Omaha daily bee., 1897-06-12
POLICE HAVE A NEW LEAD
Aliege that Officer Glover Positively Iden-
ti6es Kestuers as His Assailants.
DISAGREtS WITH HIS FIRST STATEMENT
Prisoners Taken Before the wounded
Man with No One Present but
-Four Omcers-Reporters
Are Shut Out.

Now the police allege to have important
evidence in the Tledeman murder case from
witness whose name they refuse to divulge
! This witness is a man who asserts that he
| saw the Kestners In a wagon coming from
the north on Tuesday morning, on the day
before tho tragedy. There was another man
in the rig, but he did not know him. The
police theory is that there may have been
four men in the party of burglars.
position of Waterman is found for this
fourth man. 1t is held that it would be un-
likely that the three men would go into the
saloon without leaving some one on the out
side And there is evidence that there was
just such a watchman. Lieutenant Wander
WORT Of the engine house, located across
from the saloon, and who first summoned
the police to the place, asserts that some
time before he made the call he noticed
some one peerng into the engine house win
dow. He caught but ain indlsilnct view of
the strangers features. lie looked at all Of
the kestncrs, but could not identity any one
OF them as the "watchman."
Detective Shoop believes that the fourth
man is the unknown whom he followed all
the way to Debolt station on last Wednes-
day This was the man seen by Gardener
Michael Ieller who alleges that the mans
wrist was tied up as If it had been wounded.
to Debolt. The man had been seen along
the road and had stopped at pools of water
10 wash his hand At Debolt the detective
left the train to report and the superior
officers of the force thought 1t useless to
follow IL further at the time. No trace of
the man has since beer learned.
The police say now that they knew the
name or this man. He said to be son
of widow living near Calhoun He is ac-
GuSed or bearing hard reputation. Finally
II Is said that he consorted frequently with
the kestners and was seen often about their
house.
SHOTGUNS STILL MISSING.
The individual who saw this party of four
on Tuesday morning is also said to have
reported that the party had shotguns in
their possession. The police alege that
when they have searched the Kestner house
in the past they have always found shot
guns there No trace of the weapons has
yet been found, but it is thought that they
might have been buried or otherwise con-
cealed.
Detective Shoop asserts also that of the
weapons the Kestners had one was a short
barreled Springfield rifle. The officers said
they were shot with a short-barreed gun.
Yesterday it was found that a shell such as
fitted weapon OF this kind would contain
ninety shot of the size with which Tiedeman
and Glover had been shot. SiXty-fve shot
were found in Tiedeman's body.
A telegram was received from Tekamah
yesterday afternoon to the effect that Bert
Cramer and Charles Davis, the two men who
were known to have left Omaha upon the
morning OF the shooting, had been arrested
at the home of Davis mother, who resides
at Bassford, a place sixteen miles distant
from Tekamah The arrest was made by
Detectives Sullivan and Hudson, who were
sent to Tekamah for that purpose.
Upon the way to this city the men
talked freely with their captors Their state
cOiDcidpl They cd /
they had been at Nelson's saloon on the even
ing previous to the morning upon which the
shooting took place They admitted that
they had been drinking and carouSing in the
place until midnight. They maintained they
had left the place shortly after midnight and
had gone directly to the home of Cramer,
which is at 1926 Emmett street. The Kest-
ners live next door at 1924 Emmett street.
In the morning shortly after 5 o'clock
Cramer and Davis allege they went to their !
barn and got out their team and wagon,
which was seen by a number of people on it's
way north. They assert that Omaha was left |
shortly after 6 o'clock. When asked by the |
detectives why they had made such rapid |
time the men replied that a wager had been |
made that the home Of Davis mother should |
be reached in certain time.
When cross-questioned both men averred |
they had known nothing about the shoot |
ing affray until told by the officers who ar |
rested them at Bassford. Both admitted an !
Will lue heSlHtl5, pul
phatically denied having had any connection
with the burglary of the saloon and the trag- |
edy which followed
The officers and their prisoners arrived in |
Omaha last night about o'clock and the !
latter were locked up at the station. A
charge of suspicious characters was placed |
opposite their names.
KESTNERS ARE ARRAIGNED.
Yesterday afternoon at o'clock Joseph |
Kestner the head of the Kestner family, |
was arraigned In police court, together with |
MS two sons. Louis and August. The charges |
against them, as sworn out by the county |
attorney were murder in the first degree |
and burglary. To both of these charges the ;
prisoners pleaded not guilty. The time for !
heir trial in police court was set for |
, clock this morning.
The police have been unable to get any |
statements OF value from any OF the Kest-
ners Yesterday they were submitted to an
other DISCRIMINATION, but nothing was
ELECTED other than the story told by them
when first placed under arrest
During the afternoon Mrs. Kestner called