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Newspaper Page Text
BOHANNA N IS NO CONVICTE Evidence Against Him Insuf ficient to Warrant Revo cation of License. INVESTIGATION CONCLUDED BY CITY COUNCIL LAST NIGHT. Council Freely Expresses Opinion Regarding FrequentComplaints of the Same Nature. The city council last night con cluded the hearing in the case of W. H. Bohannan, cited to appear before that body to show cause friiy his licenseishould not be re voked. The evidence was held insufficient to warrant a revoca tion of Bohannan's license and the matter was dismissed. The matter was taken up- after the regular routine business had been concluded. Mayor Luding ton and Aldermen Bowser and Graham and Recorder Bailey were present. City Attorney Russell reviewed the evidence against Bohannan. He concluded his remarks by stating that if the council found the evidence sufficient to warrant the charge that the complaining witness, Henry H. Bell, had been detained in the saloon against his will it was the duty of the council to re voke the license. Graham M. Torrance, Mr. Bo hannan's counsel, was then heard in his behalf. He reviewed the evidence of the defense and made a strong point out of the fact that the famous Ole Haverhold, who had been much heard of in the testimony had not been heard on the stand. He thought that if the defense had such a strong case against his client it was strange that Mr. Haverhold, who was his friend and companion during all of the time of his spree at the Exchange, had not been examined by the prosecution. He also stated that his witnesses had sworn that Bell had been seen outside on the sidewalk. Mr. Torrance made a very able presentation of his side of the matter and in closing asked for his client that justice to which he was entitled. Mayor Ludington stated that complaints of this sort had been, painfully frequent of late and he thought it was high time a halt should be called. He believed that he should be in favor of tak ing the matter under advisement for the present and stated it looked like a very badly mixed up affair to him.? Alderman Bowser said it looked like a case of a man getting drunk and spending his money to him. He thought that the fact that restaurants and lodging were provided at many saloons was a fact to be deplored as the woods man who came to town to have a time invariably remained until he had spent all his money. He be lieved restaurants in connection with saloons were pernicious. Attorney Torrance called the attention of the council tothe fact that the restaurant at the Ex change saloon was not operated by his client. Alderman Graham was from Missouri. He did not set much store, he said, by the statement of Bell to the effect that he could %not get out of the saloon. He considered this a very weak point in his story. Bell had testified that he had been in the office a great deal of the time. There was nothing to hinder him from breaking the window and jump ing into the street if he felt and knew as he said he did that he was being detained against his will. Recorder Bailey carefully ad justed his spectacles, cleared his throat and stated that he agreed with Graham. He did not think that Bell had been detained against his will. The evidence covering this point was far from being conclusive. He believed, he said, that the old gentleman had gone out for a little time, had found the Exchange a congenial place to have it and stayed there until it was concluded. Alderman Bowser had been making a few inquiries regarding the matter for his own informa tion. He had heard that Bell kept the sidewalk with difficulty when he went to the Exchange saloon. This was after he took those two drinks of good whiskey at Coteau's, the council would re member he said. Recorder Bailey believed the COME S BAC FRO THE GRAV E James Pratt, Belived to Be Dead, Is Renewing Old Acquaintances. BELIEVED TO HAVE DROWNED IN LAKE BEMIDJI. Decomposed Body Taken from Lake and Buried at County Poor Farm. Two years ago the friends of James Pratt a once well known Bemidji character, stood around an open grave at the county poor farm, while the minister said the solemn words of the burial ser vice and turned from it to remem ber Pratt no more in the land of of the living. This morning he arrived in Bemidji safe and well and is shaking hands with his old time acquaintances and telling them how it came about that they paid their last respects to another man and not to himself. A year ago last fall two woods men left the dock at the foot of third street to row to the north end of Lake Bemidji, where they were to accept employment at a hoisting works. Nothing more of the men was ever seen alive. An overturned boat and pieces of their clothing told the story of their fate. The announcement was made that Pratt was one of the party and his friends mourned him as dead. The lake was dragged for the bodies. Only one was recovered. The following spring the other body came up. It was so badly de composed as to be beyond identi fication and was found imbedded in a piece of ice. It was bfelieved to be the body of Pratt and as he had no- rela tives here it was