BY P. GRAY MEEK. EE ———————————————————————————————————— INK SLINGS. —Is it to be war with Mexico, or only benevolent assimilation? ——And ROOSEVELT is in the jungles of South America. What’s the use? —A year ago today it was as hot as it was here last Sunday when the mercury reached 86 degrees. —If war really “is hell” as General Sherman has declared it to be, Mr. HUERTA is evidently determined to have his portion of it at the very first moment possible. ——Potatoes are the most important crop in Lehigh county, according to the report of the United States Soil Survey. It may be added that the Irish in Lehigh county talk Pennsylvania Dutch. —Strange as it may appear Mr. PAL- MER was out of Washington all of last week and yet Mr. WILSON’S administra- tion as well as Congress seems to have gotten along about as well as usual. —Maybe HUERTA didn’t have powder enough to fill his old guns and maybe they wouldn’t go off and maybe they are only wooden after all. You know the Chinese made a pretty strong bluff with ‘wooden guns until it was finally called. ——1It is charged that a working agree- ment has been established between the PENROSE machine and the editor of the Philadelphia North American. If that be true PENROSE would better watch out. VAN usually gets the bettét of any bar- gain he enters into. —The spirit of the conqueror flashed from the wireless message of an Ameri- can Admiral who had just put to sea under sealed orders which read: “We don’t know where we are going or what we are to do, but what ever it is we are ready for it.” —The scientist who declares that bald- headed men fall to sleep more readily than others, while in church, is, speaking from entirely personal observations and a most intimate knowledge of one speci- men of this class, not a scientiest at all. He is just a plain liar. —Really it’s beginning to look as if the HUERTA dictatorship for the people of Mexico, and the MCcCorRMICK effort to become the same for the Pennsylvania Democrats would find a fitting resting place, on the historical junk pile about the same time, during the summer of 1914. ' —If the reports of Philipsburg papers are to be relied upon there has pct been a political gathering in that place since the PATTISON party was there a. quarter | of a century since, that compared either in size or enthusiasm to the greeting the RYAN party received there last Friday night. —Mr. McCorMICK’S Harrisburg Patriot is excited because a Republican presided at the RYAN meeting in Houtzdale. Why worry over little things like that, dear Patriot, when fully half the people who went to make up the crowd of two hun- dred that greeted your pet on the occa- sion of his visit here were Republicans and they looked so big to your own re- porter that he had them swelled to a crowd of five thousand when you told of it in your columns next day. —The Johnstown Democrat is the first and, we believe, the only Democratic paper in Pennsylvania to doubt the mo- tives or wisdom of President WILSON’S acts. Two of its leading editorials on Tuesday arouse the suspicion that it is getting ready to do what it has always done: Knock if things go contrary to its own peculiar ideas. And this in the face of the fact that it is urging everyone to vote for PALMER and MCCORMICK as the only way of supporting the President. Consistency, thou art a jewel, sure enough. —Dr. Dixon's weekly health letter to the public advises everyone to drink at feast two quarts of cool, pure water every day and laysstress on the peculiar benefit to the system if at least a pint is taken immediately ‘after arising in the morning. It is all very beautiful if everyone under- stood why it is done. But the average fellow who would let his wife see him gulping down an entire pint of water ‘every morning might as well make up his mind that he will never persuade her to believe that he is doing it - for health’s sake and not for “hot coppers.” — A suggestion comes to us from Bur- | gess BLANCHARD'S proclamation concern- ing clean up week. ' His very competent press agent, who-ever he or she may be, concludes a most trenchant and sensible call upon the citizens cf Bellefonte to clean up everywhere with the following: “Let us make Bellefonte spick and span and earn the right to the title, Pennsyl- vania’s cleanest town.” The prestige Bellefonte has held as the home of Gov- ernors and politicians is waning. We seem to be without young men of prom- ise to hold the early reputation gained for our town by those whose names be- came State and Nation wide in political and governmental affairs. If we no long- er have ambitions in that direction every class of citizen can contribute to the proposal to keep Bellefonte’s fair name foremost among the towns of the State by rallying to this call of the Burgess to make it the cleanest town in Pennsyl- vania. / STATE RIGHTS AN D FEDERAL UNION. VOL. 59. BELLEFONTE, PA... Cameron Methods in Party. the Democratic “The reorganization wing of the Demo- | cratic party has about completed the slate for the Senate and House, according to the Harrisburg correspondent of the Philadelphia Public Ledger, an organ of of plutocracy and the PALMER-MCCOR- MICK machine. “With very few excep- tions,” the correspondent adds, “the re- organizers will have