Omaha daily bee., 1896-01-31
CHARGED WITH MANY CRIMES
Employe Of the Late Nebraska Legislature
Landed in Jail.
WANTED AT SCHUYLER FOR FORGERY
Ursn swishcr Went to the Postoncc
for "a Letter from His Best Girl
ana Drew n Deputy
Sheriff.

Ursa Swisher, who was a bill clerk In the
house of representatives, during the last
| session Of the Nebraska legislature, is in
the county Jail with charges Of forgery, beat
ing a hotel bill, burglary and a few minor
counts Of that kind, with others to hear
from when Sheriff Kroeger Of Colfax county,
Nebraska, arrives with the papers in the
case.
The man was arrested yesterday by Dep
uty Sheriff Compton while at the postofice
asking for mail. Sheriff Morgan had re-
celved a description OF Swisher and a re-
quest to watch out for him. Deputy Comp
ton had the case in charge and had notified
the clerks at the postoffice to be on the
watch for Swlsher. At noon yesterday Mr..
Compton walked down to the postofiice and
saw a man at the window who answered
He inquired at the window and ascertained
that the stranger had asked for mail for
Ursa Swisher. Mr.. Compton promptly took
Swisher to the county jail, where he was
booked as a fugitive from justice, giving the
name of George Stoner.
Sheriff Kroeger Of Schuyler was In the
city yesterday morning, but failed to get
trace Of his man. and left just before noon
for his home. He was notified by wire of
the arrest of Swisher, and will probably ar
ilNc " IL Nity thlo iiOih ih6 bNiS
Sheriff Kroeger said that Swisher was
wanted for forgery, beating a board bill,
burglary and a few more offenses. He had
a check which he asserted Swisher had
forged. Forgery ia the charge that has been
placed against the prisoner, and he will be
held on that pending the arrival of the Ne
braska authorities.
Swisher is a young man, but he has har-
vested a large crop of experience. When
seen by a Bee reporter in the Jail he at
l n-zN 1-.i- 4l-A L. l-l z-zs l-1n L. C.h,,,,
Ter, then admitted that he had visited there,
and, in further conversation, claimed to be
OH familiar terms with all the prominent
people of Colfax county. He said he was at
a loss to know on what charge he had been
arrested. He Just could not think in all his
career that he had done anything that could
in any way be construed into violation of the
laws. Then the hotel bill was mentioned
and Swisher made 1t all easy. He said he
had boarded at the Park hotel in Schuyler
and had a bill of SS.75 there, which he had
been unable to pay. Landlord Kinney knew
all about it, and would not push him. He
had promised to pay Kinney some time, and
would do so, but had fixed no date for the
liquidation Of the bill.
1t took Swisher a few minutes to think
what he might have done that could be looked
upon as a forgery, when the reporter sug-
gested that such a charge was pending against
him. Then he remembered that he had en-
dorsed some duplicate orders on Donohue &
| HenneDerry OF C0lC1SO anu turned tnem
over to Mr.. Kinney as security for that I'M
paid board bill. The duplicates had no value,
but Kinney had expressed a willingness to
accept enc of them, for s37. so, as security
for the board bill and Swisher had accommo-
dated him, Just for the purpose Of easing
the landlords mind. That was ell there
was to that.
Swisher denied that there could be any
charge of burglary against him. There were
some other matters, he said, which made
it necessary for him to go under an assumed
name, but II the officers did not find them
out he would not offer any tips. He said
he had been in some trouble at Lincoln,
but had got away before any legal steps
were taken against him and he did not look
for any grief from that quarter. He said
he had been working for some weeks in
Omaha and had made no effort to conceal
his identity. He claimed to be employed
by the C. F. Adams company, and said he
met AL Sutton, DR.. Ricketts,, Jim Allan and
other members Of the last legislature In
Omaha every day and had made no effort to
keep his whereabouts a secret. He Is cor
responding with the daughter of a prominent
Schuyler official and it was looking for a
letter from her that got him into trouble
yesterday. He said he could furnish $1,000
900 bail in twenty minutes and did not pro-
pose to be kept behind the bars. Letters
to A.. l.. Sutton and other Omaha people
who were on Swisher's list of friends failed
to bring the desired relief, and he took a
bunk in the corner just like his cellmate.
Dusty Rhoades, a man who had never been
in the employ Of the state Of Nebraska.
-