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VOLUME 12, NO. 116. o FLAMES WERE FIRST KNOWLEDGE OF FIRE Frank Warner, Upon Being Released From County Bastile Tells of His Connection With Burning of Mill HAD BEEN DRINKING HEAVILY Signed Confession and Told of Visit to Structure While Under In- fluence of Liquor, He Says. Frank Warner did not light the fire which caused the total destrue- tion of the $100,000 Bemidji lumber mill late last winter, according to his own story told to a representative of Pioneer on his release from the county jail last evening, following the returning of a no bill against him by the grand jury yesterday afternoon. Warner, his hair white, but seem- ingly in perfect health following his long wait in the county jail for the grand jury investigation, told the story of his arrest, confession and ar- raignment without a falter. Warner’s Statment “My first knowledge that the Be- midji mill was on fire,” said the man whose written confession was filed the day following the big fire,” was gained when I noticed a bright sky in the direction of the mill. I was then at the Nicolett hotel, where I had been since 1:30 that morning. T walked to where I could see the flames and noticed that the entire roof was on fire. With another man who had some whiskey I sat in the hotel lobby and drank the liquor. T was not near the mill on the night or morning of the fire and it is my belief, and even though I have sev- eral black marks against my charac- ter I can still tell the truth, that the fire was caused by a locomotive, or there is of course the possibility that some one lit it. Concerning the Confession “My story of, the fire as written in my signed confession is not true,” he continued, “and was given while 1 was under the influence of liquor and with the belief that I was doing Sherm Bailey, before whom the con- fession ‘was written, and who had done me many good turns, a favor. Bailey had been. investigating thel fire. I am not able to say anything more concerning the fire, other than that T hope the real truth will soon be known. I have been given good treatment in jail.” Did Not Accept Plea ‘Warner’s plea of guilty was not accepted when he was arraigned on the evening following his confession, the reason being because of lack of motive and conflicts in the story, which showed that he could not have been at places where he claimed and at the time stated. Many Witnesses Examined During the Grand jury’s investiga- tion of the case, many witnesses were examined, and as stated in the re- port, the evidence was such that the members of that judicial body be- lieved Warner not guilty. Warner is still in Bemidji and has made on plans for the future. WOULD I:;)—(— PRCHIBITIONISTS One Man’s Scheme for Increasing Falling Revenues. Washing#on, Sept. 10.—A new solu- tion of raising revenues which have fallen off since the I .unpeau war has been formally advadced to the house ways and means committee, where all revenue bills originate. John Boyle, veteran Washington correspondent, is the author. A “head tax” for prohibitionists is Boyle’s scheme. He has outlined it in a memorial to Chairman Under- wood of the committee. “Tax the prohibitionists of the country $5 a head and you will have over $150,000,000 in revenue, sufficient to meet the falling ofi of the cus- toms receipts incident to the war,"f said Boyle in his memorial. . He submitted figures showing that the present internal revenue tax on beer and liquors is high and that drinkers now pay about $4 per capita in taxes annually. The prohibition- ists, he said, bear none of this tax. WOUNDED ARE TAKEN HOME Long Hospital Trains Move Through Germany. Berlin, Sept. 10.—Long trainloads of wounded are being \uought from advanced to base hospitals or for- warded to lazarettos in the interior of Ger: 1y. Only the most severely wounded who are unable to bear transpertation have been leit in the advanced hospitals. A newspaper correspendent on a! trip to Liege was able to inspect some of the trains for wounded. ally are composed of coach which the seats have been xt'no,el and replaced s; in two ¥ men piroea 0ad-of 8 Most of the wounded seen epparently | ere muking a fa k recoverv. England and Wales have '94-841 women farm laborers. t21 attendant and | Intentional Duplicate Exposure Ili{lkiii*liiii CHESTER M’KUSICK o KKK KKK KKK KKK R * * One of Bemidji’s Foremost Attorneys Who Leaves Practice to Superin- tend Work on His Farm. AWARDED HONEY HONORS Miss Florence McKusick Wins Blue Ribbon at Minnesota State Fair. Miss Florence McKusick, daughter of