candidates in nearly every district.” But the failure of a Mc- Connellsburg banker to take the nomi- nation for Senator in the 36th district, “is a fly in the ointment.” “It means a loss to the PALMER-MCCORMICK ticket,” continues the narrative. The banker “is very strong in his district and a good campaigner.” He is probably liberal with his money, also, and “hence these tears.” It has not been customary for the Democratic State Committee, sitting in its headquarters at Harrisburg, to pick candidates for Senator and Representa- i tive in_the General Assembly for the several constituencies. The Democratic people have been in the habit of perform- ing that little service for themselves. But we have entered upon a new era in politics. Three party recreants and office brokers arrogate to themselves the right to name all the candidates for the party from Governor down to precinct assessor and the citizen who dares to remonstrate is denounced as a bi-partisan pirate if not something worse. And the servile and sordid place-hunters tamely submit to the infamy. These conspirators have chosen a political waif as the candidate of the party for Congress in this district and presumably we will be handed a slate made in the same place for Representa- tive in the Legislature and other offices in due time. But we don’t believe that the Democrats of Centre county and the Twenty-first Congressional district will submit to the indignity thus put upon them. There are plenty of candidates for the several appointments to be made by the administration at Washington, but few of them are willing to barter their manhood for “a mess of pottage.” Centre county Democrats were not brought up in the Cameron school and will not read- ily embrace the Cameron methods. ~——Of course there will be plenty of people who will insist that a war with Mexico should be one of subjugation but there is a tradition that some people would steal a hot stove if the opportunity offered. The Mexican Situation. The President’s message to Congress on the Mexican situation is characteris- tic. It is a clear, cogent and conserva- tive statement of a condition which men- aces but didn’t necessarily mean war with our adjacent neighbers. Obviously HUERTA wants war, not because it prom- ises victory over American forces, but for the reason that it might avert his im- pending defeat at the hands of Mexican rebels. There would be no humiliation in an unsuccessful encounter with the forces of the United States. There would be both humiliation and disaster in a de- feat in an encounter with the band of brigands under command of and affiliated with VILLA. Besides there is a remote prospect that war with the United States would bring all the elements of Mexico into unison and in the last analysis elevate HUERTA to the Presidency after a fair and legiti- mate contest. Obviously he is'a man of vast force. There is something more than cunning in his manipulation of the meager resources he has been able to control. A man of small calibre would have floundered long ago. Possibly he realizes now that the end of his period is near. But he has kept up appearances through a long continued course of ad- versity and ends it with bold bluff that challenges attention even though it be mixed with contempt. - i But President WILSON may be depend- ed upon to meet every exigency as it arises. He has managed this Mexican problem with masterful skill from the beginning and is not likely to slip at the crucial moment. In 1898 President Mc- KINLEY . was deceived and deluded with the grave consequences that are familiar to every thoughtful citizen. The jingoes and the grafters will try to put a similar trick over upon President WILSON but we confidently believe they will fail. He is too firmly entrenched in patriotism to be beguiled and too strong in intellect to be fooled. His message to Congress shows that he is moving along safe lines and therein lies security. ——T1t is said that WILSON BAILEY, offi- cial “macer” of postmasters for the Democratic State committee, wears a pe- rennial‘and persuasive smile... But wher- ever he goes he leaves sadness in his John Bright and William B. Wilson. urday Evening Post, declares that if it “were going to chisel a monument to Democracy probably we should choose for the subject JOHN BRIGHT heroically refusing to don court dress in order to be presented to Queen Victoria when he became a cabinet member.” Mr. BRIGHT had always been a champion of the plain people. When driven by political exigen- cies he was invited to a seat in the cabi- net the nabobs expected and believed of life and become a courtier But he disappointed them. He continued to live the life to which he was accustomed and’ through which he had made his way to a well earned distinction. WiLLiam B. WiLsoN, Secretary of Labor in the cabinet of President WIL- | SON, began life as a coal miner and made his way by well directed effort to his present high office. Thus far his record is much like that of JOHN BRIGHT. But having reached the summit of his ex- ‘pectations, he adopted a different course. He has not only assumed the habits and manners of the courtiers but has gone beyond most of them. He is the only member of the present cabinet who en- joys the luxury of a government