Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 34, Number 191, 18 May 1909 — Page 1

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F JLABKB AND ST7NrETiKGRAM VOL. XXXIV. NO. 191. RICimUND, IND., TUESDAY EVENING, 31 AY 18, 1909. SINGLE COPY, 2 CENTS. DEL M1CK 'OTTO IE RECEIVER ASKED FOR EXPRESS CO. : ; RIOT EMMET SLA W& ME K BY J. I

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Starts Career Here - Ends in Gotham l

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DUDLEY

tfOUNG MAN, HELD AT THE COUNTY JAIL, INFORMS THE REPORTERS THS MORNING THAT THE ONLY FEATURE OF THE TERRIBLE TRAGEDY THAT HE HAS ANY : REGRET OVER IS THE FACT THAT HIS BROTHER FRANK WAS WOUNDED-WHEN - TOLD THAT FRANK WAS RECOVERING HE BRIGHTENED UP AND EXPRESSED

. HIS PLEASURE OF HEARING THE GOOD NEWS

IXPECTtO THAT THE CQRQtlER : WILL PEI1BER VERDICT THURSDAY ' : IMMEDIATELY ON THE RECEIPT OF THIS VERDICT, IT IS , STATED, JUDGE FOX WILL CALL THE GRAND JURY TO CONSIDER THE CASE-SLAYER EXPECTS AN EASY FATE AT THE HANDS OF THE JURY MRS. MEEK IS GRADUALLY RECOVERING FROM HER SHOCK AND TELLS THE CORONER WHAT SHE KNOWS.

"My only regret about this whole . " Ahiag is that my brother was hurt," stated Joel Railsback today, who yesterday! shot and killed Alexander Meek and his son Raymond. The Elallsbacke claim self , defense and it; Bslu-pon this delicate thread that the ' pounf murderer, who two days ago Eras a highly respected ; young man, laaes Tils hope for easy treatment by he courts. When visited at the counIty lall this morning, Joel showed no signs' of remorse nor regret that he shad been' the cause of the deaths of 6 is neighbors. He appeared perfectly illing to discuss the case. A ; Expressed Pleasure. When' told that his brother Frank (Is not vry seriously injured he said . jbe Is glad of it. i He said he had been (Interested In the welfare of his brotb-

re all the time, and during the pitch ed battle did. not think of himself but f them. la Ulling about the affair. oel said the four allots that were firwere in rapid succession. He imi tated tti . reports - by ' claps of ' his mauds. He declared he did not know Where the shots struck the Meeks and Idid not look to see. He said that immediately after the. shooting he went to the house and others in the family told him he had killed them. Without s muck: as going down to assure himself as to the result of his deadly aim, be got ' into the family wagon and jrove to the city. " Thinks He Did Right. "I didnt take time to think much (about what I was doing after it was all over, but from what other people Dtave told me, : I guess I did about right in coming down here," Railsremarked. "At a time like that fellow Is not likely to think Terr lear. but I just came here without thinking- much about it." Railsback thinks it pretty dark at the jail. 'It's hard in here to tell what kind of weather it is outside," Ihe said.' "A fellow gets awful tired kf sitting around. I walk about but don't find much to do. The fellows do a lot of talking and last night they Craved on religion until about eleven . clock. I didn't sleep weH last night i There seemed' to be a draft and I , caught a little s cold. I wish I had something to read." ' , : Verdict on Thursday. , ' . Coroner Bramkamp has not com pleted hl investigation and will not oo ao before tomorrow. It will be as late as Thursday before he eompflea sis verdict. The coroner stated thin afternoon that public sentiment seems to be most favorable toward the Railsbacks, but that public sentiment will not have, influence - on his verdict. '.Whether Joel Ralleback to found guilty of justifiable homicide or of first degree murder by the coroner's verdict . "will depend upon the evidence the official secures and not upon the public's view. To Call Qrand Jury. - As soon at the coroner files his report, Judge Fox will order the grand Jury to report. The Jury will take up , the case Immediately. Judge FoxNrtU te out of the city next week, so will hurry the work of the jury as much as possible. . Prosecutor Ladd was not prepared today to make any statement He Is' continuing his investication, and this morning went to Centervtlle to Investigate a rumor that he had heard. It was, reported' to the prosecutor that both the Meeks and Ratlsbacka had threatened1 to kill each other. What steps are taken toward the prosecution of Railsback will depend upon the report of the coroner. If the state's attorney finds that there had been previous declarations on -'the. part of members of the Railshack family that some day -there .-would be shooting. It is probable an -attempt will be made to prefer a -charge of first degree murder. The State would look upon these threats as proof of . the , premeditated- malice in the case. - i Had - Premonitions. Members of both the Meek and Railsback, families bad had premonitions that something fatal probably would result from the dipute over the , line fence. Each family knew the dogmatfdsm of the other, but on neither side

