Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-18
DENTlFlCATLON WORTHLESS
Mrs, Bachelder's Sudden Renewal of Mem.
Ory on Seeing the Suspects
WAS ONCE UNABLE TO DESCRIBE THEM
railing RecoIlections Revived and
eiNen All Necessary Completeness
by County Attorney and Assist
aDts-Shiclds' Promises.
WAS ONCE UNABLE TO DESCRIBE THEM

yesterday in tho hearing of the two men
charged with the theft of shukerts furs he
effcctualy dispelled the idea which the pros
ecution had tried the day before to convey
to the court that the Identification of Mrs
Bachelor In the beginning Of the case was
strong and had been suppressed by the po-
lice. The chief testified that his detectives
mad reported to him and TO Captain Donahue
that the woman gave but poor description
OF the men, such a meager one that 1t would
be OF no use at all in tracking them. The
chief then concluded that Mrs. Bachelor
would be Of no use and did not give her
another thought.
IN commenting on the case after leaving
the stand, Chief White said that the iden-
tfcation made by Mrs Bachelor on the
stand the day before was not fair one and
would not be counted for much among police
ofhcers. The method in use among all rep
utable officers is to place suspect in a row
with dozen more men and then IL a
witness can pick him out the Identification
Is fair and can be relied upon. But in a
case like that of Mrs. Bachelor, where
the suspects are pointed out to witness as
the guilty persons and the witness asked
If she can identify them, her Imagination
IS powerfully stimulated and a so-called
ldcntihcation almost Invariably results. Mrs.
bachelder-the chief and other police officers
belleVe-was greatly strengthened in her
CONVICTIONS between the time she talked
with the detectives and when she took the
stand by being told by the county attorney 8
agents that they had the men who took the
lurs, that they were the men who had had
her rooms and she must come up and
Identify them. Naturally she felt safe In
making an assertion that they were the
men.
In regard to the expressman, Easley, the
identification was even less reliable, as he
had first told the police that the man for
whom he hauled a trunk was light and
looked like a Swede All the men held by
the police were dark and Easleys description
fitted none of them.
Chief White Continues.
Chief White was the only witness OF the
morning. He began with the arrival of the
two men from Joplin, at which time they
protested their innocence. After two or
three consultations they made the first prop
ostion looking to dismissal for return OF
the goods. They said;
Now, we deny that we are guilty and we
hadn't anything to do with the robbery, but
we know good many thieves all over the
country. II We can, through our friends
Help YOU W get tue BOOuS WOat can you &c
for us?'
The chief told them that he could not
promise them anything without seeing Shu-
kert and the county attorney. Shukert's sole
ambition was to get the goods. He said thai
people were coming into the store every day
demanding their garments and suing hin
for them. Some of the garments were moi
worth $40 to the trade but their owners
were suing for $500 and he would have tc
replace them with new garments. Witness
told Shukert that there was not sufficient
evidence to convict the men and h (Shukert
wanted to dismiss them to get the goods
at once. Witness told him to see the county
attorney, which he did, and reported to wit.
ness that County Attorney Shields hat
promised to release the men whenever
Shukert requested it. Nothing was said a
this time to the county attorney regarding
the number OF furs Shukert would be salts
fed with, but the latter told the witness
that he would be satisfied with thirty five
Then the prisoners were allowed to WRIT
and Dennis wife came to Omaha. She de
MED all knowledge Of the crime. but prom
ised to see what she could do and left TO
Chicago. In few days he got a letter tell
ing him to come to Chicago and receive tn
goods there. They came addressed to Johl
Rogers, care OF the Parmalee Express com
pany. The company, at the chiefs request
delivered the packageR-a trunk, a box an
paper bundle-at witness Chicago office
Witness had had nothing TO do with tn
routing of the packages and did not kno,
where or whom they came from
As to the Reward.
In regard to the reward, witness said tha
he had never suggested that Shukert offe
one. Shukert had asked him If it would b
we'll for him to offer 81, 900 and no question
asked for the recovery of the goods and
had said that it would do no harm, thong
1t would probably do no good. If paid, tn
chief said, the reward would be distribute
to various persons all over the countr!
some OF it to the Missouri parties some
1t to the police OF Des Moines and part
The police department Of Omaha. One -fourt
Of the latter share would go to the Police
mems Benevolent association. so that in an
event the portion to be given out in Oman
would be small. The reward had never bee
discussed by Donahue and himself.
Witness had told the two girls that IL II
reward were paid there was no reason wi
they should not have some Of it for sta
Ing in the city on expense and because
was through the trip to Chicago, made
one of them, that the furs had been r
covered. At the tlme the girls swore tn
had never identified any one witness W
in Chicago aud knew nothing of It, T.
girls told witness that Shields had ask
them to let him collect their reward, as
thought he could get more for them th
the police could Later some agreeme
had been made between the girls al
Shukert in the presence of Captain Donah
for the payment to them of 5000.
Assistant County Attorney Dunn tried, b
failed, to get the witness TO take back
previous statement that an agreement HI
been reached with the county attorney Il
days before witness left for Chicago to <
the goods. Then Mr., Dunn asked why wi
ness had called him DUNN up the day
left for Chicago and asked about the agre
ment. Witness replied that it was becau
he had no confidence in the word OF t
county attorney and he did not want to go
Chicago to make promises he would not
able to carry out. He trusted Dunn mo-
He expected 10 remain a police officer a
had to deal squarely even with suspects a
considered an agreement with tn,
as binding as any he made VI