Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, January 31, 1908, Page 1

THE BEMIDJI DATL V()LfiME 5. NUMBER 242. WARREN WILL PLAY HERE TONIGHT AND TOMORROW Claimants of Northern Minnesota Basketball Ghampioq- ship Will Line Up Against “Big Bemidg.”’---Fosston Teams Wil 1 Also Play. OFFICIAL LINE -UP OF TEAMS: WARREN--- Thomas | Whalen ----Forwards. Wattam Thomas---Center. Sathre (Capt.) | _ Breen ; -+-Guards. “‘BIG BEMIDG"--- Markham Heffron ----Forwards Gel Brown (Capt.)---Center. Peterson ) Biddinger § ~Bilarts. OFFICIALS---In order that there may be no possibility of disputes and a reoccurrence of the mix-up in the recent Duluth game, the manage- ment of the *‘Big Bemidg” team has secured Mr. Sandiie, of Grand Forks, N. D., a member of the law school at the University of North Dakota, to referee both games. The Warren Dbasketball Leam,\ claimants of the northern Minnesota | championship of last year, will play two games in this city, one this| evening and one on Sa\urday: evening team of this city. The members of the Warren team arrived in the city last night, and have been resting at a local hotel against the “Big Bemidg”| | today. They are known as the Warren Indians, and registered as follows: “Quick Eye Bussa, Quick Pass Wabhlen, Swift Foot Thomas, Speed- away Sathre, Afraid-of-a-Basket Boardman, Can’t-Throw Nine.” They are a likely-looking lot of players and will undoubtedly give the local team a hard contest. RUSSELL F P. J. Russell, Pioneer Attorn OR MAYOR. ey, Announces His Cazxdidacy for Mayor of Bemidji. I desire the people of Bemidji to] know that T am a candidate for Mayor at the election Fe! raary 18th, next. I have decided to become a can-| Semidji is at the parting of the| ways. It cannot stand still. It must advance in wealth and popula- tion, or recede to the level of a | country village. I am, and every good citizen should be, didate, after due deliberation, and at | make some sacrifices for our mutual the request of numerous progressive pusiness men. I fully realize that ifj I am elected it means the loss of much valuable time without direct recompense. igood. | Am for Bemidij, Big, Bigger, Big- gest. and a Square Deal. i Respectfully. i P. J. Russell. J. BISIAR, Candidate for Alderman, Third Ward. I hereby announce myself as a candidate for alderman from the Third ward in this city, at the forth- coming city election, to be held on Tuesday, February 18th. If elected to the office of alder: man, I will do all in my power to further the best interests of the city. I believe in a conservative en- forcement of all ordinances and other laws within the jurisdiction of “the city, aud would lend my aid to ‘such enforcement. I also believe that all measures calculated to ad- vance the welfare of the city’ as a whole should be adopted, that the }community may take its place as the ‘Ieading city of Northern Minnesota. I solicit the support of the voters i of the third ward, and promise, if lelected, to serve their interests, to f:the best of my ability. | —J. BISIAR. Announcement to Candidates. The Pioneer will print the an- nouncements of candidates for the forthcoming city election at the uni- s form rate of 5 cents per line, each insertion, with favors to none, and Ppayable strictly in advance. Such announcements must be entirely free from personalities of |any nature, as we reserve for our- selves the policy of this paper. C. J. Pryor, Business Manager, A. G. Rutledge, . Managing Editor. willing to 1 In addition to the regular game between Warren and “Big Bemidg,” the boys’ team of the Fosston high school will play against the boys’ team of the Bemidji high school The Fosston "players arrived in the city. on the noon train today, and are in fine fettel. IThey are accompanied by Prof. C. S. Yeager, superintendent of the Fosston schools, and will play in the follow- ing positions this evening: Ingwald Jesness, Ruud, forwards; Walter Cumber, center; Oscar Jes- ness, Dwight