Omaha daily bee., 1886-11-23
NEBRASKA CITY CRIMINALS.
Old Man Wait Gets Three Years For At
tempted Rape.
DUKE SIMPSONS COMING TRIAL.
The Shellenberger Murder Case to BE
Tried Next Week-Suicide BY
Hanging other News
From the State.
Criminal Cases I'm Otoe.

NEBRASKA CITY, Neb., Nov. 22.-rSpecial
10 the BEE. The district court has been
grinding slowly the past week, Judge Hay
ward on the bench. Only one criminal case
has been tried so far, that being the case
whom the old eXpressman, John ID. Wait,
man OF some sixty years. and whose hair is
as white as snow, was charged with the at
tempted raping of n little siX-year-old girl by
the name of Flowers. lie was ably defended,
but the crime was too henous and the jury
brought in a verdict of guilty. On being
asked why sentence should not be passed
upon him he replied: ut makes no differ
encc to me, Judge, whether you give me six
months or five years. 1t will be all the same.
cannot live there many months" and over
mis- wrinkled face copiously flowed tears of
shame and grief. His aged wife was present
and wept bitterly as the sentence was pro-
nOunced that separated them for three long
years, and perhaps forever.
Duke Simpson, late county treasurer, will
be tried on the charge of embezzlement of
county funds next Friday. Judge Pound on
the bench. lie will be defended by o. p.
Mason and George w. Covell, while the
prosecution will be ably represented by Dis
trict Attorney J. B. Strobe and Hon. John C.
Watson. The trial will excite much interest.
What line of defense the counsel of Mr..
rs yet been divulged to the public, but it has
been said to BEE reporter by prominent
gentleman that the defense placed great
hopes in getting the jury so confused and
muddled as to cause them to hang, If nothing
more.
But while the public are looking forward TO
the Simpson trial with great deal of inter
est the trial OF Leander Shellenberger, for
the murder of his little girl, and which is set
for trial week from to-day, will bring hun
dreds of people to this city as spectators at
the trial The prosecution, il they have
evidence since the preliminary trial have
certainly shown a marked degree of dscre-
tion in keeping it safely guarded until the
proper time. 1t is undoubtedly true that Mrs.
Shellenberger has made a confession, but as
to its true import no one knows except the
proper officers, but it is said i'm it she throws
the whole charge upon her husband.
Our jail was never more crowded than 1t Is
ut present at this writing there being
eighteen occupants therein Cell room is badly
needed, and though two new cells have been
added during the past two weeks, there is not
enough room, several of the cells having from
three to four occupants. Bohanon's cell has
three in it besides himself, much to his dis
shot by Sheriff Huberlee, who, by the way, is
slowly improving. Simpson is the only per-
son, with the exception of Mrs. Shelenber-
ger, who has celtic himself In accounting
Tor the increase of crime in our city, it must
be remembered that Nebraska City has al the
present time a large floating population
brought here for the construction OF the new
railrOad: many men coming here OStenSibly
to get work, of which there is plenty for all,
but who on arriving here are too lazy to gain
their own living in any way that looks like
work