Omaha daily bee., 1900-01-13
RENDER ACCOUNT FOR TRUST
Three Members Of School Board Formally
Arraignsd for Bribery,
DATE FOR THE PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
Session of the Investigating Commit
tee Occupied with Disclosure of
Cowe's Relations with Firm of
Chicago Contractors.

A curious crowd assembled in the county
court room at 8 o'clock this morning to VITA
ness the arraignment Of the three school
beard members charged with bribery. Idlers
from the street were attracted by the un-
usual sight of public officials in the tolls
OF the law for alleged corrupt practices and
the accused were Obliged to elbow their way
through the throng to reach the judges
bench.
The defendants, Members Arthur NJ. Cowie
and ex-Members Frank A. Sears and George
II. Hess, listened to the reading of the
information charging them with bribery and
W through their attorneys that they
would enter no plea at this time, They
asked that a date be set for the hearing
and County Judge Vinsonhaler named jan
uary ~ for the preliminary examination.
The brief ceremony OF the arraignment
was then concluded and the accused filed
out Of the room behind their attorneys. No
information has been filed against G.. G.
Trey, although the committee possesses the
same evidence against him as has been pro-
duced in the cases of those now under
arrest.
Whereabouts of Trey.
Acquaintance of G. G. Trey, the absent
member of the Board Of Education involved
in the disclosures of Contractor Chiniquay,
deny that Mr.. Trey has left the city per-
manently. At the office of the New York
Life Insurance company, where he has
been employed as a solicitor, 1t is said he
is expected home soon. Elmer E. thinner
man, an associate employe, says:
"Mr. Trey went east to Pennsylvania
about the goth or 22d of December, having
Just about time to reach his destination for
Christmas. His family had preceded him
thither. He went to visit his folks, whom
he had not visited for several years, and
who had been urging him to come for some
time. ! have had several letters from him
since he left, and l expect to see him back
in Omaha in five or six days. He has been
at several points in Pennsylvania, and l
cannot tell you where he is just now"
H.. b.. Trey, brother of the absentee, said
when asked as to the whereabouts of G. G.
Trey: 'He is back east. | don't know just
where. The story that he went away in
tending not to come back you may brand as
a lie. He will not only come back, but he
will when he returns go after some of those
who are pushing the present investigation.
| won't mention any names, but if you catch
the real thieves they will be found to be
some of the men who are pushing this in
vestigation."
Mr.. Trey avoided giving the exact where
aDOutS OF MS DrOtneT or the eAdCl llulS al
which he is likely to return.
Arrest of Sears.
Frank A. Sears, who is the salesman for
a local candy factory and drives a wagon
for the same firm, could not be located
Thursday night. Deputy sheriffs visited his
residence and place of business, but failed
to find him, and the search was resumed
yesterday. The deputies encountered the
retired board member about 8 o'clock and
formally placed him under arrest for brib-
cry. Sears was apparently prepared for the
emergency, and Immediately notified George
Munro, a North Sixteenth street grocery
man and former member of the Board of
Public Works, who at once appeared at the
county court room and offered bond in the
amount of 81 900, which was accepted. The
amount fixed was the same in all cases.
The immediate cause of the members
arrest, as given in detail below, was the
accusation of Contractor Chiniquay of Chi
cago that he had purchased the influence OF
several board members in his attempt to Sc
cure an order for venetian blinds. The
amounts said to have been p~roffered and ac-
copied were comparatively small, ranging
from $25 in the case of Member Sears to
$40 In that of Member Hess. The informa-
ton in the cases of the two members named
is Identical and contains two counts. One
reClteS that tney cOnnlNeu WIN SnlhlqudS
In the purchase of 600 square feet OF
blinds at IS cents per square foot, and that
for their services they were to receive the
sum OF 800 and $40 respectively as a bride
The second count charges that the members
were duly paid the sum specified.
The complaint against Cowie is based on
a different allegation. The information in
his case charges that on Dcae@'ber Is Cowle
and H.. b. Dodge, the latter representing
II. B. Dodge e. Co. of chicago, entered into
contract by which Cowie was to use his
influence in inducing the board to purchase
blinds for the three new school buildings.
According to the agreement the board was
to pay 10 cents per square foot and Cowle
was to receive 6 cents per square foot fol
all material so purchased. 1t is further al
legged that when Cowie entered into the
agreement he knew that the market value
of the blinds was only . cents and that they
could be bought at that rate from any dealer
In his case the acceptance OF a bride is al
legged to exist in entering into a deal as g
public official for which he was to receive
a secret commission.
A curious crowd assembled in the county
court room at 9 O'Clock to wit
ness the arraignment of the three defend
ants. Idlers from the street were attracted
by the unusual sigh. Of public officials in
the tolls OF the law for alleged corrupt prac'
tices and the accused were obliged to elbow
their way through the throng when they
entered the room with their counsel.
The ceremony OF their arraignment, how
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