owned automobile for private use. The others are content to do without automobiles or provide them from their personal purses: But Mr. WILSON, the labor agitator, uses a government machine. And this is the man who has under- taken to tell the people of Pennsylvania who they shall nominate andfelect for Governor and Senator in Congress. He has the assurance to appear before the workingmen of the State and tell them from the high station he occupies what kind of officials should direct the affairs in the low level they are compelled to remain in. He is like JOHN BRIGHT only in physical life. In mental structure he more resembles the demagogue whom our esteemed contemporary describes as one of a type of plain persons who, “upon winning a position of importance, has immediately tried to become a fancy person.” He is a poor teacher and a. bad guide. wo ——OQur friend, the Fourth Assistant Postmaster General, Mr. JAMES I. BLAKES- LIE—only a week or so ago authorized the announcement that he had contributed $600 to the kickers and scrappers depart- ment of the State Democracy, to aid it in carrying the primary election. As Mr. BLAKESLIE has always been recognized as a rather tight-wad when it comes to a matter of politics, the general wonder has since been, if that Schuylkill post- master whom he has been keeping in of- fice so long, after he was ordered to be kicked out, had any hand in helping to raise the boasted,and certainly unexpected contribution. Action of Two Parties. On the 20th day of April, 1898, President MCKINLEY sent a special message to Con- gress calling attention to the unfortunate condition of affairs in Cuba and request- ing authority to meet any emergencies which might arise in consequence. The disaster to the Maine had stirred the patriotism of the country from centre to circumference and the air was burdened with resentment. The message recited the facts and indicated the results. The response of Congress was as unanimous as it was prompt. Not a single voice was raised in opposition to the plans of the administration. . Partisanship faded away in the presence of danger, as snow melts under a mid-summer Sun. On the 20th of April, 1914, just sixteen years later, President WILSON delivered a special message to Congress of precisely similar import. An insult had been put upon our flag, an outrage upon the honor and dignity of the country. But in the incident there was an opportunity to leader of the Republicans in the House and the manager of that party in the Senate raised an opposition which could offer hope to no more than delay. It served the purpose of encouraging HUERTA and his semi-civilized adherents and cost a few American lives, of course, but it was as futile in retarding the final result as itis puerile and unpatriotic. Probably the Republicans want war and that their opposition to the resolu- tion conferring upon the President the right to rebuke the homicidal usurper in follow. But we hope such expectations will he disappointed. We have no quarrel with the Mexican people. There is no incli- ‘nation among right thinking citizens of Mexico. What the President and people of this country desire is the pacification and prosperity of Mexico and that will be accomplished under the beneficent plans and. policies of President WILSON wake. and the Democrats in Congress. Our esteemed contemporary, the Sat- | that he would abandon his homely habits: make a little political capital and the ' Mexico is based upon the hope that war with its attendant horrors and graft will the United States to conquer or subjugate ' Efficiency of the Navy. The promptness with which the navy ‘responded to the emergency developed ‘by the Mexican situation the other day, ‘speaks volumes for the efficiency of our ‘naval organization. Of course the Sec- retary of the Navy was away making speeches somewhere but the Secretary of the Navy hasn’t much to do, except in an ornamental way, with the navy. The Admirals and line officers down to mid- shipmen, and the blue jackets, are the strength of the navy and the recent event proves a preparedness upon their part that is highly creditable. No foe could make much headway in the face of such efficiency. When it was determined to move a large porportion of the ships to Mexican waters Admiral BADGER was asked how soon he could be ready. A fortnight would have been a seasonable time, ac- cording to expert authority of the high- est order and a week would have indicat- ed a fair measure of efficiency. Vast quan- tities of materials are needed for a fleet on such an expedition, and ships must be in condition for long and arduous service. But Admiral BADGER didn’t ask for a fortnight: or a week for prepara- tions. His immediate answer to the mes— sage of inquiry was: “We shall be ready in eighteen hours.” The country must have thrilled with pride on reading this evidence of efficiency. An efficient navy is the surest guaran- tee of safety. Efficiency is not determin- ed by the number of ships, however. With ten times the strength in the num- ber of vessels and the calibre of guns our navy would be inefficient if the bot- toms of the ships were foul or the offi- cers and men absent from their posts, whether making speeches or dancing tango at society