believed it was justified in the contention and each was prepared to give but never take. It was but a few days ago that in conversation with a neighbor, Mrs. Meek said she felt peculiarly about the erection of their new house. A neighbor remarked about what a

splendid home they would have. Yes." she is said to have answered, "but I am afraid some of us will not enjoy It, the way things are going." Yesterday's tragedy brought the real ization of her words. She Expected Treuble. ' ' Miss Bessie RailetMeek, who went to Washington state a few weeks ago, formerly was employed aa a clerk in a local dry goods store. Just before leaving for the north-west ., a friend was congratulating her on the prospects of her trip. "Tea, it will be nice," she . answered, "but don't ,yo know I feel something may happen while I am gone. . The folks are hav ing trouble with the Meeks over a fence and I feel something dreadful is going to happen.",; Yesterday afternoon a story waa current on the streets to the effect Mrs. Meek and her daughter were sitting guard in front of their house, when an interurban car passed. Each was said to have a shotgun. The story was not given credence. Mrs. Meek was almost frantic from a nervous breakdown following the shock and her daughter remained with her. Shock Wearing Off. Mrs. Meek had recovered from the abode today sufficiently for the ooroner to continue his inquest. She said she heard shooting but was not aware that' aV tragedy had happened until told later. She said she told her son, Sunday, that crows had been disturbing the chickens and he would have to shoot at them. He neglected to do so and she spoke to him again Monday morning. He went into the house and came out with his shotgun, and went over' the hill slope back of the house. She said" she heard a noise like chopping wood to the southwest. Soon afterward . her husband came out of the house and said: 'They're at that chopping again." She did not notice that he was armed. He, too, went over the hill. A short time later she heard shooting. - She said she was afraid to look over toward the place. She thought it probable Raymond was shooting crows, but her fears were such, as to make her suspect something more sinister might have hapIs Widely Discussed. The murder has been the chief topic for disco ion about the city today. Sentiment seems divided. It is claimed by some, Railsback was justified, but others say the other boys ' could have left the place when Joel did and trouble would have been avoided. The Meek .farm waa the mecca for a large number of visitors again today. All day long excursion parties went out to the scene of the shooting. Frank Railsback Sr. has broken down as the result of the strain and is in a state of nervous collapse. The other members of the family are showing the effects of their worry more today than they did yesterday. Friends have visited 'the family today for the purpose of offering consolation. Mrs. Railsback is bearing up remarkably well. Word that her son Frank, is showing signs of improvement today after passing a restless night, were very encouraging to her. V She feels confident her son Joel will be acquitted at his, trial. frightful Wounds. At the morgue of Wilson, Pohlmeyer & Downing, yesterday afternoon the bodies of the two dead men were prepared for burial. It was necessary to make use of a plaster to restore the cavity in the head of the dead father, which had been caused 'by the shot. The head of the son was placed in a position to conceal aa much as possible tbe wound in hie chin and throat. .. The bodies were taken to the Meek home this morning. Friends called at the house this afternoon to view them and express their condolences with Mrs. Meek and her daughter. The

