Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, September 23, 1911, Page 1

TH BEMI VOLUME 9. NUMBER 126. EFFORT TO CATCH MIKE DAVIS FAILS Squad of Bemidji Officers Unsuccess- fully Seek Desperadoes at East Grand Forks. TIP GIVEN THE LAWBREAKERS Delay in Attack an Excuse—Crowds in Danger of Bullets Permits | . Escape. CROOKSTON MILITIA INVOLVED Capitol Communicated With in Effort to Secure Men Armed With Rifles. Acting on information that Mike|: Davis, the escaped Puposky bandit, |’ and several other safe robbers and desperadoes had gathered at East Grand Forks for a celebration and distribution of spoils, a squad of of-|: ficers from Bemidji hastened to that place only to find at the last moment | that their coming had been tipped off and that the criminals had suc- cesstully taken to cover. Anticipating a pitched battle, the officers communicated by long dis- tance- telephone with the governor office at St. Paul in an effort to ar- range for Crookston militiamen arm- ed with rifles to accompany them to Ilast Grand Forks and it is under- stood that officials at the capitol promised such aid if it proved neces sary. The Attacking Party. The attacking party started from Bemidji Thursday night and was made up of Detective J. C. Fielding, assistant manager of the Pinkerton office in St. Paul, an unnamed post office inspector, Sheriff A. B. Hazen and Deputy Norman Helmer. At Grand Forks len additional officers joined the squad which proceeded across the river to Bast Grand Forks. All the men were heavily armed and it had been planned to surround and capture the yeggmen who, lavish from some recent robbery, were drinking freely in East Grand Forks saloons, one in particular. What Was Planned. The plans called for a combined | attack at 10 o'clock this morning, but at that hcur the streets of East irand Forks, where a harvest festi- val is in progress, were crowded and those in charge of the expedition did not care to assume the responsibility of endangering the lives of pedes- trians in the shower of bullets which they believed was almost certain to follow the attempt to catch the gang made up of s2veral of the most no- torious lawbreakers in the country, prominent among them being Mike Davis. Davis, it is alleged by the state, worKed in harmony with Dr. D. T\ Dumas, mayor of Cass Lake, now on trial here on a charge of attempted argon as a result of the attempt of Davis and Martin Behan to burn the post office building at Puposky on the night of June 16 last. Behan was captured at that time after a gun fight in which he was wounded, while Davis escaped. Victims Make Escape. Tt had been planned that the East Grand Forks attempt should be made later in the day but when the offi- cers finally thought the moment op- portune to close in on their victims they found that they had delayed too long and that the men they wanted had gotten wind of their presence through a tip by a friend or sympa- thizer and none could be found. Disappointed but not entirely dis- couraged, the officers continued their search and Deputy Helfer and De- tective Fielding, believing that Da- vis might have made for the home of his mother who lives near Crook- ston, chartered an automobile and made a fast run to that place but no trace of Davis could be found there. It is now believed that he went north and that by this time he is in Canada. May Have Had Large Sum. Tips were received in Bemidji yes- terday that the yeggs were gather- ing at East Grand Forks at a sort of a jollification meeting and that a large pot was being divided. It was suspected that some of these nren came from Canada and 'this leads to the theory that the money which the men were passing out was the $310,- 000 recently stolen from the branch Bank of Montreal. The plan of attack by the officers Mueller, of the attorney general’s : office, is the young man who dis- : covered Mike Davis at East : Grand Forks, and that it was he : who caused the expedition out : : of Bemidji to attempt -the cap- ¢ ture of the lawbreakers. Mr. : : Mueller who returned last night : : with Sheriff lazen, Detective Fielding, Deputy Sheriff Norman : Helmer and a postoffice inspee- : ¢ tor, authorized the following: “I was in East Grand Forks : : last Saturday and at that time I : saw and positively : Mike Davis. He shows signs of dissipation and his old friends : : would hardly know him’but to : : me there was no question as to : : his identity. 3 B “l came to Bemidji and in- : : formed the oficers. Mr. Field- : : ing, Deputy Helmer and myself : : went to East Grand Forks. We : : conferred with Chief Sullivan : there and he and his assistants : ¢ gave us every possible aid. - : “We located Davis at the sa- : ¢ loon known as ‘Little Harry's’ : ¢ place. Our squad was to consist : ¢ of ten men. We had planued : first on making the attack-about : : was revised and we decided to : : put it off until about daylight : : yesterday morning. In the mean- : time the bartender, who had no : idea as to whc I was, told me : : that T had better ‘beat it,’ that : : the place was to be raided. 3 “Whoever told the bartender : : got the news to Davis and his : pals for they suddenly disap- : : peared. Our information was : that these men had gathered in 2 room on the second floor of the salcon and at one time there were not less than 20 of them. : :and included such desperate : characters as Mike Davis, ‘Mis- : : souri Bob," .one of the most ex- : pert of safe crackers; ‘Friseo : 0, ‘lliker,” ‘Slim, the Swede,’ : Y. (mecaning New York) Red,’ and ‘Smoke’ These men have no other names than those given. It is not thaught that : : Davis went far. He may yet be * captured. - : was made with great secrecy and every effort was made to prevent a tip from being gotten to the camp of the euemy. So certain were the offi- cers that they would make a capture of the greatest collection of yeggmen' in the northwest that they deemed it wise to communicate with the gov- ernor regarding the possible use of the militia. Wild Rumors Afioat. In some manner it leaked out at the capitol that some sort of a move ‘was on foot to secure the use of mili- tia and this caused the report in St. Paul that Mike Davis had been cap- tured and that troops were needzd to guard him in Bemidji all of which was disproven by subsequent events. The Bemidji officers together with Detective Fielding and the post office inspector returned to Bemidji last night. MANY HONOR MRS. RUSSELL Sorrowing Friends Fill Church to Pay Last Respects. The funeral or Mrs. P. J. Russell, who died Thursday evening, Sept. 21, was held this morning from the St. Phillip’s Catholic church in this city, Rev. J. O'Dwyer officiating. The members of the Knights of Col- umbus and the Eeltrami county Bar attended the funeral in a body, and the church wzs completely filled with sorrowing friends and relatives, many of whom had come long distances to pay their last tribute. There was a profusion of flowers, several elabor- ate designs being used. Following a requiem hig mass and funeral sermon the body was taken to Greenwood cemetery, where inter- ment was made. Mrs. Russell is survived by her husband and three children, William H. and Byron and a two and a half months old baby. Among those from out of town who attended the funeral were W. H. Garden- and Wife of Drayton, N. D, Wm. Morrison and wife of Morris, Manitoba, Mrs. 1. Winberg of War- ren, Mrs. C. O. Olson, Mrs. W. E. Cook and Miss Lulu Olson all of Thief River Falls, John C. Russell of Minneapolis, Thomas J. Russell of Fairfax, Minn.,, and P. J. Keating and Al Marshall of Cass Lake. Alban Jasper Conant, the well known - artist, will celebrate his ninetieth birthday anniversary in New York City tomorrow. Mr. Con- ant, who is best known for his por- trait of Abraham Lincoln, was born in Chelsea, Vt., Sept. 24, 1821. = Des: artist may be seen almost any day in his studio, in. West Tenth street. A It developes that Alfred W. : identified : | :| After befng iu session for nearly 3 p. m., Thursday. This decision : | pite his ninety years the vemerable|years. In the famous world cruise of BEMIDJI, MINNESOTA, SATURDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 23, 1‘9‘1>l. PERSONS INDICTED GRAND JURY QUITS Will Reconvene on October 8 to Take Up Any Work Which May Come . Up.at Th_at Time, 4 PRISONERS ARE DISMISSED Albert Hill, Finlander, Held Since Last April on Larceny Charge, | _ Given Liberty. JOHN CARLTON FACES TRIAL Arrested as Result of Testimony of Small Girl; Polrang Also in Sim- ilar Predicament. two weeks, the Beltrami county grand jury cleared its decks late yes- terday and at the request of its fore- man, A. L. Morris, of Tenstrike, Judge Mc€lenahan granted the jur- ors a recess until Tuesday, October 3, when it will reconvene to take up such work as may come before it at that time. . The members of the grand jury were paid up to date and left last night for their respective homes |throughout. the county. A list of their work follows: What the Grand Jury Did. One person indicted who has not been arraigmed and whose name is being withheld until he appears in teourt. John Carlton, arrested several weeks ago as the result of charges made by a 9 year old girl, who had jbeen out on Lake Bemidji with the defendant, who since his arrest has been locked up at the county jail. In Trouble Over Well. Oliver 'J. Weekley of Bemidji, in- dicted on a charge of perjury as a result of his testimony as to the depth of a well in the John Wiliams civil case. i Ella Potts indicted on a charge of having operated a disorderly house in the northern part of the county. Held Since Apiil; No Indictment. Albert Hill a Finlander unable to speak English, charged with grand larceny, who-was locked up in April and has been in the county jail since that time, was dismissed, no indict: ment being returned against him. No witnesses, although subpoenaed, ap- peared and Hill, charged with having stolen $7, was qGischarged. J. 'W. Weaver, the lumber watch- man, who got into trouble with Pet- er Nelson at Kelliher one Sunday not long ago after Nelson had accused him of insulting his wife, was in- dicted and arraigned on a charge of assault in the sccond degree. M. J. Brown was appointed by Judge Mc- Clenahan to act as attorney for Weav- er. i Jordar and. Cook Held. Aleck Jordan 'was indicted on a charge of robbery in the first degree and the court appointed Thayer Bai- ley to represent him. Fred Cook, coming from the Rapid River country, was -indicted on charges of a 12 year girl. - Judge Mc- Clenahan appointed Henry Funkley to look after the legal rights of Cook and the trial will come up later at the present term Two Are_Released. No indictment was returned by the ‘'grand jury against. Jahlmer Lille- moen, charged with assault. nor Lagainst George Newton of Funkley, arrested on the charge of maintain- ' ing a public nyisance at Funkley. Joseph Polrang, who was arrested last week on charges involving a 15 year old girl, was indicted and At- torney M. J. Brown. was appointed to look after his interests after Poirang had . told the court that he had no means with which to procure legal advice. He has entered a plea of not guilty. In the case of Mike Boyle, who was ' placed under arrest on the charge of selling liquor to Indians, no | indictment was returned and Doyle was given his liberty. ¥ By ‘operstion of the age limit law Rear A@miral Giles B. Harber wijll be placed on the retired list of the navy tomorrow. He commanded the | Jeauneite search expedition 10 the Arctic Jm the early ’80s, and was on' the batstleship Texas in the war with ‘Sbnin, ‘e was naval attache at St.’ Petersburg and Paris for several the Atlantic fleet he commanded 'the ‘| check up the affairs of the company K DISBANDS Bemidji Militia Disorganized, Equip- ment Being Shipped Back to St. Paul. THIEF RIVER ALSO LOSESTROOPS | Bemidji no longer has a militia company. Captain Chas. Ehlers from the ad- jutant general'sioffice at the capitol at St. Paul, spefit the past two days in Bemidji pacing up Company K’s eqiipment and ‘8hipping it back to the capitol. No explanation is given as to why Bemidji no longer is to have soldjers. Since Adam Otto, captain of the company, resigned as assistant post- master and took up his work as post- office inspector, which work carried him out of-Bemidji, the company lias not had a meeting. The term of the enlistment for most of the guardsmen expired this sumer and a l_a_xrge number signified their intention: of not reenlisting, It has been known for some time that company affairs were not in the most desirable condition but it had been hoped that it would be possible to reorganize: the company. When it finally became apparent that this could not be done, the ad- jutant general ordered Captain Ehlers to proceed to Bemidji and to and to take over the equipment and to ship it to St. Paul. This Captain Ehlers has just done, | although his work is not completed. It is said that some of the blankets are still to be accounted for and that some of the riflles are still missing. Announcement is also made that the Thief River Falls company is to be dishanded despite the fact that Thief River has.a $60,000 armory. fiicee: 7. 