Lohn, guards. The Fosston boys are fast and |aggressive players, and have not ‘lost a high school game this season, {among their winnings being a game from Bemidji high, recently. The Bemidji high boys are deter- {mined to even up for their recent | defeat by Fosston, and are putting the following strong team in the | field: Gould and Lycan, forwards; Peter- !son, center; Hondrom and Kruse, guards; Dwyer, sub. ! The high school game will begin promptly at 8:30, and the first half of the big game will be called at 9. Tomorrow evening the “Big Be- midg” and Warren teams wil! play their second game in the champion- ship series, and the girls’ team of the Fosston high school will play the Bemidji girls, between the halves of the big game. . The Fosston girls’ team is per- i haps the fastest and most scientific bunch of girl players in the north country,! They recently defeated Bemidji, 1i to 4. The Berhidji girls, however, have improved won- derfully since then, and it is ex- pected that they will give the visit- ors a very close contest. \FRESH REPORTER WRITES UNTRUTHFUL NEWS ITEM A Minneapolis Tribune Representative Tells There Was Fear WMathieson Would Suicide. Sheriff Thomas Bailey is incensed, {and rightfully so, over an article which appeared in the Minneapolis Tribune of xconcerning Peter Mathieson, who was recently taken to Stillwater, to | begin serving his term of life impris- Johanson. | Some unreliable reporter of the | é’[‘ribune wrote for that paper, a sen- | | sational story concerning Mathieson | g rand his removal to the penitentiary. | In the article, the Tribune says: “Sheriff Bailey notified the jailer the watch on Mathieson during i | | | \ | | eral occasions tried to commit suci cide in a fit of desperation. Accord- |ingly frequent visits were made to | his cell last night to see that he did ! not harm him.elf, aud he was Sheriff Bailey stated that ;abso]u(e pardon in a few years, and freedom outside the prison walls. Suicide has never entered Mathie- ison’s head, and he never made the slightest move to indicate self- destruction. Again, the reporter quotes Math- ieson as saying: “If they had hanged me, an inno- cent man would have been sacrificed for the crime of another. The com- mutation of my sentence is a step toward my final release, for when a more thorough investigation is made 1 have no misgivings the real mur- derer will be apprehended and I will be set at liberty.” The above shows the active imagi- nation of the reporter, who was junder the impression that Mathieson | had nothing whatever to do with the killing of Johanson, and that another man did the shooting and - that Mathieson is a martyr. Such as is printed by the Tribune 73$-not only absolutely un- truthfal \\(Pis in-a measure viciously Al . Wednesday morning | | onment for having killed Johan:§ at the city lock-up to keep a close || night as it was feared that he might |§ make an attempt on his life. The 8§ I sheriff said Mathieson had on sev- | de- | 8 ]prived of all articles of clothing by |# | which he might have hung himself.” | & the | § ‘repurter had no occasion to make |4 | any such statement as that above, as | & Mathieson has never contemplated | suicide; on the contrary, the Daue is 2 fuily convinced that he will receive | \ that he will yet have many days of d BEMIDJI, MINNESOTA, FRIDAY EVENING, JANUARY 81, 1908. fiiatoricaljocigty, il Y PIONEE MINNESOTA HISTORICAL |' SQCIETY. FORTY CENTS PER MONTH STARTS FOR STILLWATER T0 ASSUME PRISON GARB Is Cheerful and {Resigned to Sentence of Life Impiisonment.