The Bismarck Tribune Newspaper, December 6, 1917, Page 1

ba CHIRTY-SEVENTH YEAR, NO. 1200 DEAD IN EXPLOSION pier See BER Gari BH Ai) tsa 8 s Paar oo Ee acl Cee i Ry a je r Sales ye 3 5 ae ae Phe Sie 3 ey yf “ Eee ee = é oneal BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA,THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1917 FIVE CENTS BERLIN CLAIMS ELEVEN THOUSAND ITALIANS CAPTURED 25 Aeroplanes MOTHERS OF STLOERS ROI WIFE. OF SLAYER TAKES STAND IK DEFENSE OF til Mrs. Henry Pankow is Relating in Burleigh County Court Story . of Anamoose Tragedy ASSERTS BORCHERT USED SOME AWFUL BAD WORDS Tells of Cursing which Visitor Gave Husband for Driving Him from the Country “You damned, crooked-legged —— of a ——, you and your women folks were the cause of my leaving this country,” were the first words Charles borchert addressed to Henry Pankow when the latter’s wife hau lev bor- chert into their home near Anamoose t.e night of May 29, testified Mrs. iankow, who this morning took the sland in the Burleigh county district court in defense of her husband, charged with the mifrder of Mrs. tui- chert’s former admirer. ‘The state rested its case this morn- ing after completing the examination of William B. Miller and of two bor- cherts, brothers of the deceased. Mrs. fankow was the first witness put on uy the defense. Her examination will continue this afternoon. Raid London; Seven Killed CASUALTY LIST. Seven persons were killed and 21 injured in the air raid, Chan- cellor Bonar Law announced to- day in the house of commons. Of the victims, three were killed and 10 injured in London. London, ‘Dec. 6.—About 25 aero- planes raided England today, it is an- nounced officially. Of these, six reach- ed London. Two of the raiders were brought down, the crew of three men on each machine being captured. Bombs dropped by the raiders caus- ‘ed a number of fires in London, but all of them were quickly brought un- Ader con‘rol. The casualties are be- | lived to be light. 1 NORTHCLIFFE ON "AMERICAN LADS OVER IN FRANCE British Observer Pays Round of Visits to Trenches and Train- ing Quarters. ‘Testifying with a pretty petulance which is rather effective, Mrs. Pan- kow told the court that Charley said some awfully bad words to her hus- band. His favorite epithet when “mad,” she said, was that quartet of words of one syllable which never has failed to provoke a fight when ad- dressed to'an American. She told how she was aroused in the night by Borchert’s rap at the win dow, and how she insisted that she go to the kitchen door and let him in, fearing he would “do something”. to her husband. Borchert. objected to the lamp “for fear somebody would see him back here.” 4 “you didn’t expect to see me bacl so soon, did you?” he said to Pankow, when the latter came out. Pankow’ did not expect to see Dor. chert:back: because 18 neighbors had come:;to the Pankow home with & signed notice warning Borchert awa) and advising him not to return. Borchert blamed Pankow for this notice, said the witness this morning The defendant in the case has # twisted leg. It was to this deformity that Mrs. Pankow claims Borchert referred, when he shouted bad words at Henry, just before the shooting that night of May 29. A dramatic incident of the trial of Henry Pankow, charged with the mur der of Charles Borchert, 14 miles southwest of Anamoose on May 29 was the demand of E. R. Sinkler, at torney for the defense, late Wednes day afternoon that the state call to the stand the only eye-witness of the tragedy, Mrs. Henry Pankow. Assist ant Attorney General Brennan, hand ling the prosecution, demurred, deny ing the necessity of calling an eyc witness, and citing the many reason: given in law for not calling to the stand the wife of a principal in ¢ criminal action. The state then closec its case to reopen it after Attorney Sinkler, in the absence of the jury had convinced the court that the state had not established the corpus de licti.. Story of Crime. Upon reopening the state called t the stand William B. Miller of Ana moose, a relative of Charles Borchert and the complaining witness in thi: action. Miller told of being called tc the Pankow home about 11 o’clocl the night of May 29, and of finding Charles Borchert stretched out on ¢ couch there with three bullet-holes it him. He,told of Mrs, Pankow's gra phic description of the shooting. The family had retired when there came é tap on the window, and Borchert, whc had been warned from the neighbor hood in a signed notice from eighteer families of the community, revealer himself and asked admittance. “1 asked Henry to let me go to the door so that if Charlie was going tc do anything he would do it to me anc not to Henry,” Miller testified Mrs Pankow told him the night of the tra se weal to the door and let Charlie into the kitchen. We had talked there but a minute when Henry came out and the men took seats at either side of a table. They had said only a few words when Henry started to shoot He shot so fast I thought he never ld stop.” if bare Pebkow added, according te Miller: “I don’t know what the foo wanted to shoot hit for,” and ‘this never would have happened but for our kind neighbors.” Miller admitted that when he war informed Borchert had been shot he remarked: ‘Just what I expected, and ihat he had known of criticism 0 Borchert because of his alleged rela tions with Mrs. Pankow. Borcher’ made his home with the Pankow’s for five years prior to his departure from the community, at the request of hir neighbors. ‘He came back in the » %, MEN BEA) 6 “4-JELL CH?’ of a pecy’ CLIMATE Air Thuds With Sound of Great Guns which for Three Days Have Been in Action. Paris, Dec. 6.