Attorney Chester McKusick, was one of the exhibitors at the state fair who won honors in the honey con- test. Two of Miss McKusick’s lots won premiums, one of which was awarded a blue ribbon.. SHe is re- siding on the McKusick farm on the outskirts of Stillwater and is making a-study of bee culture. CLUB MEETING TONIGHT Matter of Incorporating to Be Dis- cussed at Athletic Association Session This Evening. PLANS COMPLETE FOR BIG DANCE importance to the Athletic club this evening, and it is urged by the offi- cers of that organization that as many members as possible be present., At the last meeting of the board of control it was decided to recom- mend the incorporating of the club, and the advisability of so doing will | be discussed and a vote taken this evening. The matter of incorporat- ing was brought up last fall but no action was taken. As a majority of the club members are required to be present before action of this char- acter can be taken, it is important that a large attendance be had. Those who cannot attend are urged to ar- range to be represented by proxy. Other matters of importance are to be discussed this evening. The meeting will be called immediately following football practice. Arrangements for the big dance which is to be given by the Athletic club tomorrow evening, have been completed by the committee and a large attendance is expected. The club dances are among the most en- club dances are among the city’s most enjoyable social events. There is to be a meeting of much | dial welcome. Former Bemidji Boy Writes of His Bemidji and-one of the most poptlar young men of Bemidji, being a mail carrier until his departure for Plum- mer, Idaho, where he has resided on a claim during the past few years, ROYAL DECREE IS ISSUED State of Siege Proclaimed in Por. tions of Holland. London, Sept. 10.—A Reuter dis- patch from The Hague says: “A royal decree issued here pro- claims a state of siege in a great number of towns and villages situated on the coast and rivers in the prov- inces of Zealand, North Brabant, Limburg, Gelderland, Groningen, Friesland and North Holland. “The proclamation forbids exporta- tions in vessels bought in The Neth- erlands for military use by belliger- ents. “The towns where a state of siege now exists are Flushing, Harlingen, Texil, Terschelling, Hellevoetsluis and part of the Hook of Holland. Servians Repel Austrians. Paris, Sept. 10.—A dispatch to the Havas agency from Nish, Servia, says the Servians are continuing their of- fensive movements -against the Aus- trians in the direction of Vishergrad. They crossed the frontier Sept. 6 and continued to advance successfully. Everywhere the Austrians were thrown back to the left bank of the River Drina. SCOOP strorter - ‘Defective Page %, ”agqx LEAVES BENIDIL One of % Lawyers 1> “\to Desert Practice and Will M¢ ¥ ‘Valuable Farm WAS COUNTY ATTORNEY‘HERE Chester McKusick, * for thirteen years an attorney in’Bemidji, mov- ing to this city from Duluth in 1901, has decided to desert the practice of law, at least temporarily, in order that he may devote his attention to the superintending. of his large and valuable farm near Stillwater. The farm, which includes 190 acres ‘of excellent agricultural pro- pertiy, is located just on the outskirts of the prison city, some of it being within the city’s limits. It is ome of.the most valuable farms in that community. It is Mr. McKusick’s intention to live on the farm, where there is a large and modern residence. He will leave tomorrow evening for the new home. ! ; Mr.’ McKusick ‘successfully passed the state bar examination in 1886, and remained in Stillwater, his home city, until 1891, when he began the practice of law at Duluth, residing there for ten years.. He then con- cluded to settle in a new country, and selected Bemidji, its future pros- pects appearing to be bright. During his years of residence in Bemidji, Mr. McKusick has always been favored with a large practice, and he is known as one of the most prominent and successful lawyers in this judicial distriet, as well as throughout the entire northern sec- tion of the state of Minnesota. For two years he was county attorney of Beltrami county, from January 1908, to January 1, 1910, filling that important position in ‘a most effic- ient and satisfactory manner. 