centres. The readiness to move a squadron of battleships within a period of eighteen hours, is the certain test. Happily Secretary of the Navy DANIELS was within hailing distance by telegraph and was able to reach Wash- ington before the expiration of the time fixed without cancelling his oratorical engagement, SHIRL Not the King Democrats Want. If you will notice his announcements you will observe that the McKean coun- ty political-tom-tit, who is asking the Democrats of this congressional district to support him at the primaries, as a “candidate for Representative in Con- gress” gives nointimation of the political beliefs or the political policies he would represent if he would get there. Possibly this is because he does not know what his political beliefs are, or probably its because he has none, or it may be for the reason that he is aware of the fact that no Democrat of ordinary intelli- gence would place any trust in any decla- ration he might make, about his political beliefs or purposes, after his betrayal of the party and his voting against his party’s nominee—the Hon. J. C. MEYER— at the organization of the Legislature of 1912. But read his announcements. You will find them in all the Democratic papers of the district, except this one and, you find that in any of them he even pretends to be a Democrat, or if elected expects to act with the Demo- cratic party, the writer of this will “eat the greaser,” and in addition give his announcement free insertion in these columns. : ~—And now the wonder with morbidly curious and overly suspicious persons is, if the $600 that Fourth Assistant Post- master General —JAMES I. BLAKESLIE re- ported as contributing to the PALMER- McCoRrmMmICK primary campaign fund has any connection with the hold-over Re- county that Congressman LEE has raised the rookery about? ——We can hardly credit the reports of activities in Washington within the past ten days. Mr. A. MITCHELL PALMER has not been at the seat of government during that period and it can easily be proved by himself that he directs all the movements of the administration. | ——Probably Mr. McNally,of Pittsburg, will now understand that he is not want- ed in the diplomatic service of the United States. Two adverse votes of the United States Senate ought to be equal to the falling wall of a brick house as a medium of conveying a hint. ——Billy Sunday got $22,000 as the re- sult of his seven week's campaign at Scranton. Bill works but six days a week and at that rate he received an av- erage of $524 a day, or $21.83 an hour. ——Senator Penrose will be in Belle- fonte along about May 14th or 15th, and will make a speech here in the interest of his candidacy to succeed. himself as United States Senator. : | —The best Job Work done here. APRIL 24, 1914. publican postmaster down in Schuylkill |. NO. 17. ! Lodge’s Great Service. ! From the Boston Herald. | Senator Lodge in his remarkable speech on the Panama tolls issue: brought out jone point of fundamental importance | with a force with which it has never be- | fore been stated; and the effect of his i statement should be profound. It is | that every one of the three American diplomats who had to do with the negotia- , tion of the Hay-Pauncefote treaty “pro- ; ceeded on the clear understanding that : there was to be no discrimination in the | tolls imposed as between the vessels of | any nation, including the vessels of the | United States.” It is well known that Mr. Cheate, one of the three American negotiators, took the view recognized by Senator Lodge, for he has repeatedly said so with sharp emphasis during the last year and de- clared it preposterous to assume that any of the negotiators, American or English, with the views of all of whom he was fully tamiliar, could have entertained any other idea. Mr. Lodge, in his speech in the Senate, refers to the direct testimony of Henry White, who first laid before the British government the desire of the United States to enter into the nego- tiations, that he and Lord Salisbury understood that the treaty contemplated “equality of tolls imposed upon all ves- sels, including those of the United States.” But most impressive, and it would appear absolutely conclusive, as to the real ‘in- tention of the treaty, is what Mr. Lodge says concerning Mr. Hay, who was the Secretary of State who proposed and per- sonally drafted the treaty. “I know,” says Mr. Lodge, “that Mr. Hay’s view was the same as that of Mr. Choate and Mr. White.” : This is remarkable testimony. It seems extraordinary that it should: not have been massed in this cumulative way be- fore; but Senator Lodge has rendered a noteworthy and decisive service in thus bringing these momentous facts together as he does. No one will venture to go behind them. There can no longer be any doubt as to the purpose of the states- men who drew the Hay-Pauncefote treaty; and if the exemption clause is not repealed, it will be because there are still men in the American Senate who are willing to repudiate treaty stipulations made by the ablest of men, who at least believed that they said what they meant, as they meant what they said. Hard on the Jingoes. From the Johnstown Democrat, ~ Just how Mr. Hearst felt when the news reached him, who shall say? ’ VE Dee y «il ere