.
The men had been stopping at a
hotel near the Burlington depot
since Sunday. ~.
Omaha daily bee., 1920-12-15

ing house which she conducted,
which it has been rumored was the
headquarters OF gang Of gamblers
and crooks. Revelations OF start
ling nature are. expected to- be
brought out at the, trial, and It is
rumored that a complete cleanup
Of several roonling houses and gam
bling places will follow the trial.
District Judge w. H. Westover,
who is presiding in district court,
has instructed the sheriff's othce
that overcrowdinc of the court
room at Mrs. McElhaney's trial will
not be permitted and that the doors
will be closed and guarded by Of
ficers when the 200 seats have been
filled. At tie preliminary hearing
Saturday several hundred specta-
tors were unable to get seats and
were excluded from the court room.
Attorney w. A. Prince of Grand
Island will have active charge OF
the prosecution and will be as
sisted by County Attorney Lee
Basye. .
Sensational Trial.
The trial is expected to be the
most sensational murder trial ever
held in this part of the state. 1t
is expected that the taking of tes-
timony will require two or three
days. The body of Anderson was
taken today to his sister. Miss Hette
Anderson, at Atlanta. Ga. Trace Of
the murder victims sister was OBJ
tanned through story OF the mur-
der published in The Omaha Bee.
The secretary of the Omaha chapter
of the Red Cross home service sec
tion read the story which told Of
the failure of the authorities here
70 locate Anderson's relatives and
wired County Attorney Basye that
Anderson had received aid through
the Omaha Red Gross in filing
compensation claims for disability
incurred in service and giving the
address of Anderson's sis in Atlanta.
Authorities here then communicated
with Miss Anderson and received
TO send the body to At
lanta for burial.
Omaha daily bee., 1920-12-15
ADVERTISEMENT

To Cure a Cold in One Day
Take Groves LAXATIVE BROMo QUI-
NINE tablets. The genuine bears the
signature Of u. w, Grove. SOC.
Omaha daily bee., 1920-12-15

. Lighting Fixtures-0randen Elec-
atric Co. formerly Burgess -Granden
Co.-Adv.
Omaha daily bee., 1920-12-15
Stock Food Agent Arrested.

Norfolk, Neb., Dec. 14.-(Special
Telegram. )-Charles Cartmel was
arrested here by the Stanton county
sheriff on a charge of selling stock
food without license
Omaha daily bee., 1920-12-15

Women are EMPLOYED as drivers of
both private and public-hire motor
vehicles in England
Omaha daily bee., 1920-12-15
Black and Tans Attacked
By Party Of Armed Men

Dublin, Dec. IA party of
armed men attacked a military motor
lorry carrying six black and tans at
Balls bridge, on the outskirts of this
city, this morning. The black and
tans took cover in the postoffice. Re-
inforcements were rushed up and re-
lieved them.
The casualties. If any, had not ben
reported UP to this afternoon.
Omaha daily bee., 1920-12-15
Hearing on Power i,ss~
Company Rates Opens

*. SSVAtMucu 1Eum Aako QHc.l .'~4
bert entered an objection. This will
be discussed during subsequent
sessions.
In foreword, Mayor Smith, who
presided, explained that the COM
pany applied for an increased sehed-
.s.lle OF rates last January and that
some evidence was taken by the
council at that time. By common
consent it was agreed that the mat
ter should be held in abeyance un-
It'll the lapse OF at least six. months,
TO observe whether there would be
any increase in the net earnings
of the company.
Says Increase Necessary.
I'VE are prepared to show that
.7our condition has grown steadily
worse since last January" said At
1torney Kennedy for the company.
We are asking efor a reasonable re-
turn on the. value of the property.
We will demonstrate that we were
entitled to not only an increase last
January, but that the necessity for
gan increase has been emphasized
during the interim which has
elapsed. Our books are open to the
members of the city council and 10
our consumers and we { ready to
substantiate all of our statements.
I'VE are asking for raise of rates
lon every class of our business, to
all of the patrons we serve. We are
amplifying our previous request for
,zan increased schedule of rates."
Mayor Smith announced that he
would be glad to have any con-
s.sumers take part in the hearing and
a,o cross-question the witnesses.
Mr.. Kennedy announced that he
will file with the city council today
a schedule of the rates which the
nompany wishes to establish in or
der that It may obtain fair return
I on its investment.
The council ordered copies of the
valuation report which was prepared
by Mr.. Bailey. Mr.. Brogan sug-
sgestcd that the council should en-
gage an expert in electric plants and
Z rates to examine the WITNESSES intel
;a.ligentiy.
IS IS, "We will take plenty of time to
have experts examine the showing
made by the company" replied the
mayor.
K. B. Howell suggested that the
company should be asked to submit
aropies of its monthly reports to the
Electric Bond and Shares company.
Item Explained.
During the running analysis OF
tihe valuation report, Mr.. Bailey ex-
pla;ned that the item Of $966, ,280, al
lowed for cost of securing capital,
represented what it would cost a
utility company to secure funds to
abe extent obtained by the Nebraska
Power Co. He explained how bond
houses or trust companies make a
Business of handling securities for
fssuch companies. The item OF Sl,-
42l 800. which he allowed in the val
vation for the development OF the
business, is what is generally known
as "going value" and is frequently
a matter of dispute in rate-niaking
bodies. Mr.. Bailey explained that
this intangible value was based on
the assumption that if this plant
was ready to begin operations, and
would start with approximately one.
third Of the business under contract
III would require three years to
reach the present volume OF bus
aif,ess and in the meantime there
would be expenses. for carrying the
splant to an earning basis. He re.
sicrred to these expenses as deficits
nuring the period OF development
Omaha daily bee., 1920-12-15

corn on December /, was announced
by the department as 67.7 cents 4
bushel as compared with $1,349 a
year ago.
Productions Of the various crops
are estimated in the following terms /:
Bushels, corn, winter wheat,
spring wheat, oats, barley, rye,
buckwheat, flaxseed, rice potatoes,
sweet potatoes, peanuts, beans and
peaches; tons, hay and cottonseed;
pounds, tobacco, beet sugar and
cane sugar, sorghum syrup; bales,
cotton; boxes, oranges, and barrels,
apples.
The St. Mary banner., 1920-08-14
No Drop in Haynes Prices
Is Statement from Haynes Factory
Vc Pres. and n
AutomdbH C

can see no possibility of any reduc-
ton in the price OF automobiles.
"Today. as always, material and labor
arc the controlling factors in the
cost of automobile production. OF
the materials, steel and iron form
the basic metals for the manufac-
ture of the automobile. Experts
in the steel and iron industries state
that the price of these two COM
modities cannot fall for long time
to come. The inability of our
transportation system to function
properly in moving the nations
steel and iron output is the basis of
this prediction. Labor, the other
determining factor in the cost of
automobile production, will not
accept any reduction in wages, and
it is useless TO look for a decrease
il cost in this direction.
"Tjlcse broad economic conditions,
counted with the fact that practic-
ally all automobile companies have
on hand large inventories of stock
that enter into the manufacture of
cars, make it mandatory that the
price of the fair priced automobile
remain fixed for some time to
come"
Mr.. Seiberling's message is frank,
logical and to the point. If you
have delayed purchasing your
new series Haynes car in the
hope that the prices would fall,
we would suggest that you place
your order with us Immediately
so as to insure prompt delivery
on the date you specify.