Omaha daily bee., 1897-03-28
MANUFACTURED TESTIMONY
Two Witne ses Swear Too Hard to Save
Their Companions,
GO TOO FAR IN TRYING TO PROVE AN ALIBl
GiIpin nnd Spencer Tcstify In Bcha1s
of the Members of the Davis
Gang and Are Charged
with Perjury.


That there Is fully organized band Of
burglars and thieves in this city was made
very evident at the trial In the criminal
court of Edward Johnson and Charles Hoag.
These men are members OF the Davis gang"
which has infested the city for a long time.
They, together with two other members OF
the gang. have been confined in the county
jail since their arrest. about a month ago.
They were put on trial before Judge Baker
Friday afternoon on the charge of bur-
glarizing the residence of Rev. Rasmus Will
holmson and stealing lot Of silver table
ware. The case against them was very
strong, the evidence showing that they had
been seen about the house the day the crime
was committed and the stolen articles were
! found in their possession at the time OF
| their arrest, nearly two months afterwards.
During the introduction of testimony by
the state all of the witnesses in the case
were excluded from the room. This did not
deter the witnesses for the defense from
working scheme to defeat the prosecution,
which developed later in the proceedings.
when the testimony of the state was all
in, the defense commenced the introduction
of testimony and attempted to prove an
alibi Frank Gilpin and Frank Spencer
testified that both of the defendants had been
at cigar and pool room in another part Of
the city at the time when the crime was
shown to have been committed After some
general testimony as to the good character
of the prisoners, the defense rested, and
then tie prosecution introduced some
evidence, going to show that the witnesses
who had testified Ito an alib had committed
perjury.
WITNESSES ARE ARRESTED.
1t was shown that Gilpin and Spencer had
put up the job in the corridor of the court
house. just outside of the court room, and in
the hearing of several persons. They had
conspired with "Shanty" Campbell and had
used Mart Steinberger as messenger to
watch the testimony of the state and keep
them posted as to what the several wilt
nesses were testifying to in the trial. When
they found the line of the evidence OF the
state they set to work to establish an alibi
and agreed as to what they would say on the
witness stand 1t was shown that they had
agreed at this time to say just what they
had afterwards testified to on the witness
stand
When this state of affairs was made
known through the evidence Judge Baker
ordered Gilpin, Spencer, Campbell and Stein
berger taken into custody. The first three
were arrested, but Steinberger made his es-
cape A warrant is out for him and he will
probably be apprehended.
the casa was submitted to the jury in tho
usual manner and the jury returned ver-
dict after being out but a short time. This
verdict found the defendants guilty of petit
larceny When the verdict was announced
Hoag was greatly amused His manner was
tantalZing in the extreme and he appeared
To gloat over his success In eluding pursuit.
Judge Baker was greatly annoyed at the
absurdty of the verdict and told the jury
very plainly that 1t was such verdicts as that
that encouraged criminals in the commission
of crime.
Charges Detectives with Conspiracy.
OMAHA, March 27.-To the Editor OF The
Bee: I noticed piece in your evening issue
yesterday which l would like to have cor
rected 1t stated that l was a ringleader
in an attempt to clear Ed Johnson and
Charles Hoag, who were charged with bur-
blary, by means Of perjured witnesses and
OF which l can prove:
/ was subpoenaed in the with several
others and was warned beforehand that I
would be arrested as as my testimony
was given. l told the truth to the best OF
my knOwe 'ge ard belief, though was aware
of plot arranged by Cox, Dempsey and
Savage to plug up a case against me and
arrest me in the court room for effect on
the jury. The verdict will show how weak
case they had against the boys
/ would also like to say, and am willing
to prove, that Cox put a man in the hall OF
the court house and told him If he could
come to Cox with any evidence of fraud on
our part he would see that the state paid
him 81 witness fees This man Is a stranger
to me, but claims he knows me. OF course.
Cox fixed that.
Detective Savage threatened to break my
face in the court room not twenty feet from
Judge Bakers bench.
l intend to bring suit against C0x's bonds
men and have the case in the hands of
competent lawyer. FRANK SPENCER.