we were right on the of war. A great battleship fleet was hurrying under full steam to the southward. Troops were being mobilized for instant descent upon the Mexican border. Secretary Daniels and Secretary Gar- rison were both wearing ominous looks and war correspondents were making ready with reams of stirring “copy.” Every jingo in the land was a-tiptoe. Jingo journalism was never in finer fettle. We were just about to have war enough to go around. When— Huerta agreed to salute the flag! Was there ever since time begun a swifter descent from the peaks of glory into the valley of disgust? Were ever fire-eaters set down to a coider dish of disappointment? Has history ever recorded a contre- temps more shocking to the sensibilities of the Hearsts and the Hobsons and the Mondells? ~ Could jingoism have been called upon to swallow a bitterer dose of pink tea mollycoddleism? It is indeed a moving tale. The drop from the sublime to the ridiculous was truly heart-rending from the stand-point of men of blood and iron like Mr. Hearst and Mr. Hobson. But there is this consoling reflection. We still have the battleships. We still have our jingo newspapers. We still have the Army and Navy league. We still have swashbucklers in and out of Con- ‘gress. And working all in harmony it should be possible for them sooner or later to stir up a bunch of real trouble somewhere, with Mexico perhaps, with Japan preferably, with Germany or Eng- land, if pretext can be found. ‘verge Attempt to Kill Mitchell. From the Harrisburg Patriot. The serious wounding of Corporation Counsel Polk, of the corporation of the city of New York, appears to have no political significance but to have been the act of a hare-brained old man who ought not to have been at large. "The crime like the attempt on the life of Mayor Gaynor nearly five years ago, and the shooting of Colonel Roosevelt in ‘Milwaukee nearly three years later, was without any reasonable motive, but it shows the danger of permitting cranks to be at large. While they are at liberty it is impossible to foresee or guard against their mad acts. While giving thanks that Mr. Mitchell escaped, the people will pray for the .speedy recovery of Mr. Polk who received the bullet intended for the Mayor. ——Arrangements are now under way to organize the Bellefonte Board of Trade into a chartered organization, and when this is done the old ball field which was purchased as a site for the proposed Bellefonte Automobile company, and which when that proposition fell through ‘was deeded back to Charles M. McCur- dy, as treasurer of the Board of Trade, will be transferred to the latter organi- zation. The latter will probably hold it as an available manufacturing site and pending such disposal lease it for shows or any other purpose for which it may be wanted. ; SPAWLS FROM THE KEYSTONE. — —A largedoe was found dead in the vicinity of the lower reservoir of the Osceola Water compa- ny, in the mountains near Osceola, one day last week. The animal had been chased by dogs and fell over an embankment, breaking its neck. —Mrs. Barbara Elwood, the oldest resident of Punxsutawney and of Jefferson county, died last Saturday morning in the 98th year of her age. She was born in Huntingdon county March 6, 1817, and was the daughter of David Burkett. —The daring bandit continues to break into hardware stores for the purpose of accumu- lating arms and ammunition. Last Sunday morning he smashed the window of such a store in Latrobe and when he left carried with him eleven revolvers. —In a quarrel at Aultman, Indiana county last Friday night, Frank Carbute was shot through the head and abdomen, dying almost imme- diately, but not until he had critically wounded his assailant, Veto Polmere, his brother-in-law. who was the attacking party. : —Jack Africa, the Huntingdon man who took forty-five grains of bichloride of mercury a little over a week ago, is said to be on the way to com- plete recovery. The doctors and the hospital people sweated the poison out of the fellow, thus assisting the kidneys to reduce their load. —Twenty sticks of dynamite with a lightéd fuse attached were found in the new hall of the "United Mine Workers of America at Iselin, In- diana county, by the foreman of construction. The building is nearing completion and the al- most successful effort to wreck it is a mystery. —The difference between the borough of Clear- field and the Clearfield Water company concern- ing the valuation of the latter to property have ‘been adjusted and each is to employ an expert, the twe to make a report. The borough wishes to take over the water plant and its owners have been loth to sell. —Joshua Foster, a farmer residing between Summerville and Heathville, Clearfield county, . was found dead by the road side one day last week. He had been engaged in skidding log. and one of the logs seems to have hit an obstruc- tion and moved backward striking Foster on the left temple, probably killing him instantly. —Timothy Fox, an old man whose home was near Gearhartville, isin the Philipsburg hospital, suffering from a self-infiicted wound, made by a revolver, the man seeking to end his life which had become burdensame. The ball entered his left side, passing through his chest and lungs, narrowly missing