1, The leaving of Attorney McKusick is regretted by his host of Bemidji and Beltrami county friends, and should he ever conclude to resume the practice of law and to return to this city, he will be met with a cor- WILL TEACH IN ALASKA. Departure for Metlakatla. Harry Geil, formerly a resident of has written his sister, Mrs. M. S. Gil- lette, of this city, telling her of his departure for Alaska where he is to teach. Mr. Geil, together with three other teachers, has ‘contracted to teach at Metlakatla, this year, and left for that place August 31. Two of the other teachers are Mr. and Mrs. Charles Jones. Mr. Jones is a former Bemidji boy, and graduated from the high school here many years ago. Mr. Geil is also a gradu- ate from this school, having been a member of the very first class to complete the course of the Bemidji institution. IMPROVING POSTOFFICE. Decorators Revarnish Fixtures and Walls Are Again Painted. Decorators are causing a big im- provement at the Bemidji postoffice. The walls have been repaired and given a new coat of paint and the fixtures revarnished, adding much to the attractiveness of the office. Mrs. Evans Dead. Mrs. Carolyn Evans, who has been keeping house for her aged father, J. P. Hall, retired, 808 Bemidji ave- nue, for the past few months, was stricken with paralysis Tesday and died last evening. The stroke came as ‘she was going about her house- work. She is a sister of E. W. Hall, a progressive farmer of the town of Eckles, and he is in the city today making arrangements for the funeral. KEKKKKKKKKK KK KKK & *x *|Crow Wing *x “Seed Corn Week” * * Sept. 14-19, 1914. * * *i * kKKK KKKKKKKKKKX 400 acres. ‘!:"l Most Prominent ++++++++++'E++++++ Koochiching Berlin, via Londan. —Two more major. have been added to thé list of fleld officers, G von Gotha and Niel Premier -von Wi ‘Wurtemberg and ister von Breunig have both lost Frederick Willjam of ;. was wounded in the’bre the fighting in Fr-neeuv R TR R o BELTRAMI EXHIBITS GIVEN HiGH County Booth at State Mwed by Only Two in l-hmxegfihte—- : Roseau Wins Loving Cap: OTHER COUNTIES IN 300 CLASS Efforts of Farmers Rewarded—Shows| That Agricultural Polllbfihu -are Equal to Any in Humiw I 1% Not only did the Beltnil county exhibit receive second. p! g judging of the agricultural at the Minnesota State day, but its score was the est of the counties of -t state possessing booths: at; hg expo- This is a high- to the farmers of the. ewmty and those who worked energétically in forming the exhibit. % Among the:Best. During the past few yeas trami county booth has wyp'recog- its agricultu and the exhibits and rec: Tished at the fair sustain: that it Las no equal in west as an agricultural cd Roseau county has won’ i silver loving cup offered to {the coun- ty in the northern zor hibit at the state fair-obthined the first award three of five e Roseau was woll ing the cup-winning perio N Renville Leads Section. Renville county won in the south- There were nine in the competition. Houston and Scott were tied for second place. In the central section eleven coun- ties competed, and Washington re- peated its victory of last year. Mor- rison and Wright Todd as fourth. 15 Counties Compete. Fifteen counties competed in the northern section, the biggest repre- sentation this part of the state ever Beltrami was Roseau’s nearest rival, and seven others. suc- ceeded in getting into'the 900 class. Houston county received an extra prize of $40 in the beauty contest. Washington and Douglas counties re- ceived $30 and $20 each, for second and third places in the beauty com- followed, Under the rules of the each county that scores 800 points or more receives $150. prizes were given in each section. The detailed awards follow. Northern Section. Total Score Totalinn Total Score .1,101 ..1,012 969 949 939 934 918 907 904 894 887 " 869 831 795 718 Mrs. Jennie Morris of Odon, Ind., manages two farms comprising over You Know How Us Soldi Government Appropriatel sso,ooo to DR. ‘SHOEMAKER INVESTIGATES Indian reservation will be selected as the proper place for the establish- ment of the $50,000 Indian hospital as provided for in ‘an appropriation bill, which a short time ago passed congress. either. the Leech Lake or the Red Lake reservations, and there is every probability that the Beltrami county agency will be the choice of Dr. F.