Omaha daily bee., 1899-05-14
OMAHA LAWYER IS INDICTED
W. P. Cowan is Charged With the Crime Of
subornation Of Perjury,
GRAND JURY RETURNS OTHER INDICTMENTS
Small Wooden Jail mt Nicola Is Com
dcmned rs Unsanitnry and n Dam
gcrous Firctrnp in Which
to Confine

w Obhhh
In the batch Of Indictments reported yes
terday afternoon by the district court grand
jury was one against w. p. Cowan, a young
attorney Of Omaha, on the charge of sub
o%rnation of perjury. The indictment is a
sequel to the trial in the district court here
at the January term Of Tracy. Lawrence
and Wyatt for breaking into a school house
in Lewis township, and also for breaking
into Farmer Lornez's hen coops and steal
ing upwards Of 100 of his chickens and
turkeys. Cowan defended the three men.
Both offenses occurred on the night Of Janu-
airy 81 of this year. The men we're arrested
next morning with the stolen chickens in
their possession as they crossed the motor
bridge into Omaha. Tracy and Lawrence
on trial were found guilty of stealing the
chickens and pleaded guilty to breaking into
the school house. They are both serving
sentences in the penitentiary. Wyatt de-
manded a separate trial and got off with
six months in the county Jail, where he
now is.
During the trial one of the witnesses,
Robert johnson, a young man living in
Carson. testified that on the night the
three prisoners were charged with stealing
Lorenz's chickens they stopped at his livery
barn, where they put up their wagon and
team, and that they did not leave there
until 3 o'clock the next morning. His tes-
timony was given a black eye when Law
renee and Tracy pleaded guilty to breaking
into the Lewis school house. The matter
was brought before the grand jury at the
opening of the present term and johnson
was indicted for perjury, and is now await
ing trial. In the indictment it is charged
that Cowan procured young johnson to tes-
tify falsely, and that a few days before
the trial went to Carson, where he made
| arrangements with Johnson to appear as
a witness. Johnson, during his cross-ex-
animation, testified that he had never met
! Cowan until he did so in the court room.
1t is further charged that Cowan was aware
that johnson was testifying falsely and
that the p~erjured testimony was given at
his (Cowan's) solicitation and instruction.
other Indictments.
William Lewis was indicted for stabbing
G.. w. Hayes on the evening of April u
| during a drunken brawl in front of a saloon
on Broadway. Lewis bail was fixed at
2 $500, but Judge Smith reduced it to $500,
in which amount Lewis furnished a bond,
An indictment was also returned against
Frank Henderson on the charge of attempt
lux " SlOOl 4 tIls s.
is in custody at the county Jail, having been
unable to furnish bail.
A number of other indictments were re-
| ported, but owing to the defendants not
being in custody, they were not made public,
The jury failed to find true bills in the
cases of Charles Carpenter, the nursery
stock salesman, alleged to have forged or
ders on which he drew his commission
Arthur Palmer, a young lad charged witt
burglary; C. E. Bird, charged with the
burglary of Charles Bishops residence, ant
| Fred Larouche, charged with stealing a SCI
of harness belonging to William Morehouse
of Garner township.
The grand jury reported that the con-
dition of the county Jail was good, bu'
said that the partitions and floor OF the
upper story of the city Jail were in &
very bad condition.
! The jury also made a lengthy report
! condemning the small wooden Jail at Nicola
The report says it is in a poor sanitary
condition, that the provisions for heating
are such as to render it unsafe when fire
has to be kept while prisoners are con-
fined therein, and that it is otherwise sc
exposed to danger OF fire from without a:
to be a hazardous place in which to keeT
prisoners. In the event of a fire there
would be extreme difficulty in r%escuing the
prisoners. The jury fails to make any
recommendation, but ii is understood the
town of Nicola is prepa.ed to erect a new
building.
Alleged Misconduct of Jurors.
In an affidavit accompanying the motor
filed yesterday in the district court for
new trial of the damage suit of Charles
Smith against Lars Jensen, justice of the
peace for Boomer township, in which
verdict for the defendant was given a feN
days ago, charges of misconduct on the
part of some Of the jurors are made.
The affidavit is that of John p. Organ
attorney for Smith. He alleges that on'
Juror was approached by a resident of thi!
city for the purpose of influencing his actor
and that another juror-who, before beins
permitted to take his seat in the box, sale
his acquaintance with Jensen would not il
any way influence him in finding a verdict
talked frequently during the trial will
other members of the jury about Jensen't
good character and fairness. Organ furthe
alleges that a third juror explained his vot'
for the verdict by declaring that JenseI
was a foreigner not we'll acquainted will
the laws of this country and that he dit
not know better than to act as he did, as h
only had two cases on an average befor'
him in a year. The names of the juror
complained of are not made public by At
torney Organ on the grounds that to do 81
at this time might prevent the ends 0
justice.
Smith sued for 6 5000 for alleged false ar
rest and Imprisonment by Jensen, claiming
malice on the part of the Boomer justice
Smith, after his arrest and commlttal t,
Jail for thirty days, secured his release b.
a writ of habeas corpus.
--
Davis sells drugs.