his heart and passing out of his back. —Sometimes a loud voice in gentlé woman is ‘an advantage. For instance, Mrs. Abe Staiman, of Williamsport, discovered that her house was on fire the other morning. Running to the front door she yelled “fire” in tones which reached the ears of her husband who was inquiring for rags a square away. He ran home and extinguished the incipient conflagration. —Miss Phoebe C. Dietz, who for the past seven years has been stamp deputy at the internal rev- enue branch office in Lock Haven, has been noti- fied by Internal Revenue Collector Kirkendall, that Scott D. Currin, editor of the Sugar Valley Journal, Loganton, has been appointed her suc- cessor and will take charge May 15. A fine spec- imen of devotion to civil service reform. —James A. Rishel, of Johnstown, in court at Ebensburg on Monday brought suit for $5,000 against the Pennsylvania Railroad company as damages for injuries sustained in a collision be- tween two trains at Tyrone July 30 last. The suit is the outcome of a failure to arrive at a set- tlement after several conferences between Mr. Rishel and representatives of the railroad com- pany. —A new outbreak of smallpox has been report- ' ed to County Medical Inspector C. P. Large, of merset county, as the result of the discovery ‘of thireefiew cases at Boynton, a small town near Meyersdale. The latest persons to be stricken are Thomas Gray, Sr., and his son, Thomas Gray, Jr., and Abram Ross. Recently the Bow- ‘| man home was quarantined for smallpox, and the guards reported the new cases to the coun- ty authorities. —John Alden Shatzer, aged 20 years, is at the Lewistown hospital in a critical condition from shock and fall twenty feet from an electric light pole. Shatzer was trimming lights on a high power line at the Standard Steel works Monday morning. On reaching the top of the pole he grasped the cross arm and the current lifted him from the cleats and threw him to the ground. He was found later by yard employees and when restored to consciousness stated that the heavy rain had caused the pole to become charged, but he had thought the current was turned off be- fore he ascended the pole. He was badly burned. —Silas Clark, aged 17 years, who with Melvin Stryers escaped from the Huntingdon reforma- tory at noon last Friday, was captured at Tates- ville, Bedford county, Sunday afternoon. A con- stable made the capture. He also had Stryers in hand, but the latter broke free from his clutches, took to the woods and has not been seen since. There is a reward of $25 for Stryers’ arrest. He is fair of complexion, slender in build, blue eyes, dark chestnut hair, good teeth, stands 5 feet, 3 inches in his stocking feet and weighs 120 pounds. He has two scars above his wrist bone, and is scarred on the left cheek, one inch from tae nose. —The coal under the Singer tract in Cone- maugh township, Cambria county, located about two miles east of Johnstown and consisting of 200 acres, was sold Monday to a syndicate of Johns- town people headed by Charles H. Suppes, Jr., the consideration being $90,000. This price of $450 an acre is believed to be the record one for bituminous coal outside of the Connellsville field, where the veins are much heavier and conse- quently of greater value. It had been eagerly sought by numerous investors, being the largest body remaining intact in that section of the State and lying in such a position that it can easily be worked from a number of operations owned by Johnstown people. —Two men arein the cold embrace of death and three men languish in the Clearfield jailasa result of two more murders just committed in Clearfield county. The first one took place at Bell Ford, near Karthaus, late Saturday night. Clayton Huston, a colored man, who was well known about Clearfield, killed Dan Burfield, a well known young telegraph operator, cutting him most frightfully with a razor, and death fol- lowing soon after. They were at a dance and quarreled over a woman. Huston got away, but | was brought down afterward by a boy who shot him in the lungs with a revolver and taken to jail Sunday evening. He may die. The second murder was among Italians on the West Side at Clearfield and occurred Sunday afternoon at two o'clock. : —Judge Singleton Bell is authority for the statement that the most complexing legal prob- lem that has come up for him to solve since he went on the bench is that of Keeler versus the Commonwealth. It will be remembered the Clearfield county commissioners offered a re- ward for John O. Keeler, who shot and killed Joseph Roessner, the Clearfield brewer, Keeler having since been hung for the crime. Keeler wandered around in the ‘woods for a few days and returned to his home at Clearfield. His wife, according to her statement, induced him to sur- render to Sheriff Woolridge. Keeler telephoned to the sheriff to come, and after that official fail- ed to appear, went to the jail and surrendered . himself. Mrs. Keeler claims that she is entitled to the reward offered because she induced her husband to surrender: himself. Judge Bell says there are some complicated legal questions and referred to it as the toughest proposition .he had yet been called upon to solve.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers