Omaha daily bee., 1899-05-27
NEWS OF INTEREST FROM IOWA.

man who drove the former to Carson, dined
with landlord and after dinner they met
him, Johnson. in the barn.
Cowan took young johnson to one side
and said he had a proposition to make
to him. He said he was defending couple
of young fellows in Omaha who had gotten
into trouble for stealing chickens. Cowan
said he wanted Johnson to help him get
the boys out Of trouble and he would pay
him well for 1t. Johnson asked Cowan how
much there would be in it and was told
SIS or 800. OF this amount, he said, Cowan
had only paid him Sc and his hotel bill
while attending the trial
Cowan, according to Johnsons story,
then proceeded to explain what he wanted
him TO do and the nature of the evidence
he was to give, at the same time assuring
Johnson that he would not get into any
trouble, they could not do anything to
him for giving the evidence.
HE told me-" said Johnson, "that l was
20 swear that the chickens which Tracy
and Lawrence were accused Of stealing had
been secured by his clients from man
named Sheeny Joe, and that / was present
when the chickens were transferred from
Sheeny Joe's wagon to that belonging to
Tracy and Lawrence. l was to swear that
on the night they were accused Of stealing
the chickens that they stopped at the barn
where l was working in Carson"
Johnson then told OF how Cowan wrote
him, as he alleged, two letters, in one of
which Cowan gave him a description of the
team and wagon belonging to his clients.
In the second letter Cowan, he said asked
for a plat of Carson showing the location
of the barn, principal streets, etc. At the
n In OF m do
stroy them. The letters however, johnson
said, he did not destroy until after the
trial when he did 80 for fear of being
arrested and having them found on him.
johnson also described his visit to the
county Jail in company with Cowan, the
purpose of the visit being to enable him to
secure a good look at the two men whom
he was supposed to have seen at Carson.
During the trial of Lawrence and Tracy
Johnson testified that the men had stopped
, at his barn and he had charged them 35
cents for the care of their team. In answer
to a question of the prosecuting attorney he
testified that the entry of the 80 cents had
been made on the book.
Yesterday johnson testified that this was
lie on his part that no such entry had
been made by him and that after his testi-
mony Cowan had taken him into the cor
ridor at the court house and asked him II
he knew anybody in Carson to whom he
could telephone to to go to the barn and
get the book and keep It safe until he, John
son. went back to Carson. johnson then told
Of his visit with Cowan, as he alleged, to
the office of the telephone company where
he teephoned to one Ed Dulin to get the
book from the barn, even IL he had TO break
into the place, and take the book to the
har ca ttharn ha a
Keep II till he got back to Carson. Johnson
said Cowan stood at the door OF the tele-
phone booth while he sent the message and
that Cowan paid for the message.
On cross examination young johnson be-
came slightly confused as to the contents
OF the two letters which he alleged Cowan
had written him. At the close Of Johnson S
testimony Judge Smith adjourned court
until this morning.