| Shoemaker, traveling physician, rep- resenting the commission of Indian affairs, who is here investigating. RATING lowing the completion of his investi- gation, he will send a report of his findings to Cato Sells, commissioner of Indian affairs, and the formal se- lection will then be made. ‘| Lake is likely to be favored is the fact that Walker already has the state sanatorium, to which all In- dians who ‘are citizens of the United States are admitted. A large num- ber of the Leech Lake Indians are naturalized, while such is not the case at Red Lake. Hearnden, who has been in Bemidji during the past month as business manager of the Margot Beaton Stock company, fought as first lieutenant in the Twelfth Lancers, the famous regiment of British soldiers. Dur- ing the battles of that war, and he took part in -every one, Hearnden won many honors and now wears both the King’s and Queen’s medals, one being for having taken ‘part in at least six battled and the-other for two. years actiye’service. - 44 years of age, thereby being a ) Whose- ex- Auto Service to Nymore Made Use ers IS!N Be Used for Establishment—May ‘Be Located at Red Lake. It is probable that the Red Lake “Aged French Author Vainly ‘SBeeks to Get Into Fray. The hospital is to be placed at Dr. Shoemaker has spent the past week at Red Lake and left this morning for Walker where he visited the Leech Lake reseryation. Fol- One of the chief reasons why Red WILL FIGHT FOR ENGLAND. Harry Hearnden Leaves for Duluth Where He Will Report for Duty. During the entire Boer war Harry He is ‘Minneapolis paper._ were reguested to: -{report for duty. He left last night for Duluth where he will report to the British consul. Hearnden served for three years and four months and took part in more than one hundred engagements. BUS LINE A SUCCESS. of By Many. The three Carter boys, who re- cently established an automobile bus line between Bemidji and Nymore, are issuing commutation books, sell- ing twelve rides for one dollar. A charge of ten cents is made each way. Roy Carter said today that business is much better than had been ex- pected and that it is daily improving. The bus line is known as the Nymore- Bemidji Transportation company. Be- midji headquarters are at Abercrom- bie’s confectionery store on Beltrami avenue. PAVING BEGINS. Work on Beltrami Avenue to Be Com- pleted in Six Weeks. Goodman & Loitved, contractors, ) | yesterday afternoon began laying the cement for the Beltrami avenue pav- ing between Seventh and Tenth ‘| streets. Mr. Goodman said this morning that the work will take at least six weeks and not more than two months in completing. The Nymore road is now open to travel, and is a great improvement. The road 150.00 | before the paving was almost use- 150.00 | less. Robert Stai of the town of Liberty came to Bemidji today and will serve on the jury. New York state has 222,000 club women, while Nevada has only 1,500. Paris, Sept. 10.—Pierre Loti, the novelist, who under his real name, Louis Marie Julien Vivaud, is a cap- tain of the French naval reserve, after soliciting in vain for a post of combat has asked to be joined to the marines serving as guards in Paris. He offers to serve without pay. He is sixty-four years of age. AWARDED §1,200 VERDICT Jury Gives Martin Duer Damages in Assault Case Against Frank Gagnon—Leg Was Broken. CITY SUITS NOW ON TRIAL Afthr having been fn deliberation for more than fifteen hours, the jury in the case of Martin Duer against Frank Gagnon, a Bemidji saloon pro- prietor, this morning returned a ver- dlct h;favarot Tie pl inti T $1, tact that Duer's jeg-was br ing an.argument at the Gagnon bar, and continued on the street where the owner is alleged to have struck the plaintiff in such a manner that he was knocked to the sidewalk, his leg being broken by the fall. The case was completed last evening, At- torney Gibbon’s closing argument and the charge of the judge being given just before six o’clock. The case will probably be appealed. In comsequence of the jury’s hav- ing beénr out all night, Judge Stanton adjourned court until 1:30 this ‘afternoon at which time the case of Henry Marin against the City of Bemidji for damages done to his \property through street grading, was begun. Judge Marshall A. Spooner is appearing for Marin, and City At- torney Russell for Bemidji. Consolidated with the Marin case, are those of John Miller, Mary B. Kellogg and Lottie Berg, all being of the same nature. LEAVES FOR BOSTON MEETING Charles Scrutchm to Attend Colored 0dd Fellow Convention. Charles Scrutchin, Bemidji’s well known colored lawyer, left this morn- ing for Duluth from where he will go to Chicago, enroute to Boston ‘where he will attend a convention of the National Colored Odd Fellows, being present as a delegate of the Duluth lodge. At Chicago he =will join one thousand delegates and the trip to Boston will be made by spe- cial train. This is Mr. Scrutchin’s first vacation in sixteen years. Misses Ruth and Otina Stai, daugh- ters of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Stai of the town of Liberty, are the guests of Mr. and Mrs. E. M. Sathre for a short time. Mrsg. L. A. Ward is visiting in the twin cities. By -HOP” GERMANS MAKE | out. The constant advancing through EFFORTTO REGAIN LOST ‘TERRITORY: ON T0 BERLIN J(Amerlcnn Press.) London, Sept. 10.