Omaha daily bee., 1894-01-19
MIGHT HAVE KILLED THREE
Writer of Threatening Letter to Mayor
Bemis Thought to Be Discovered.
ACCUSATION RESTS ON OFFICER BLOOM
Resigns from the Police Force-what Be
says In MS Own Behalf-Contents
Of the Letter-Uommis-
sioners Talk.

Police Officer Bloom was yesterday called
before the fire and police commissioners and
charged with having written letter
TO Mayor Bemis, in which he threatened to
take tho life of the mayor, +. Rosewater and
Chief Of Police Seavey. The letter was
signed "Guiteau Il. Prendergast." Bloom
denied the charge. lie then handed his
star to Clerk Brownlee of the Board of Fire
and Police Commissioners, who, in turn,
handed 1t TO the chief
The letter was received by the mayor
about twelve days ago. 1t was dated Jan
uary 8. 1t filled two pages of the ordinary
business letter SIZE the tops of which, evil
IDENTIFY bearing a letter head, having been
torn off, but tho date line, printed in SCRIPT,
remained. The paper corresponds TO that
used by the judge of the police court and
the date line is in the same type.
The letter complained in general of the
administration of the police department. 1T
was charged that favoritism ruled in the
making of appointments and that worthy
men were discharged without adequate
cause. Reference was made TO one case
where it was charged that an officer had
been discharged for sitting ON u bale of hay
for five minutes off his beat, and to one
where an officer much more unworthy had
been reinstated after triiling discipline.
Might Meet Mayor Harrison's Fate.
1t was then alleged that the mayor, the
chief and MIR. Rosewater were responsible
for the evils complained of, and that If they
continued in their course 1t mig hit develop
that Omaha contained a lurking Prender
CAST and that the fate of Mayor Harrison of
Chicago might be theirs.
Mayor Bemis called the attention of Mr..
Rosewater to the letter and ib was decided
that 1t had been written by police officer.
IL was then handed to Chief Seavey BY
making comparisons it was found that the
handwriting tailed precisely with that of
Officer Bloom.
Shortly before noon yesterday Bloom was
called to Chief Scaveys Office, and from
there taken to the room of the fire and po-
lice commissioners. He WAS then required
to write from dictation a copy of the letter
that had been received. 1t was found that
the writing was identical with that of the
original letter. So similar were the two
that several misspelled words in the original
were misspelled in the same way in the
copy.
The original was then handed to Bloom
and he was asked if he wrote it, He denied
that he had, but he was met with an accusa-
ton by Commissioner Smith, who said with
emphasis:
smiths Indignant Accusation.
''You did write IL and it is useless for you
to deny it,"
~ Bloom was then given notice to appear
before the commissioners at 4 o'clock this
Afternoon to be tried on the charge. 1t was
shortly after this that he surrendered his
badge as an officer.
To fortify their own Judgment the COM
missioners yesterday afternoon invited a
number of bank cashiers to inspect the let
ter and the copy. They all unhesitatingly
affirmed that they were written by the same
party.
1t mas been known for some time that
Bloom does not like the mayor He has in
deed been heard to condemn him in terms
that it would NOT be proper to put
in print. And Bloom had every reason
to be dissatisfied with an order issued some
time ago by the police commissioners at the
recommendation of Chief Seavey prohibit
ing political work by police officers, for
Blooms rooms over Il store at Thirteenth
and Douglas streets were during the last
campaign the trysting place of certain
faction among the police.
What the Police board SAYS.
81 have turned the entire matter over to
the board and the chief of police, in whose
hands the letter now is, as | presume"
said Mayor Bemis when asked con-
cerning the matter last night 81
therefore feel not at liberty to give
you the details further than that received
The letter in the fore part of the month The
handwriting was clear and presumably that
Of man who had received fair educa tion,
though many capitals were used in the writ
ing whore they were not required. | was
not present when the board net with Officer
Bloom and can therefore not tell you of my
own knowledge what occurred"
Chief Seavey positively refused to say
anything concerning the affair or TO show
the letter,
AT the police station n like reticence was
preserved, but from some of the officers IL
was understood that Bloom had
done good deal of talking.
1t was also reiterated that Bloom had been
active as leader in II political secret asso-
citation, and tDat this dated from Il time,
several years ago, when there was trouble
at Clark hall on South Fourteenth street.
Commissioner Coburn, in speaking about
the matter last night said:
The letter was certainly threatening i'm
tone, and the writer presumed to criticise
the mayors action as chairman of tho Board
OF l'ne and Police Commissioners in melting
out punishment to transgressors of the rules
and making regulations for the guidance
of members of the police force Tho matter
of promotion was mentioned ms a second
grievance, Experts have examined the
handwriting OF the original letter and tho
copy as made by Bloom, and pronounce IL
rs identical, With this evidence before MS |
cannot help but think that the officer is the
guilty party, The copy is now on file with
Mr. Brownleo,n
a n
gard To the letter purportng to have been
written by Officer Bloom and said:
81 am public Official and would not Mt
this time express an opinion on a matter of
such personal nature. Whether the of1icer
is guilty or not remains to be seen, but SO
far as | know could not say whether he
wrote tne letter or not Bloom has for wears
been member of the department, iaith-