—Munn Makeg Statement. Merton S. Munn, whose sentence of death for the killing of August Franklin at Baudé:tte last June was recently commuted to life imprison- ment, was taken from his cell in the Beltrami county jail this morn- ing, and accompinied by Sheriff Bailey and Deputy Andrew Johnson, started for Stillwaier to begin the life of a convic@anc@ to lose his iden- tity among thé many others who have gone behind those grim walls to do pennance for crime. Munn was cheerful, laughed and joked with.those about him, espec- ially with Rev. S. E. P. White, the local Presbyterian pastor, who has been a tower of strength to Munn during the trying ' ordeal through which he passed' while in sus- pense awaiting ;the final action of the state pardoning board. Life in the cell at the Bel- trami county ja.il has had no bad effect on Munn’s health; in fact, he is physically as well as when he entered the jailiprevious to his trial last June. 3 Munn wore a dark suit of clothes and a “dark brown hat, being smooth-shaven.: His appearance was that of 2 man who was con- signed to his fate and was going | to meet it like-a man. Prior - to. the departure of the train from this city, Munn gave Rev. White a éealed envelope, ad- dressed to “The Bemidji Pioneer,” with the request that the contents be published in 'this paper. ! The letter is herewith produced, exactly as written by the man who |will:soon be:losé- to. the world - tor the balance of his earthly career. | “I wish to thank the people ofE Bemidji for what they have done for! me,especially Rev. S.E.P.White,Rev. Samuel Blair, and Ensign Askin and wife of the Salvation Army, the true servants of God of this place. Attor- ney G. M. Torrance I especially wish to recommend to anyone who is in need of legal advice, and all others who have interested themselves in my behalf, of Bemidji. Also Mr. Dahl and Johnson, who did nothing but their duty in a most gentlemanly manner; and Mrs. Julia Dahl for her kindness. I especially wish to thank the Honorable Judge McClen- ahan of Brainerd for his justice and mercy. Attorney E. D. Clough of Crookston has my thanks and best wishes for all he hasdone for me. Rev. A. H. Bondahl of Black- duck and his young friend, Mr. Pea.rson\, who is studying for the ministry, thanks to them. The people of Thorp, Wis.,have my heart- | feft thanks for what they have done for me and are still willing to do, jespecially Mr. J. M. Norton and Attorney Geo. B. Parkell. “Trusting that at some future day the truth may be known. “May God reward them all for what they have done “ Truly yours, “Merton S. Munn.” Finished Installing Plant. J. J. Doran returned this. morning from Kelliher, where he has spent the past two weeks, installing a steam-heating plant in the new Kelli- her village hall. The contract price of the plant is $700, and Doran Bros. completed the plant yesterday, when it was tested’ and pronounced entirely satisfactory to the village officials. Bishop Morrison Here Feb. 9. Archdeacon Parshall, in charge of the Episcopalian congregations in this district, wishes the Pioneer to| announce that Bishop Morrison of Duluth will be in Bemidji February 9th, at 10:30 a. m., and will preside at services to be held at that hour. Bishop Morrison will deliver a ser- mon and officiate at the communion. Candidate for City Assessor. I hereby announce myself as can- didate for city assessor. J. E. Cahill. Local news on last page |fined for 1‘pelled to do so by the language ON PAPERS Gag Law,” the Pioneer Press re- cently published the subjoined| article concerning the carrying out i of the death penalty: | “There is at least onme comfort about the commutation of the sen- tence of Munn, the Beltrami county murderer. No newspaper will be informing the public whether he was executed “accord- ing to law,” or not. Had he been hung and had ' the sheriff in charge seen fit, as did a former sheriff of Ramsey county, to violate the law by making a private orgy of the occadion, and had any news- paper told the facts it would have been liable to a fine. For that is what happened to the: Pio- neer Press when it gave the de- tails of the hanging of Williams, in this county, some two vears ago. Nor are the courts to be criti- cised for levying that fine. Tech- nically, at least, they were com- of the statue. For the statue— known as the ‘John Day law’—re- quires that any newspaper account of a hanging shall be confined to the simple assertion that such]| a convict atsuch a place and at |such a time was ‘executed accord- ing to law.’ “If he was not executed accord- ing to law, if the law was scanda- Under the caption “An Unwise| "muslj iolated, if the sheriff invited lin a score or more of his morbidly {inclined - frier if he-admitted 2 newspaper reporter ot iwo, if the company braced themselves copious potions from pocket flasks, if when the execution was over they fell upon the . swinging corspe THE RESTRICTION PLACED IS “GAG LAW” St. Paul Pioneer Press Comments Caustically on Some Provisions of Law Restricting Published Accounts of Executions in Minnesota. souvenirs of the happy occasion, if some one more decent protested, and if the sheriff instead of inter- fering, smiled complacedly and said: “Oh, let the boys have their fun”—none of these things could lawfully be made public. And if ithey were made public the sheriff could go before the grand jury and have the newspaper indicted and fined. “Against the purpose of the John Day Smith law, the Pioneer Press bas nothing to say. It is heartily in accord with that purpose, and even with the prupose of the clauses prohibiting statement regarding hangings. less catering there is to the taste that gloats over the sickening de- tails of a better. not only go beyond their intention, but as has been practically demon- strated, permit the rest of the law— or at least that portion of it intended to prevent sheriffs from converting but the barest The any public execution the But the clauses as worded hangings into a sort of private vaudeville performance—to be vio- lated with impunity. “It is an admirable law for any sheriff inclined to make a picnic of a hanging. For it arms him with a weapon with which to punish every newspaper that exhibits his violation of the law. But from the standpoint of the public interest and of com- mon justice that portion of the law which gags the press is menstrous. So far from reaviring that the nows papers of the state shall, in aw has been viclated, state untrue, that the execution took place “according to law” or say nothing at tall, the law should make it the posi- like a2 pack of hyenas to secure Continued on Last Page B DRESS GINGHAMS 500 yards of 10 cent Ginghams, good pat- tern 712 c Limit 10 yards to a customer. LONSDALE MUSLIN Limit 10 yards to a custorer. Friday and Saturday BAR GAINS O’Leary @ Bowser Bemidji, Minn. FRUIT AND 5 pieces of 10 pieces . [0 SHAKER FLANNEL 3 Lim't 10 yards to a customer. PRINTS €c quality | 42, print 60 a customer. 25 pieces of 8 cent Limit 10 yards w BUY NOW QOur - Clothing Sale closes Saturday night. Until that time any Man’s, Boy’s or Child’s Suit in the store at 25% DISGOUNT LADIES’ AND CHILDREN'SGOATS 23 of our regular price is all’ we are asking for Coats. All are great bargains. our REMNANTS About 100 Remrants of Dre:s Goods will be offered at HALF PRIGE Limit 2 to a cus- tomer. 12z OUTING FLANNEL 15 pieces of 10c and Limit 10 yards to a custowmer. DRESS Outing Flannel 90 20 pieces 50c, 60c and 65¢ dress goods 42° " Limit one dress pat- tern to a customer. 6000S EMBROIDERIES duced prices. LAGE 1 It of fine Val. Lace 5¢ A YARD 12 yards for 50 eents hams, P LADIES' HANDKER- 15 cent qualities for or 2 for 15 cents BOYS' CHIEFS ; Caps 86 1 lot Boys’ 50 cent 10° EACH 75 short pieces of Embroideries, slightly soiled, at greatly re- MEN'S HEAVY - RUBBERS Men’s $3.00, 4-buckle Arctics, a CAPS TOILET ARTIGLES &flit; e ] 0 - en’s $2. e for Teloem PO 16 | 1w e ;OO0 9 - Men’s $1.76 Lumber- ég: ol Pow. |HC | men’s Rubbers, : Ask to see the new goods. We have received quite an assortment of Spring Dress Goods---both Cotton and Wool Fabries, Shirt Waists, Ging- ercales, Shoes, Laces and Embroideries. ‘ 25¢ Frostella. . ..19¢ 10¢ Toilet Soap. . . 8¢ 11lot 6o Scap.. ..8¢ a pair,...... 31139 Men’s $275 Lumber- men’s Arctics, szuu s ] a pair....... 5