Omaha daily bee., 1889-08-11
REVENGE OF The BLUE COATS
Wreaked on a Man Who Had Tes'
titled Against Them.
CHRIS M'coRMIck's STATEMENT.
How Captain run Green and HIS
Myrmidons Got Even With Him
For Appearing Before the
Police Commission
Eneine-r McCormick's Experienc e.

Engine~r McCormick's Experience G.
The disclosures made through the columns
OF The BEE Of numerous acts of high handed
onlciousncss and even of brutality on the
part of certain members of the police depart
ment have caused a sensation. A long list
of complaints have been received exposing
brutalities that have been inflicted upon all
classes of citizens, and many of these charges
have been investigated and verified by re-
sponsiblc citizens.
The disclosures have acted like an electric
shock upon some Of the police officials, and
they have begun TO show evidences of being
very widely awake. During the past two
days the detective force of the department
has been busily engaged in sbadowing BEE
reporters, for the purpose, it is presumed. of
ascertaining the source of the information
that is being published.
CHRIS. ~M'ooRMIcK's STATEMENT.
Last fall Chris. Mccormick, an engineer,
returned to Omaha from California, where
he had been for his health. For three years
previous 10 his departure for California he
had been running the engine in the esJab-
listment of the Clarke Coffee company.
Upon his return he found no immediate oc-
cupation, but when ne could get jobs as sub
stitute he did so, and worked at anything he
could get to do.
II have saved money! said he, .'when
employed, and had enough TO keep me in
idleness for a year, If necessary. 1t was au-
tumn when | got back to town, and, being
without work, | made my headquarters at
the White Front saloon, where il was warm
and / could read the papers, meet my friends
and keep off the streets. One evening,
while there, Duff Green came in, and, after
looking around, saw me and asked me what
i was doing. l replied that l was without
work. About a month afte" that Green
came in again, accompanied oS Sergeants
Haze aud johnson.
"Arrest that man, said Green, she is no
good.'' Mt the same time catching hold of my
arm and hurting me half way across the
room towards the door. When tine patrol
wagon came / was chained TO it and taken to
the police station"
"That's the man" said Sergeant Johnson,
"who has testified against the officers"
This referred to the time when l testified
before the police commission In the case pre-
ferred against Policeman Dummy for
drunkenness.
1 laid in Jail all night, and the next morn
ing l was brought out and stood in line with
the other prisoners, for exhibition to the po-
lice.
''That's the man that testified against the
police,' said Duff Green. Hes laid around
the White Front that 1 know of for five
months. Arrest him wherever you find
Yes said a p%oIlSeman, '4f get him I'll
club the head off him."
"And rl fill his legs full of lead" said a
JulTu.
'Look at the mug on him." remarked a
fourth"
.'See what you've got for testifying against
an officer" SAID one of them, you've got
the whole force down on you"
When l was brought before the Judge he
said: THE charge against you is vagrancy
and being a suspicious character" Before /
had a chance to answer Henry Ewalt
stepped up and said, Il want to testify for
this man. He stops at my house, and / have
money in my safe to his credit. 1 have
known him to have pa )ers to the value of
$1,000 to $1,000 pass through the express
office and the Omaha National bank to his
What is your business7' the Judge asked
Ewalt.
Il run a lodging house on Farnam street,
he answered.
You are discharged, said the Judge, turn
Ing to me-" c. H. MCCORMICK
Sworn to and subscribed 10 before me this
pth day of August, 1889.
N. ]. BuRNHAM,
Seal Notary Public.
His employers, the Consolidated Coffee
company, were asked what they thought of
Mccormick. "As far as L know he is a res
pectable man." said one. "He attends to
his business here in a satisfactory manner,
and is always prompt and reliable. He
worked for the Clarke Coffee company three
years before the consolidation, and has
worked for US since spring.
Captain Duff Green was asked what he
knew about Mccormick. "Well," he said,
~ arrested him. He was loafing around the
White Front saloon doing nothing and run
ing In ana out of the wine rooms with prostl-
tutes. l never knew him to work in the
town."
Did he testify against any of the p%olice2"
the captain was asked.
0"Yes. He testified against officer Dummy
when he was brought before the police com
mission for being drunk" The captain said
he did not know much about the man now,
but at 1.-THE time OF his arrest he had bad asso-
ciates.
THE CHARGE WAS AMENDED.
AL Loefler is a young German who tends
bar in Schaffer's saloon at the corner of
Thirteenth and Harvey streets. He had an
experience with the police which he relates as
follows:
LAST May, I forget the exact day, my
partner, Charles Hoscheit. and 1 were ar
rested about 10 o'clock at night upon suspi-
cion, we were told, of having robbed a Ger
man farmer of $50. We spent the night In
the cells, expecting to have a hearing in the
morning. We were not called up. however,
but were held until about 5 O'Clock in the
afternoon, when the man who had been
robbed called at the station. He stated
at once that we were not the
he could easily identfy them. After this
expected. of course, that we would be re-
Leased. Instead we were taken up before
Judge Berka by Duff Green who said,
your Honor, here are two Migrants that WI
did not bring up with the others this morn.
ing. They were overlooked"
'That made me hot. ] could excuse the ar
rest on suspicion of robbery, us such mis-
takes are apt to happen, but l felt pretty
sore when arraigned as a vagrant. l was
working for Ed Maurer and my partner was
employed at the Union Pacific shops. w
made our statement to Judge Berka ane
were at once released"
Music in the PARK.
The tenth grand sacred concert at Han.
scom park will be given by the Musical Unior