Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-03
MUST Do TINE IN PRISON
Former Omaha Boy Sentenced to the Fort
Madison Penitentiary,
PUNISHED FOR A DIAMOND ROBBERY
Young Helms Goes to Cell and His
Mother ~ Present In Court
10 Hear Him Com
dcmncd.

DES MONIES, Dec. Especial Telc-
gram Fired Beall who is in reality
Helms Of Omaha, was today sentenced to
seven and half years in the Fort Madi-
son Denitontiary for attempting to steal a
tray OF diamonds valued at 81 500 from the
Joseph iewelry store here on the night Of
November IL. He is the son of a well known
family of Omaha, his father having been in
high political power during his lifetime and
as n republican politician in Omaha and
Nebraska
Beall is an assumed name given by the
prisoner to shield himself and family, but
1T was disclosed today that his real name
Is Helms, a son of the late William f.
Helms, once county treasurer of Douglas
county, Neb.
Mrs Helms is in the city today bearing a
letter to Governor Shaw from Nebraska
politician well known in Des Moines and
Iowa, asking for clemency for her son.
Mrs. Helms presented her petition to Gov
ernor Shaw this afternoon and is devoting
all her time and energies to save her son
from the penitentiary
AS Boall entered the court room in charge
of and manacled to the bailif he saw his
mother sitting on a bench across the room
She had arrived from Omaha last night
coming as fast steam could carry her
40 LhSS SdI Lltlt lOBeIubG, waiting lOT Tue
sentence, Beall's counsel, Walter McHenry
stepped forward and made a plea for the
boy, saying he was only 20 years old, the
sole support of his mother and that this was
his first and only offense. He then handed
Judge Bishop the petition to the governor
which the boys mother brought with her.
and which was shown to the chief executive
this afternoon. Judge Bishop scanned the
petition and handed it back. The petition is
as follows:
His Excelency Governor shaw; The
William f. Helms. ex-county treasurer of
Douglas county, Nebraska, a lady of re-
finement seeks assistance to get her sons 8
release from custody of the Des Mo.nes
authorities.
am personally acquainted with young
Helms, as he was employed in our office
and l am firmly convinced of his innocence
He merely served the tool of the guilty
party. who has escaped.
Having been very intimately acquainted
with the family and inasmuch as Mrs.
Helms is total stranger in Des Moines [
very respectfully ask you, dear governor, to
have the Kindness to assist Mrs Helms in
her undertaking.
l had the pleasure in the late campaign
in Iowa to stump the state in your behalf
among the Germans and ! congratulate you
upon the great victory won. Thanking you
in advance for the Kindness shown Mrs.
Helms | am, very respectfully yours,
JACOB HAUCK,
Assistant County Surveyor.
judge Bishop then sentenced Helms. He
said: Never in all my experience of obser-
vation have l heard of more daring rob-
berry than that which you attempted to com
nit; it is beyond all others that know Of
here, and while you still maintain that you
were alone in the deal | cannot believe it,
but am of the opinion that you are a mem
ber of gang whose tool you were. / real
ize that you are young and of good standing;
the evidence offered from prominent Omaha
citizens tends to show this; but as you have
not been in Omaha for almost three years
such evidence can have but little weight
with this court 1t is the judgment of this
court that you be sentenced to hard labor
at the Fort Madison penitentiary for term
of seven and one-haf years, and that you
pay the costs in this case"
The appeal bond was placed at $4,000 and
Mrs. Helms is trying to secure 1t.