noon at 2:30 o clock at the Fllto

Street M. E. church. The Rev. J. C Graham will bp in charge. The cas kets will not be opened at the church. The burial will be at Earlham ceme tery- - ' - - --. FIRE L8SS MILLiiS Akron. O.. May 18. The Hower building, the finest in the city, was burned today. The loss is estimated at about a million' dollars. WASHBURN IS NAMED Washington, May 18 The President appointed William S. Washburn of the District of Columbia, to be civil service commissioner. He Alls a vacancy. I IS KILLED Minneapolis, May IS. Lieutenant John McNamara of the fire depart ment was shot dead while assisting two detectives to arrest a holdup man who gave his name as Frank Erickson of Chicago. VOTED FOR STRIKE Paris, May -18. The federal committee of the General Confederation of Labor has voted in favor of a general strike to aid the postal employes. The government has a cavalry in reserve in case of trouble. , LOVE IN A COTTAGE PROVED A FAILURE O In this picture are shown Mr. and Mrs. James A. RusselL Mrs. Russell was Miss Dorothy Bremser, of St. Louis. ' She was : IS years old when she was married, and has discovered, as far as she is concerned, that mar riage is a failure.' She is suing for

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FALL FESTIVAL PUIS WILL BE MADE AT SMOKER

Business Men of Richmond Will Get Together This Evening at the City Building And Discuss Affair.' EVERYONE INTERESTED INVITED THIS EVENING Young Men's Business Club mm mm a a Memoers mink mat an Early Start Should Be Made On the Big Project. Merchants and manufacturers are taking much interest in the smoker to be held by the Young Men's Business Club this evening, at the city building, at which time plans for the Festival, to be given next Pall, will be discussed. These men are in the game from a different standpoint than they were last year. Instead of only being donators of money, many will also devote considerable time to active boosting. The club wishes to have everyone who is interested in the success of the Fall Festival to attend the mass meeting tonight. The club, with its host of helpers omside the organization, desires to start early on the affair, in order that the work will not pile up as it did last year. Several of the members were much overworked then because of the lack of time to make arrangements. - Start Advertising. The members of the club are desirous that everyone take part in the affair this year. In fact several members have expressed a desire that an active advertising campaign be started Immediately and that every section of the country in this vicinity be thor oughly covered. Several features will no doubt be added to the attractions this year. Just what they will be is not known, owing to the early date. Every feature of last year's affair, with the ex ception of the visit of the soldiers, will be given on a much larger scale this fall. The horse and flower shows will be especially large. The industrial parade is also going to be a "whop per" from what can be learned. order iieb mm ' - - - . . This Action Taken by Commis sioners After Inspecting Jail. WERE IN BAD CONDITION After making a thorough inspection of the condition of the windows at the county jail today, the county commis sioners decided to order new windows installed. The present windows have fallen from their moorings as the re sult of decay. At some of the openings boards have been inserted to keep out the wind. In others the windows have been propped into position and old blankets hang over them. In still other places the glass is broken out. The commissioners had heard complaints from the sheriff about the condition of the windows, but did not realize how bad it was.' The windows are barred on the outside with iron an inch thick that is moorec Into the ma sonry. On the inside another set of bars protests them. These bars are fitted into a cage-like arrangement that can be lifted down from the wall and replaced. HAVE FATAL WRECK : tnicago. iay is. several persona are reported killed and scores- injured m a wreck of two Northwestern elevated trains at Franklin and Ohio streets early today. The police were notified that a rear-end ooUisfoa had occurred on the express track and ac cording to an official of .the Adams & Westlake company who witnessed the acciednt, at least fifty men were in-

