Odds &M Ends

Murder 
Mrs. Nellie Mohatt killer her four week old baby on Jan. 12.  She said she had enough children.  She is 23 and has six children.  She was judged insane.  She fed it carbolic acid

Miller Forum, 19 Jan 1910

Found Murdered 
        Elmer Mercer, 40, was killed in Kearney by Patrick Edward Cooney.  Albert Gredler testified that he saw Cooney strike Mercer who fell to his knees.  Cooney then struck him in the face twice.  
        Cooney was in jail.   Mercer had homesteaded with three brothers at Gibbon.  They  also  had four sisters.

        Reported in the Miller Forum and in the Dec. 22, 1910 Kearney Daily Hub

Psychiatrists, Sanity Board Study [Husband]
            The county insanity commission and two psychiatrists studied the case of a husband in an insanity hearing at the courthouse.  Insanity complaint had been filed by the county attorney, Oscar Drake.  The man’s wife had died and the coronor’s jury found him criminally insane.
            The county insanity commission was made up of an attorney, a physician and the clerk of the district court.  The psychiatrists were a doctor from Omaha and the superintendent of the state hospital at Norfolk.
            Police had found the wife’s body buried four feet deep in a grave beside the river road south of Kearney.  When they questioned the husband he admitted shooting her with a .22 caliber rifle three days previously “because ‘she was stepping out’ on him.” 
            The man had been admitted to the state hospital at Hastings two years earlier for abusing his wife and he was paroled to his wife’s custody against the advice of the hospital.
 

Kearney Hub, Jan. 4, 1943

Medical note
        Dr. Bell was a physician in Kearney.  In the 1-24-1893 Hub is a small paragraph about prostate surgery performed by Dr. Bell, assisted by the doctor from Sumner on a Long Pine man.  It was the first such surgery in Nebraska.

Marriage Licenses
 

1910 - Bride – Appellona Mortenson

 Two rather aged people were given a marriage license by Judge Easterling on Wednesday, viz: Luther E. Mitchell of Lexington, aged 58, and Margaret Byers of Kearney aged 51.

New Era Standard, Friday, Jan 22, 1897

Divorce
         Mrs. V. J. Moses filed for divorce from William Moses because of habitual drunkeness and lack of support and several other acts of cussedness due to her husband.

Monday, Sept 2, 1889, Kearney Hub

Opera House
        Linden, manager of the Opera House, has ordered 300 opera glasses to be fastened to the backs of chairs the Opera House.  He may be assured that the public appreciates his energy in making this the best opera House.

Kearney Hub, Oct. 1, 1889

Autos, Driving, Streets, Roads
         When you drive along the streets, take the right hand side.  Be sure you do this.

Kearney Hub, Jan.1, 1890
 

        Police Judge John Cameron is recovering from injuries suffered when he lit a match to see if there was sufficient water in the radiator of his car.  Alcohol in the radiator blew up in his face, inflicting quite painful burns.  He was not seriously hurt.

 [advertisement on same page for Radiator Alcohol, non-rusting, for 55Ë per gallon at National Accessories, Inc.]

Kearney Hub, Jan. 2, 1935

 from 1890
         The statue of justice was placed on top of  the new courthouse..  Nine feet tall, blind, balance in left hand, sword in right.

        The buffalo head was placed in position on the courthouse.  Made of sheet metal.

        Work was progressing on the hinge factory.
 

        A fence factory started production.
 

        The paper mill blew down.  Other portion of building blew down last summer just as construction was finished.  No paper ever manufactured to this date.
Work started on rebuilding the paper mill. 
 

Manufacturing
          S M Sweeley manufactured suspenders in Kearney.  It was a very successful business.  “Although without practical experience he had some good hard-headed ideas, he put up a splendid article, and he has had two salesmen constantly on the road with wagons, selling directly to the retailers.  Now he is preparing now for the manufacture of a new suspender, the “Dewey.” embracing some new ideas of Mr. Sweeley’s creation, which is destined without a doubt to be one of the most popular suspenders extant.”

   
        “With the opening of the fall season the factory has opened another line in the manufacture of men’s leggings.…Three styles are now being manufactured. One to buckle on the side, another top fasten quickly with clasps, and still another with military lacing, with an improvement on the old way of lacing the side….unqualified success….has not been able to supply the demand….

Kearney Hub Oct. 6, 1899 

Public Office
[Always attend those meetings] 

Ravenna – “Mr. F. P. Wilsey received a telegram from Kearney Saturday afternoon notifying him that he had been nominated by the republican county convention for clerk of the district court and asked him to wire his acceptance.  F. P. had  not been an aspirant for the nomination and the news was something of a surprise party to him.  He concluded to accept, however….Mr. Wilsey filled the office of superintendent of public instruction for four years and his record and acquaintance, coupled with the demand for a candidate from this part of the county made him a desirable candidate and he was unanimously chosen on the first ballot and his consent asked afterwards.”

Kearney Hub Oct. 6, 1899