—A dispatch to the Exchange Telegraph company from Rome, says: A message from- Vienna states, and is officially ad- mitted there, that Arch-duke Fred- erick has lost one hundred . and twenty thousand men in the recemt Galician battles, one-fourth of his entire command. 3 St. Petersburg, Sept. 10.—Fight- ing with the Austrian armies under Generals Vonauffenberg and »Danlkl has been resumed. -Following their defeat at Rawa, Russia, they have been heavily reinforced by German troops, and are now fighting along the line west of Rawa, Russia, ex- tending southwest through Sadowa to a point near the Dneister river. London, Sept. 10.—A dispatch to ‘the Express Telegram from Rome says: Dispatches from Vienna state that advance guard of the Russian center’ is marching toward Berlin. The Russian troops have invaded Si- lesia and have captured Breslau Im- minent. London, Sept. 10.—A dispatch to the Chronicle from Petrograd says: In Russia’ and in foreign diplomatic cireles it is believed that Austria will sue for peace within a fortnight, as this is the only means of avoiding a complete breakup of the empire, owing . to rapidly growing internal troubles. Paris, Sept. 10.—German rein- forcements have arrived at the Ger- man center and right and the Kais- er’s forces are making: a-desperate effort to recover lost ground over a stretch of fifty miles between Vitry- le-Francois and Montmirail. The fighting is unusually severe, but General Gallieni- insists that - the French lines are holding. The Brit- ish-French left has also been heavily reinforced by troops withdrawn from the defense of Paris. “London, Sept. 10.—That the Ger- .|mans were driven back all along the line yesterday.is the news from Field Marshal “Sir Jghn‘rrench. British commander. It is also reported that a dozen German Maxim guns were captured, German battery field guns and a number of German prisoners. Paris, Sept. 10.—Declaring that “our successes are continued,” General Gallieni, military governor of Paris, declared that in his opinion the Paris defense army can safely be pushed forward to aid the British-French col- umn in crushing the German right wing. There is a spirit of confidence in army circles. The French center holds fast. The right and left wings are driving the Germans before them. As a result of this development the German center must eventually fall back to protect itself. The French officials here very plain- ly state, however, that the result of the battle is not yet decisive. It prob- ably will last for several days. The initial advantages are with the allies and they are fighting on ground that the Germans held on Saturday and Sunday. For the first time since the war be- gan the Germans are declared to be outnumbered. General Paul Pau, who is now in command of the French center, has at least 25,000 men more than are facing him. The French left, which has inflict- ed enormous damage to the army of General von Kluk, and which is com- manded by Field Marshal Sir John French, is also numerically superior _ to the Germans, having been heavily reinforced during the last few days from ' the French reserves in the south. Thousands of Prisoners Taken. Hundreds of wounded are belng brought from the front. They declare the French left has taken thousands of prisoners. They also insist that the losses of the French-British on the cffensive are smaller than were the losses of the Germans under simi- lar conditions. The German rifle fire, they declare, is still high. That the German movement is ac- tually a retreat and not a strategic proposition is indicated by the re- ports from the front that there are thousands of dead and wounded Ger- mans in the territory now occupied by the allies. It is stated that the German offi- cers sacrificed thousands of men in one supreme effort to break the allied lines. This was especially so with the army of General von Kluk. His men swent up against the British artillery of times, only to be finally compelled to retreat, leaving hundreds of their comrades behind. In each instance the British infan- try charzed the retreating Germans h the bayonet. The Germans are reported tired hostile territory, always opposed by the French and British, and thein night marches, when their command- ers took advantage of the bright moon- - ught, have told on them, it is sald.