7. Opsahl of the Selkee Land Com- pany Announces Intention of De- veloping New Purchase at Nebi SOLD BY CROOKS’fON LUMBERCO. Announcement is made that 6,000 acres of fertile soil, embracing the townsite of Nebish, 25 miles north of Bemidji on the Red Lake railroad, has been sold by the Crookston Lum- ber company of this city to J. J. Opsahl of the Selkce Land company. Mr. Opsahl announces that it is his intention to develop this tract at once and to make special induce- ments to bring settlers in and take up this land and cultivate it. It is understood that his company will make special terms and an effort to divide the tract into farms to be oc- cupied by homesteaders. Experts Praise Soil. Experts declare that this tract is especially adaptable to the raising of clover, potatoes, onions and celery. It is a clay soil, every acre is said to be tillable. There formerly was a heavy stand of white pine which has been cut for the lumber company. It is believed that by a year from now many settlers will have come in and that Nebish, which at the pres- ent time is merely a small village with a general store and a shingle mill, and depot, a saloon, a small hotel, ten residences together with a school house, a Wholesale feeder yard, will have grown into a thriv- ing town of more than double its present size. Seeking Settlers, 1t g understood that the Crookston Lumber eompany, which recently put on the ntfarket thousands of acrés of cleared lands, has had different offers for this partfcular tract but that the lumber company Drefered to sell to someone whose idea was to develop it and make it & ghriving farm com- munity. Z -~ “What it is Like. Two thousand acres of this land in the northwest part around Nebish, Bash, Smyth and Round Lakes is covered with some hardwood timber, The morthwest part of the tract, 3000 acres, is gently rolling and is said to be easily cleared for raising potatoes, and for other truck farm culture.. The remaining 1000 acres in the northwest corner 1ie along the railroad and the Puposky river and it is partly rolling.and well adapted.| for stock farm and. potato tracks. NEW DEL : Potatoes Weigh 2 3-4 Pounds. Here are two potato records : : reported in one day. % One field averaging 590 bush- : : els to the acre. E 8 Another field which has pro- : duced potatoes weighing 2 3-4 : : pounds. 4 The yield of 590 bushels is re- : ported that Nils Muss, cashier of : the bank at Littlefork. His po- : tatoes all are of good variety and : : of thoge so far dug the average is : : slightly more than the above : amount. 5 Cash Thompson of Tenstrike is : : the man who has the 2 3-4 : : pound potatoes. He raised them : : on his farm near Blackduck. Mr. : : Thompson is proprietor of the : : Palace Hotel at Blackduck and : : owns a farm near that place. : R R RN RN @ @ SIDE NEWS CONDENSED, @ @ @ POOOOe & @ @ @ @ @ The Weather. Sunday. Fair and warmer President Taft and party, are to spend the greater part of Sunday at Baldwin, Kas. The primary pur- pose of the President’s visit is to speak at the inauguration of the new president of Baker University. In honor of the completion of the new $200,000 bridge of the Oregon- ‘Washington Railroad and Navigation company across the Chehalis River an all-day celebration was held today at Aberdeen, Wash. Commercial del- egations on special trains from Fort- land, Seattle and Tacoma attended the celebration. Forced into the air by the jeers of thousands, who called him a coward, Frank H. Miller, aged 23, a Toledo, Ohio, aviator, shot into the sky at twilight last evening and at a height of 200 feet was burned to death be- fore the eyes of terrified spectators on the Miami - conuty. fair. grounds at Troy, north of Dayton: Tired of the reign of lawlessness that has existed almost continuous- ly for many years and has. made “Bloody Breathitt,” a by - word, the citizens of Elktawa, one of the towns of Breathitt County, Ken- tucky joined in a mass meeting to- day to discuss plans to restore law and order throughout that section. The meeting was preliminary to a county-like conference of the same nature which is to be held at jack- son, Ky., the county seat, early in October.. To refute the arguments of the antis that the suffragists do not give to the commonwealth the due num- ber of babies, and do not care as much as they should for the food and housing of the grown members of society, the Woman Suffrage Party of New York has installed a baby show and a pure food booth at the Domestic Science and Pure Food Exhibition, which opened in Madison Square Garden this afternoon and will continue until Oct. 4. The pro- ceeds derived from the suffrage ex- hibit will go toward a $100,000 fund that is being raised for political work. Upon the arrival in St. Louis this morning President Taft found pre- pared for him a program calculated to keep him on the move almost every minute from the time he fin- ished his breakfast at the Mercan- tile Club until the conclusion of his address at the Coliseum tonight and the resumption of his westward jour- ney. On the arrival of the special train at the Union Station, where thousands of cheering people had gathered, a special reception com- mittee of leading citizens made a passageway to the street where auto- mobiles were in waiting to convey the visitors to the Mercantile Club. A trip over the boulevards was taken after breakfast. The chief features of the program for the remainder of the day and evening included lunch- eon at the City Club, attendance at the National League baseball game, dinner at the Jefferson Hotel, and the night address at the Coliseum. PARTRIDGE BREAKS WINDOW Bird Crashes Through Glass in Resi- dence of - Coroner Ibertson. Here is a new problem for the game wardens. If a bird, immune from being shoz, flies into a man’s house ,has he a right to make it a captive? That 1s just what happened in Bemidjl. A partridge, which, ap- parently had been shot by Mike Davis, or some other law breaker, for the season is not yet open, flew against a window at the residence of M. E. Ibertson, Minnesota. avenue The tract contains. mineral. springs battleship Maine. = and Eleventh street, and broke a pane. : | Twenty Men Presented by Coroner as Result of Order for Special Venire Nof Satisfactory and All Are i . Dismissed by the Court. - NEXT LIST RETURNABLE WEDNESDAY MORN ‘| Judge McClenahan Instructs That it is Desirable fo Secure Persons as Far Away from Scene of Alleged Facts as Possible. The trial of Dr. Delbert F. Dumas, on trial for attempted arsom, has again been interrupted, the case go- ing over this afternoon until next Wednesday morning. This action following the dismissal in a body this morning of the 20 men secured by Coroner Ibertson on a special venire ordered by Judge Mc Clenahan last Thursday. No member of the special venire was examined for jury duty, counsel on both sides expressing willingness to have it dismissed. This list was made up of persons residing in Frohn and Bemidji and the impression was that all would be too familiar with the alleged details of the Dumas case to make good jury- men, No One’s Integrity Attacked. There was no intimation that the special list had not been carefully drawn or that good men had not been selected, the apparent objection rest- ing, so far as indicated in court, in the one assertion that persons in Be- midji and vicinity have heard too much about, the case to render a fair verdiet, ‘When couft ‘convened at 9 a. m., Judge McClenahan announced an ad- journment to permit all members of the bar to attend the funeral of Mrs. P. J. Russell, and when it reconvened at 10:30 the objection to the special venire was at once raised. Judge McClenahan announced that all the men sumoned for jury duty should draw their pay and return home. The expense to the county in as- sembling these 20 men approximates $100., Rach man [is, allowed one day’s fee, of $3 and in addition his mileage. Veniremen Quickly Dismissed. The court did not offer any explan- ation in dismissing the veriremen but simply told them to go to the clerk and get their certificates for mileage and receive their pay for one day. No veniremen was sworn or asked a question but the entire twenty was discharged. Asked in chambers why the venire- men were dismissed, Judge McClena- han simply said: “They are unsatis- factory, all around.” The special venire was made up as follows: = Harry Robinson, carpenter, Be- midji. James A. Martin, farmer, Be- midji. Tom Mohler, log foreman, Bemidji. Charles E. Riley, laborer, Be- midji. Robert Olson, farmer, Bemidji. J. E. Titus, carpenter, Bemid. J. W. Peck, cruiser, Bemidji. George Smith, janitor, Bemidji. Peter Narum, K. G. Sandlund, I. O. Ungstad, Shris Boe, Stanley Smith, George Chambers, Nelson Willett, John Colburn, August Burr, W.'S. Ridgway, L. T. Bjella, all farmers from town of Frohn. The- venire was called and all answered their names except Nels Nelson and John Colburn. . 