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Taking one of the first steps in his criminal career in this city, a petty offense of "beating" a $1.75 board bill, George L. Cheever recently brought to a close his crooked operations when arrested in New York on a charge of cashing a forged check for 118.000. The downfall of the young man he is only 22 years old. was due to his pas sion for tbe speedy life, and the lure of Gotham's "Great White Way." In the language of the streets, Cheever had a "champagne appetite and a beer income." About a year ago Cheever, whose home was in Andover, Mass., arrived in Richmond and registered at the Westcott hotel. He called upon a SHERIFF MEREDITH ITEM MORTGAGEE Chattel Mortgage Was Re cently Filed With the County Recorder. " COVERS LOAN OF $2,000 STIPULATED THAT THE CLAIM COVERS MOST OF THE EQUIPMENT OF THE NEWSPAPER PLANT INTEREST DRAWN. Sheriff LiituB P. Meredith is named as the mortgagee in a chattel mortgage filed recently wjth the county recorder in which the Item Newspaper company and Josiah B. Gordon are named as the mortgagor. In consideration of a loan of S2.000, Meredith acquires a right to close in on the property of the mortgagors, consisting of a news paper plant and its equipment. , The mortgage was given to Becure payment of a promissory note with interest at 6 per cent. . - Terms of Agreement. , It is stipulated in the agreement that the claim covers - the- printing press, typesetting machines, machinery, type, motors, print paper, raw material, the office furniture and the fixtures used in the publication of the Evening Item The mortgagor retains possession of and use of the property until the note becomes due. If the note is not paid promptly at maturity the mortgagee shall have the right to take and keep possession of the property without any process of law and shall become the absolute proprietor. , The mortgage is signed by the Item Newspaper Company, Josiah B. Gordon, president. L. II SEEKING DIVORCE Six Months of Married Life Proved Enough. "Six months of married life were enough for Orville I Brown, and at the end of that time he left his wife, Harriett, so the latter alleges in a complaint for divorce, she has entered in the Wayne circuit court. The plaintiff asks that her name be changed back to Harriett Emma Quigley. Abandonment and failure to provide are tbe causes assigned as to why divorce should be granted.

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BRQV7II

ARE YOU GOING? - away for the summer? No? Then why not spend the sommer In one - of those cool, roomy houses or 1 ' apartments the owners of which are going away? They want reliable persons to take care of their homes in their absence. Let them know that you will do it. Cse a yw wjant s1 - Call

Richmond man, who formerly attended Phillips Andover Academy, and

failed flatly in an effort to secure a life-sized "loan." Cheever then "blew" the city incidentally neglect ing to pay his board bill. When he applied for the position of bellboy at a Dayton hotel, he was arrested on complaint of local authorities. The young man, however, was Anally re leased, as the amount of his fraud was not great enough to warrant bringing him back to this city for tri al. Cheever Is a fine looking young fellow and a good dresser and talker. He comes of a good family in Andover, and formerly attended the academy in that city. CAPTAIN HAMS SENT TO PRIS0I1 4 Was - Today Removed From Rushing Jail After Long Confinement. APPEAL WILL BE TAKEN PRISONER IS STILL. A COMMIS SIONED OFFICER IN THE ARMY BUT HE WILL RECEIVE NO PAY UNTIL RELEASED. New York. May 18. Captain Peter C. Hains, Jr., the convicted slayer of William . Annis, was today taken from the county jail of Queens county in Long Island ' City and turned over to the state prison authorities In Sing Sing. . Frequent trips to the prison will be made by Gen. Hains, Mrs. Hains and Major Hains and everything that can be done to cheer up the prisoner will be done by the family, -which has shown such deep devotion for the cap tain. Eugene N.-L. Young of counsel for Capt, Hains, made the following state ment today: - ; Will Take Appeal. "There will be no application for a certificate of reasonable doubt' or stay of execution of sentence at this time. . There .will be an appeal taken in , the. regular way. This appeal am preparing.. - . The sentencing of Capt. Hains does not affect his status in tbe army. . He Is on records as "detained by civil au thorities." but as he Is not on duty, he does not receive pay. . . , , . District Attorney Dewitt was asked today what the indeterminate sentence of 8 to 1G years meant.- He replied "No one- except the state board of pa role seems to know how to figure out these new sentences, bat it means that Hains 'cannot get free inside of eigh years....'. : ; y ,.... SUBMITS REPORT Oil -LIGHT PLAIIT City Did Good Business the . Past Month. The report of the municipal light plant for the month of April as pre sented by Superintendent Rogers. partially as . follows: Received from street lighting. $ 1,891.75; from light and power. $5.186.9, making a total of $7,080.44. The operating expenses were S-.972.7C and tbe building and equipment expenses. $779.28, making the total disbursements, , $3,752.02. The excess of receipts over disburse ments is 14.107.68. THE WEATHER PHOPIIET