taken to the poor farm for burial. With the clos ing of the incident Pratt's mem ory passed from his friends in this city and.there were a num ber of surprises when he came to Bemidji last night. On the morning that the drown ing occurred Pratt took the early train for the Pacific coast. He had not previously advised his friends of his intention. He has spent the time since leaving here on the Pacific coast until last fall, when he came to North Dakota and there met an old Bemidji friend who told him that he was supposed to be dead together with all the details of the story. He came back to disprove it. Who the man is that was buried for Pratt may probably never be known. He was a -stranger in the city and those who saw the boat leave the dock cannot imagine who it is since Pratt has been developed safe and sound. point raised by the defendant's attorney regarding the absence of testimony from the famous Ole Haverhold was a very salient one. Mayor Ludington said he would like to see occurrences of this kind stopped. Men came in here, he said, went on big carousals and were kicked out. At least there had been instances of this kind. He thought it would bean excellent thing if the saloon men could be made responsible in some way or other. At the same time he must agree with the other members that the evidence was hardly sufficient to warrant the revocation of Bohannan's li cense. He then looked Mr. Bo hannan square in the eye and stated that he hoped the council would not have occasion to repeat this proceeding with him. Mr. Bohannan' said he didn't think the council would. Fred Brinkman was present and while not a member of the council he went on to say that he didn't have any use forOle Haver hold. He was at the bottom of the whole affair and had been try ing to make trouble for a num ber of local saloon men. Then he solicited the attention of the council for a business card which he has which states that there is no deception about the interior of his place or the exterior either. tie will not sell liquor to habitual drunkards and if relatives will notify him of any shortcomings on the part of their husbands or sons he would see to it that they didn't get anything in his place. The meeting then adjourned. Thos. Nary, the well known Park Rapids lumberman, is in the city on business today. IT MA CONSIDER BEMIDJI Big Paper Mill to be Moved From Grand Rapids to New Location. ITASCA PAPER CO. CANNOT GET ADEQUATE POWER. Notice Given Out That Cessation of Operations May be Expected Unless Conditions Improve. The Itasca Paper company has given notice to the citizens of that city that unless arrange ments can be made in the near future for a flow of water ade quate to turn their big power grinders the mills at Grand Rapids may suspend. The Com mercial club of that city will make an effort to have conditions materially changed at once. The paper company operates a large plant at Grand Rapids, giv ing employment to quite a num ber of men but it has lately been subjected to serious inconven ience by the water power. A government engineer last year constructed a dam up the river which practi6ally destroyed the water power at Grand Rapids. In the meantime the mill has been compelled to ship its pulp wood to Brainerd to be ground up and afterwards shipped back to the plant. This plan has been found to be so expensive that the announcement is made that the mill will shut down unless an adequate water supply can be assured. The matter has been causing the people at Grand Rapids anxiety for some time and they will do evreything they can to, retain the plant at that city. Just how much effect their efforts will have remains to be seen. In the meantime represetatives of the Itasca Paper company have visited Bemidji and investi gated the water power here. They expressed satisfaction, while it was stated that the power would cost something to develop and there were other ob stacles of a minor nature. They have at present, however, under serious consideration the project of establishing a pulp mill here, auxiliary to their Grand Rapids plant. In the event that they should decide to remove from Grand Rapids there is no doubt that they would seriously con sider Bemidji as a location. The mill would be a valuable adjunct to the business interests of the town and if its coming to this city ever assumes such a tangible form that* it needs encourage ment there is no doubt but that it will be forthcoming. Winter Camping Out. John McDougal and M. P. De Wolf, two estimators for the Crookston Lumber company, left last night for the Big Fork coun try where they expect to spend the next six weeks. They will go into the woods from North ome and will be at their ob jective point 40 miles distant from that town. Each gentleman carries a pack weighing 95 pounds. Their outfit includes a tent and camp stove, besides grub and sleeping blankets, and all this will be packed in. They will camp out in a tent during all their stay. Missionary Conference. A missionary conference will be held in Bemidji on Thursday of this week, to be attended by Congregational pastors in this section. Supt. Geo. R. Merrill