—Viscount Northcliffe has writte ntue following impressions of his visit to the American forces in the field for the Associa.ed rress: “I saw today the spearhead oi the great American army of the tuture. [ had the honor of ‘being invited sy seueral Fetsning to accompany Gea- eral Bliss, Colonel and ‘Mrs. 1iouse, -mbassador and Mrs. Sharp, Admiral Benson, Mr. Crosby of the treasu:y, wir. Colby, 'Mr. Crawford and Mr. Au- shincloss in the long round journey rom Paris ‘to tne American headquar- ers and the front. “Leaving Paris at 8 in the morning. ve returned at 10 o'clock at nigat| which may give some i:lea of the dis- ance on the American map in France. the journey in a nexcellently appoint- 2d special train brought us to a tiny ‘ailway station where the guard of 1onor was’ waiting to receive General ershing, General Eliss and Colonel House and we passed through half a mile of grim, hardy young mericans in trench helmets standing at attention. They are in fine health and spirits. Boys Bearing Well. « “Eastern France was under a frost, not the dazzling, keen atmosphere of New York, but a sunny, damp atmos here to which Americans are unac- sustomed; but which they are bear- ng well. The air was full of the shudding of great guns in an artillery | yattle which, as a young West Point! officer told me, had now been proceed- ng without cessation for three days ind nights, some miles away to tho} ast. . “Our immediate objective was a vis- t to the intensive training camp, or inishing school for the war at—(jde- eted). American planes were circling overhead, indicating our distination, vhich’ was also marked by the vio- ent clangs of bursting hand grenades at the bom ing school. “Our procession of American auto- nobles went stranght across the coun- ry, ignoring the roads, until we ar- ‘ived at the crest of a low ravine, vhere some thousands of the first ontingents of the American expedi- ionary forces are ‘being trained. First ve went to an exhibition of rifle prac- ice with landscape targets. It was good shocting, the high average of seventy-five per cent of hits being eached. Quick in “Catching On.” “Afterwards came some very accur- ste work with a certain trench mortar well known to the Eritis harmy. The men have mastered the principles of his very handy gun quickly. Later he spectators, men and women, were lelighted at the proficiency of some of the bomb throwers and noted par- icularly that the throw is not the vaseball pitch, but a complete over ‘rm, semi circle, somewhat resem- dling over-arm cricket bowling. “We stood well out of the reach of the detonating bombs and the hrowers bent low in the trench after he projection of the missile and un- il its force and detonation threw up garth and stones in every direction. “Then came an exhibition of trench ighting, bayonet practice and a very ine quarter-hour of work with the *rench seventy-fives—three-inch—at a ‘ange of a mile and a half. The tar- zet was a small wool and after the irst four shots the gunners got the ange almost every time. The spot- ing was done by an airplane which NEW OFFENSIVE SOWS; SAMIMIES FIT ONLY FOR | OF MACKENSEN FERTILIZER; SAID MRS. O'HARE] CAINS GROUND J. E. James, Well Known Bowman Farmer, Tells of Alleged Re- ' marks Made by Socialist Lecturer at Cosy Theatre : in Bowman Last June WOE WADE. THK WHAT CASE 1 . ES RECESS 10 LEAPN ABOUT; RECEPTION HEL Presiding Jurist Objects to Injection of Political Discussion by Defense—-Defendant Surrounded by Ray McKaig and Leaghe Admirers During the Interim , “Mothers who become pregnant for the purpose of bringing into the world sons to become cannon fodder are no better than the farmer's brood sow. “| descended to the doors of death to bring a son into the world. | thank my God tonight he is not old enough to fight. “Young men foolish enough to enlist or volunteer are only good enough for German fertilizer.” These, according to James E. James, substantial Rowman farmer, are state- ments made by Kate Richards O'Hare to an audience of 170 people in the Covy theiter at Bowman last June. Probably half of these people were foreigners. who had come to hear an American lecture. “I never heard such a lecture be- fore, and I have heard nothing like it since, and I don't care to. “TL have heord Arthur LeSeuer lec- ture at Powman, but he never said anything like that, and it wasn’t in such trying times as these.” Wade Wants to Know. James was the first witness for the government. He told a calm, collect- ed, straight forward story which 2 rigid cross-examination from. Attor- ney V. R. Lovell, for the defense, failed to shake. Lovell’s repeated efforts to inject politics into’ the case brought several severe reprimands from Judge Wade of Jowa, who finally brought down his gavel with a bang and said: “This court will take a brief recess. T wish, to..interview counsel and dis-, has been simply a_ loyal, cover what this. case is about.” Recruiting Was in Progress. At the time Mrs. O’Hare delivered her lecture in Bowman large posters were on display in the United States posioffice, a few doors distant, calling upon young men to enlist in the Unit- ed States army and navy; the rules for the first draft had been promul- gated, and America’s participation in the war was foremost in everyone’s minds, testified Mr. James. Lovell, on cross-examination asked the witness whether he had been ac- tive in politics during the last five years. U. S. District Attorney Hil- MILTON side will be fairly treated. diers and sailors in German prison intended. sent. The other allied countries have attached to each, package. to the country from which it came. dreth objected to the question as im- material and irrelevant and the ob- jection promptly was sustained. Lovell then asked whether the witness had been active in politics for the last ‘year. Hildreth again objected. Judge Wade permitted the witness to an- swer, although the court declared he could not see the relevancy of the question. Mr. James replied, emphat- ically, “I have not.” ‘Mr. James insisted on cross-examin- ation that there is no more partisan politics and factionalism in Bowman than is common in towns of its size. He had lived there nine years and regarded the community as normal, so far as political strife goes. “Isn't ft true that one side there has had the other arrested for libel and so forth?” asked Lovell. And at this juncture Judge Wade halted the cross-examination and de- clared a recess in order that he might ascertain from counsel “just what this case is about.” McKaig Cheery Greeter. When ‘the judge left the bench Ray L. “cKaig, who has resigned the state mastership of the North Dakota grange to become organizer for Town- ley’s. Nonpartisan lergue,. rushed .up to Mrs. O'Hare. He was accompanied by a couple of league members, and Mrs. O'Hare chatted with them until court reconvened. Mr. James appears to be a splendid type of North Dakota farmer. He has never, he testified, held public office, nor been.active in politics. His testi- mony would tend to indicate that he patriotic American ‘citizen, voting for the men whom ‘he helieved best would serve his country, tending to his own busi- ness and making a success of that business. Court Room Crowded. The federal court room was crowd- ed this morning, many of the specta- tors being farmers, Judge Wade's course in checking efforts of the de- fense to inject politics into the case clearly met their approval. The same attempt was made by Townley organs in Fargo while the grand jury was in session last July. , ¢Continued on Page Three) Uncle Sam Will Feed Our Boys in Germany AMERICAN RED CROSS TO DISTRIBUTE FOOD AND CLOTHING TO SAMMIES IN PRISON CAMPS Special Dispatch from BRONNER, of Our Washington Bureau. The state department, through the medium of Spain, is at present nego- tiating with Germany for arrangements whereby prisoners taken by either One of the main things is an arrangement whereby Germany will guarantee that any food or clothing sent to our sol- camps will go to those for whom it is The agreement will provide against diversion or substitution of food In other words, food sent to John Smith, U. S. A, Is not to be diverted to Fritz Schneiderhannes of the German army. Nor is Germany to take this food and substitute an equivalent of something else in its place. such arrangements with Germany. The plan adopted by other countries is to have a blank receipt form This is signed by the recipient and mailed back All distribution for relief of our men will be under the supervision of the American Red Cross, which has already appropriated $31,219 to buy 75 tons of food for American prisoners in Germany. be sent to the American Red Cross warehouse in Berne, Switzerland, which is to be the great supply depot for the victualling and clothing of our imprisoned men. At present the number of American prisoners in Germany consists of about 100 seamen and less than 20 soldiers. of food for their relief have already been sent to Berne. Men captured by the central powers are not given what we consider sufficient food and clothing to keep them in good health. This food is all to Twenty-five tons This is, of course, largely due to the fact that the Germans have not enough food and clothing even for their own people. In view of this condition the American Red Cross and our government are jointly preparing to feed all of our men. A complete scheme for sustaining prisoners is now being worked out by the war and navy departments and the Red Cross. Under the tentative plan each prisoner {is to receive every two weeks three 10-pound pack- ages of food. iovered overhead and indicated the iits by wireless. House a Rifle Shot. ‘Colonel House manifested his Mex- jcan_origin by some excellent rifle (Continued on Page Three.) (Continued on page four) Up to now the food has been supplied by the Red C'ross, but when the whole scheme is perfected the government itself will supply the food and the Red Cross will distribute it. The navy department has already shipped 100 outfits of clothing for the interned American seamen in Ger- many. Mountainous Front is Scene. of Latest Drive of Central Powers GERMAN WAR STATEMENT IS ONLY INFORMATION Sixty Guns Were Taken Accord- ESCAPED FROM TEUTONS EXPLAINS HIS. GRIN LLByT- PATRICK OBRIBN ing to Official Teutonic Version Eerlin, Dec. 6—-Eleven thousand Italians have en captured by the Austro-Germans in their new offensive on the mountains front of northern Italy, it is officially announced today by the German war office. Strong Italian positions in the Meletta région, in the northern front are taken and held by the Teutonic! TIME SOUCHT BY RUSSIANS forces, who captpred more than sixty guns, the statement adds. ADVANCE SLIGHTLY. London, Dec. 6.—The British have advanced slightly their line southwest of La Vacquerie on the Cambrai front, it is announced officially. I On Tuesday night the official state- ment says, the British troops with- drew to the southwest of Noyelles-sur- L'Escaut and Bourlon wood. The with- drawal, it is added, was accomplished without the Germans appearing to be aware of it until late yesterday. ! COMMITTEL | UNITED OW WAR ISSUE Washington, Dec. 6.—-There were, no dissenting votes in the committee, and atthe request of Chairman Flood the house gave its unanimous consent to take up the resolution tomorrow at the beginning of the session and pass it before tomorow night. 1 ‘The house foreign affairs commit- tee's report on the war resolution, de- clares that the United States probably soon will send troops to Italy. HALL PLEADS NOT GUILTY; TRIAL 10 FOLLOW PANKOW'S Thomas Hall, formally arraigned this morning in district court on a) charge of embezzling approximately $3,400 of the state's automobile regis-; tration funds, pleaded not guilty, and his case was set for trial immediately following the conclusion of the Pan- kow murder case, which will occupy the remainder of the afternoon and probably a large part of tomorrow. SERVICE NORMAL IN ST. PAUL St. Paul, Minn., Dec. 6.—Street cars were running practically on schedule today and no disturbances were re- ported last night, according to the street car and police officials, follow- ing yesterday's meeting of more than} 10,000 union men at the Auditorium here. The union men have announced that | no action will be taken by them until next Tuesday. If the difficulties are; not settled by that time, further ac- tion will be taken. Governor Burn- quist is expected to announce late to- day whether federal mediators will be called upon to settle the dispute | between the street car company and; the striking trainmen. A piece of iron pipe closed at each end, found on a street car yesterday, which the police say may be a bomb, will be examined by bomb experts to Above, the American grin of Lieu- tenant Patrick O’Brien of Momence, Ill. And no wonder he’s grinning. He! escapzd from a German prison camp} and reached London in safety. He was a member of the British flying corps on the western front when cap-; tured. HALIFAX AFIRE. FROMEXPLOSION; SHIPS COLLIDE American Munition Ship and Another Craft Cause Death to Many in City PROPERTY LOSSES TO RUN INTO MILLIONS Freight Trains Blown Off Tracks Along a Distance of Two Miles DEAD MAY REACH 1200, Montreal, Que. Dec. 6.—The dead in the Halifax ‘plosion number 1200, Teleg com- pany’s officials estimate, but they explain the information on which it is based is unofficial. As a result of the explosion of the American munitions ship this morning, nearly one-half of the forth end of the city of Halifax has been destroyed, a great fire is raging, the dead are lying thick in the streets, all the hospitals are filled to overflowing, and many injured are compelled to walk about untreated. TO CONSID German Delegates to Amristice Council Refuse First Two Russian Overtures. | } GERMAN PROPOSALS ARE | REFERRED TO EXPERTS Envoys Part Without Conclu.' sion with Next Meeting on News that the disaster had reached these proportio: re ceived here, this afternoon, when communication with Halifax was established by the Canadian Tele. graph Co, r Three hundred dead and many hundreds injured were the estl- mates this afternoon of the casu- alties resulting when a large am- munition ship rammed a passen- . ger liner near their piers at Hali- fax today. The advices further stated that the ship which collided with the munitions vessel wi liner, Halifax, Dec. sons were killed, and a. thousand others injured and half of the city of | Halifax is in ruins as the result of Russian Soil in 7 Days. London, Dec. 6.