Retired New York Merchant

Today Files Petition to Dissolve the . Great United States Company.; PLATTS ALARMED BY LATE DEVELOPMENT Accounting of . the Wealthy Family Is Demanded Thsy Have Stewardship of Assets Totaling Millions. - New York. May 17. That the Platts are alarmed by the attacks made on the administration of tbe United States Express company Is evidenced by the facts that came to light today. The latest action is that of John L. Dudley, a retired merchant, for . the appointment of a receiver for the Unitl States Express' company and for dissolution of the corporation Mr. Dudley demands an accounting of the Piatt family and their associates for their stewardship of the assets of th company, which amount to about SIT,000,000. ; Interesting Facts. Many interesting facts are incorpo rated in Dudley's moving papers aa well, as in the complaint to which the defendants have entered answers. largely in the form of denials. Among . them is a statement that until very recently the entire Piatt combination, consisting of six members of Senator Piatt's family, owned only 2,380 out of the 100,000 shares of the . company. These were distributed as follows: Thomas C Piatt, president, salary $23,000. lOO shares. Frank, H. Piatt, his son. counsel at large, annual retainer, f 1.T70 Chauncer H. Crosby, .the son-in-law. vice president, secretary, and general manager, salary, $1&0(M; 100 shares. Edward T. Piatt, son, treasurer, sal-' ary. $7,500; 100 shares. Angelica H. Piatt, daughter. " 10 bares. . . Henry B. Piatt, son. 300 shares. Both Directors. After Mr. Dudley began, his action. 19.OH0 shares came into the possession of Frank H. Piatt, by purchase. These had previously belonged to two other express companies, and stood 10.000 la the name of James C. Fargo, as president of the American Express Co.. and 0,000 in the name of Levi C Wein, as president of the Adams Express com pany. Both these men were directors of the U. S. Express company, also, but Mr. Fargo has resigned since the Dudley suit was - begun. -- - Mr.- Dudley complaint was served on the company and the various officers February is. 1000. and now Frank H. Plait appears as the holder of 2O.830 shares. What was the Immediate reason for the acquisition of such a block of I per cent stock, or what was the price paid is a matter Prank H. Piatt an-1 the other person concerned, are keening very close about.. , Mr. Dudley's lawyers hope, to get Mr. Piatt on the stand and have him tell about this transaction. , , : , . - This ownership of 19.000 shares of the company by two rival corporations is one of the things Mr. Dudley would like to have explained. - ; - 'r A HIGH WATER l ' Chicago. May 18. May wheat sold at $1.30 today, being sow high record for Patten's desL The market Is very wild. It is now believed Patten las sold most of his wheat holdlcu. ' HIQTSAHEUOCIIECKEI Athens May . 18. Reports - tofiay from Adana say the snti-chrlstiaa ele ment ' is .sweeping everything it- A hundred armies have been into prison. The Turkish officials visiting punishment on the Christians and blaming them for the repootail Ity of the recent msssacres. VERY TIIHEATEOICG Paris. May 18. A more thresteniz aspect was pat apoa tbe strike sUasvtion here today by the action of the Federal committee of the General eonfederation of labor voting In favor ef . a general strike to aid the postal easployea. The vote. was taken after a prolonged discission wkich " laxtsJ practically all fL'VTfen trrt'J early today made active jAaueope with any violence that gL2?2sk

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ftuwral will be held

aa astaulmest of the