D. D., of Minneapolis, will be present. The conference will be under the general direction of Rev. Allan Clark, general mis sionary, and will be held in the Lutheran church. The sessions will be confined to afternoon and evening. The evening session will be occupied by addresses to which the general public are in vited. Secured Divorce. A decree of divorce has been to Olva Lenerville from E. J. Lenerville. The action was brought on the grounds of non support. The plaintiff is given the custody of an only child. -O DIDN'T O Attendance at Skating Rink Last Night Not Sufficient to Suit Norval Baptie. The exhibition advertised to take place at the Bemidji Jce rink last night in which Norval Baptie, the famous skater was to be seen did nottakeplace. Theinclemency of the weather would not permit of a large attendance and when Baptie^.arrived at the rink there were less than thirty people pre sent. The exhipition will be postponed.' Baptie will go to Cass Lake. He may return to Bemidji and give an exhibition. Manager Burns is very much disappointed with the reception Baptie was given. Wolves Killed on Logging Road. Employes of the logging camp of Kirk & Smith at the head of the lake killed two timber wolves in the logging road Saturday. The heads were brought to Be midji Saturday for the bounty. Wolves are quite numerous in that section of the, woods. CHILDREN'S YESTEE SUITS. $4, $3.50 and $3 Suits for $1.98. Sizes 3 to 8. HOLOCAUST AT CASS LAKE Little Son and Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Huffman Burned to Death This Morning. Cass Lake, Jan. 26.(Special to the Pioneer).The two-year-old son and eight-rnonths-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Prank Huffman were burned to death this morning in a conflagration which destroyed the Huff man home. Y/V J*U iXi i The house was a log structure on the outskirts of the city, and three children, a boy aged four years and his little brother and sister were left alone at the Huffman home this morning by the mother. The father is employed in a logging camp near Tenstrike. The fire was discovered about 10:30 o'clock and had gained good headway. The charred remains of the two little ones were found after the blaze had been extinguished. It is supposed that they had been playing with the fire and in some way their clothing had been ignited and both had perished. The four-year-old boy who escaped is able to tell only an imperfect story of the affair. He remembers that they were all playing with the fire and that he went outside the house and returned to find the interior in flames. He called to his little brother but received no reply, and then gave the alarm. The grief of the stricken mother is heartrending. The father was notified by wire of the occur- rence, and is expected to arrive in Cass Lake tonight. CHARTERS Charter Commision Reading Charters of Various Minnesota Towns. The members of the charter commission are busy at the pre sent time making up the charters which have been received by Secretary Rhoda. Among the charters submitted are those of the cities of Faribault, Sleepy Eye Brainerd, Crookston and Willmar. Secretary Rhoda also has ad vice from the dean of law school, of the state university, ^sfco is regarded as one of theTbest authorities on city organization in which he states that most of the charters under which Minne sota towns are organized at pre sent are defected and in many respect conflictory. He has ad vised the commission that the charter of the city of Clinton, Iowa, is regarded as perfect in his estimation. Secretary Rhoda has written for a copy of this charter and it is expected to ar rive in a few days. Advertise in the Pioneer. $10 and $8 Young Men's Suits, desir- able, fashionable suits best of qual- ities at choice for 15he Clothiers CLOTHIN SALE! Glittering Success. Clearanc Sale of Men' Overcoats! Greates Overcoa Bargai in Bemidji, The largest variety in Bemidji, representing most celebrated metkes aund best qualities New popular coloringsOvercoats in all lengths, widths and proportions, richly lined no sale can compare with this $25, $22, $20 and $18 Overcoats truly a marvelous opportunity that you can not afford to miss at choice $14.75.yonlrfo Youn Men' Suits at less than half price. FIRE AT GUTHRIE Hotel and Fisher Store Burned to the Ground Last Night. Fire last night destroyed the Guthrie hotel and the Fisher store. It caught from a defective chimney, had gained a good start before discovered, and as the town is without adequate fire protection the building and most of the contents was destroyed. There was no insurance. The blaze was in progress when the M. & I. passenger train left Guthrie last night. Clearing Streets at Gemmel. M. D. Stoner went to Black (djgck last night, and before his lHurn to Bemidji expects to visit his new townsite at Gemmel on the M. & I. extension. Mr. Stoner at present has a force of men working at the town clear ing up the streets, and when the time to open it comes expects that there will be quite a rush for town lots, as the town is situ ated in a very desirable section of the north country. Boys' 50c Pulldown Caps for 25c. $4.75