—A Russian com- munication dealing with the armistice negotiations, received here by wire- less says: “The enemy delegates replied evas- ively to the two initial Russian pro- posals, but promised to consult their governments concerning them. The ‘Russians proposed as the principal points of an armistice that the enemy should not undertake to send forces from the Russian front to the fronts of Russia’s allies; also that the Ger-’ man detachments be withdrawn from the Islands of Moon Sound. The ene- my delegates refused these propos- Is. “The enemy delegates submitted a project for an armistice from the Bal- tic to the Black Sea, which, in view of their evasive replies to the Russian proposals, the Russian delegates sub- mitted to the Russian military ex- perts. A fortnight was first proposed for the duration of th earmistice. UIti- mately 28 days were agreed upon which may be automatically pro-; longed. The Russians requested that the next meeting be on Russian terri- tory after a lapse of seven days. PLEADS FOR RECOGNITION. Petrograd, Sunday, Dec. 6.—The duma has issued a proclamation to all nations, pleading for support as the only elective body in Russia. The Letts have issued a petiton to; the allies against the annexation of: Courland and asking protection from Germanism. SEEKS SEPARATE PEACE London, Dec. 6.—Quoting an Aus- trian official statement concerning a Rumanian proposal for the negotia-! tion of an armistice, a British official announcement today says: “There is no truth whatever in this shameful statement.” RUMANIA STANDS FIRM. A Pacific Port, Dec. 6.—A message from King Ferdinand of Rumania de- claring his country would never make a separate peace is being carried to President Wilson by members of the American Red Cross mission to Ru- mania, which landed at a Pacific port yesterday, according to a statement here tonight by Lieut. Frank Conner, interpreter for the mission. = day. GLARK FINED $2500 $1000 ON PLEA OF GUILTY INS, COURT A case which had dragged through federal courts several years came to an abrupt conclusion at noon today when Sam Clark and Clarence H. Crockard, publishers of Jim Jam Jems, pleaded guilty before Judge Wade in United States district court to mis- use of interstate transportation privi- AND CROCKARD leges in sending by express from one state to another copies of Jim Jam Jems containing objectional matter. Mr. Clark was fined $2,500 and Mr. Crockard $1,000, and the actions were dismissed. Messrs. Clark and Crock- ard were indicted by jury at Fargo last July. a federal grand i the explosion of a munitions ship in the harvor today, It is estimated that the property loss will run into the millions, The north end of the city is in flames, hun- dreds of ‘buildings were destroyed, and a portion of Halifax set on fire by an explosion which occurred after a collision of an American ammunition ship and another vessel at Rocking- ham, according to telephone messages received here this morning. The ex- plosion was so terrific that it destroy- ed the installation in the telegraph and telephone offices for thirty miles around Halifax, while it was heard at Truro, sixty-one miles distant. A re- port from Truro, declares the loss of life is placed at fifty, while the lis: of injured is correspondingly large. It is reported that the American munitions steamer was moving out from her pier, and was rammed broai- side by another vessel. Instantly, there was a tremendous explosion, which destroyed the two ships and killed their crews. Takes Roof Off Station The concussion resulting caused the roof of the railway station at North street to collapse, while all the warehouses on the waterfront for a mile and a half were damaged. The premises affected in many places caught fire. The force of the concussion was 80 great that freight cars were blown off railway tracks along a stretch of nearly two miles. ‘Messages asking for fire engines and fire fighting apparatus, doctors and nurses, hospital supplies, etc., were received from Haliflax by a num- ber of localities in Nova Scotia. Spe- cial trains were made up with every- thing required that could be procured. Decide on Relief At Truro, Windsor, and here, the city councils met this morning and de- cided to take immediate steps to ren- der aid to the afflicted people of Hal- ifax. It is understood that large quan- tities of food were destroyed and that citizens of Halifax may soon be in danger of starvink. It was decided that carloads of food must be dis- patched. The damage done to the Western Union and Canadian Pacific Telegraph Companies and the Nova Scotia, Tel- ephone company is so complete that it is likely to be days before wire communication with points outside of Halifax can be restored. Rockingham is located well within Halifax harbor, at the mouth of Bed- ford basin. 1) is at the northwest portion of the harbor and since the war has been used as an examining station for ocean steamers. It was at this portion of the harbor that Ex- Ambassador Bernstorff and party were held and examined on their way from the United States to Germany. The Queens hotel on Hollis street, near Sackville street, marks approxi- mately the southern limit of the dev- | astated area, it is reported. The last word received by wire from Halifax regarding the explosion, said the military had taken charge of the Canadian Pacific Telegraph Co. and had ordered all telegraph operators out of the building. Only two opera- —— (Continued on Page Three)