5 Following the dismissal of the special venire, court was adjourned until 1:30 and at that hour a still further adjournment was taken un- til 3 p. m. Judge Explains, At that time Judge McClenahan announced his intentionof issuing an order for another special venire of 20 men. Addressing - Coroner Ibertson, the court said: N “Mr. Coroner, I am going to order another venire, and I suggest that it be made returnable Tuesday morning, but 1 will give you more time if you think it necessary to get ths men who will make the kind of a jury we ought to have. This is a large coun- ty and and it seems to me desirable that you choose men as far sway from the scene of the alleged trans- actions as possible. Aim to chose your men in those sections where this information has not been so freely circulated. . S ' “Now you know better than anyone i else how long it will take to reach the points involved in my sugges- tions. What we want is the very best men you can get; men of in- telligence and with as little inform- ation on this matter as possible.” “Perhaps,” said Coroner Ibertson, adressing the court, “counsel would be better pleased if someone else were to be chosen to serve a vnire and if se I certainly should be will- ing to apoint someone if counsel could agree on someone if such a pro- cedure would be within my pro- vince."” “No such suggestion *has been made to me by counsel from either side,” replied Judge McClenahan. 7 The judge explained that there would “be no inpropriety in using Sunday in getfing to remote parts of the county. ' Assistant Attorney Gereral Janes, speaking for.both sides suggested that the coroner might wish until Wednes- day morning. “There is nothing lo be gained by - returning a venire on the ground of economy,” said the judge. ‘There are other things of more importance.” It was therefore agreed that a speeinl ~vouives should be made re- turnable at 9-0’clock next Wednesday morning. In addressing the seven men who had been accepted to serve on the jury, Judge McClenahan said: “I am sory to keep you in confin- ment but your lot is such as may fall on any citizen at any time and I hope you will cheerfully submit to the inconveniences to which you are necessarily subjected. If there is anything I can do for your comfort 1 shall be glad to know it. Jurymen who live in Bemidji may go to their homes when accompanied by an offi- cer to obtain a change of clothing.” “Although I live in Blackduck I need a change of clothing too,” said juror B. J. Jenkins. The court admitted the wisdom of this deduction and extended Mr. Jenkins the privilege of sending to Blackduck for a change of raiment. Attorney Freeman P. Lane sug- gested that a barbep might come in handy to the jurors and the court said such precaution had been taken. Judge McClenahan indicated that he would proceed to Brainerd, his home town, tonight. HAIL IN SOUTH BREAKS BOARD Grant Sends Souvenir from Pipestone —Westbrook Also Hard Hit, “A veritible shower of icebergs,” is the description received in Bemid- ji of a hailstorm which struck the southern part of the state last Sun- day. The Daily Pioneer has received from J. H. Grant of this city, who is at Pipestone in the southwestern part of the state boosting northern Minnesota land, a souvenir of the storm which is a piece of pine wood from a park bench which was broken by the ice from the sky. This piece of wood is half an inch in thickness, Another letter received from West- brook, Minnesota, in Cottonwood County says: “Sunday about 4 p. m., one of the most terrific hail storms, in fact by far the most terrific one I ever saw, poured itself on Westbrook. In 2 fact it wasn’t hail at all, it was simp- 1 ly gigantic, jagged icebergs hurled with a catapult force that smashed every north and west window in the house except one. It even smashed a large window and art glass above. All of the upper windows were brok- en and one plate glass window in the store. These windows wére not cracked but smashed into millions of i pieces. There was not a whole front left on the west side of the street. There were no lives lost but the prin- cipal damage was to glass. “Of course, when thie widows were smashed in the rain came in in tor- rents and many persons rushed to the windows with rugs, pillows quilts and anything else they could get hold of to keep the storm out but despite this many houses were flooded.””. -