Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-16
CALDWELL INQUEST BEGINS
Testimony shSws that Blows Wer, Not
Dealt by striksrA
PERKINS AND CHADWICK ARE RELEASED
DIR. Lavender says Death Was Caused
by Concussion of Brain, Prob
ably Result of Kick in
Back of Head.


Back of Head.
The inquest over the body Of Earl Cald- !
well, the Union Pacific machinst who was |
the victim OF the Cass street tragedy early |
Sunday morning, began at o'clock yester- !
day afternoon In Coroner Brailey's rooms
at Twentieth and Cunning streets, and the |
! testimony of the three witnesses examined |
confirms the essential features Of the story |
published in The Bee. The examination |
was continued until O'Clock this morn /
ing.
George L. Perkins and Raymond Chad !
wick, aged 20 and H. respectively. former /
apprentices in the Union Pacific shops, |
who we're among the strikers arrested in ,
connection with this case, and DR.. w. r. |
Lavender, who conducted the autopsy over /
| the body OF Caldwell Sunday, were the |
witnesses examined Perkins and Chad |
wick were released from custody after the !
hearing and the seven other prisoners, all |
Of whom were present at the inquest, were !
returned to their cells in the county Jail |
to await the completion of the inquest.
County Attorney Shields conducted the |
examination for the state and at his side |
sat Edison Rich, the Union Pacific attor- |
ney, who took a leading part in the ex-
represented the Union Pacific strikers in
terests. The jury selected for the occa-
sion was composed Of these gentlemen:
| Steven Hansen, H. S. Mann, George r. |
Rathburn, E. N. Stanberg, c. NJ Blach-
man and st. A. D. Balcombe. NJ. W. Ball. |
the companion OF Caldwell, who survived |
the tragedy, was present. He showed |
the effects Of having been badly assaulted. |
Two witnesses Agree
George L. Perkins was the first witness !
placed on the stand. Young Perkins told |
an apparently straight story which was |
corroborated, in nearly every detail, by the |
statement made by Chadwick later. Neither |
OF the boys thought at the outset tr |
have had any part whatever in the assault |
ing OF Caldwell or Ball
On the essential point as to who began |
the fight which ended in the death Of young |
Caldwell, these two youthful witnesses !
agreed absolutely. They both stated en- |
phatically and without hesitation that John !
Spellman precipitsted the affair by striking !
the first blow, which landed on Caldwell's |
left jaw and knocked him to the ground |
John spellman is not striker, but an en-
ploye on the contract work on the Union |
Pacifc's new shops.
AS to who was responsible for the blow |
that caused Caldwell's death neither Of the |
witnesses could tell, but they both stated |
that John Spelman did not stop after hit |
ting Caldwell once, but followed this blow !
up and fell or jumped on his victim whom |
he had knocked into a ditch at the edge of |
the Sidewalk. : Whether in the mixun with |
Caldwell in the ditch Spellman dealt the !
blow that killed him, Chadwick nor Perkins |
could not say.
Both the witnesses implicated Jack Nc |
Kenna, the other employe on the contract
work Of the Union Pacific, and the pal Of
John Spellman, as the man who started the |
attack on Ball. McKenna, it was brought
out, had never been a striker nor an en-
ploye Of the shop.
POspisiI Not There.
! Young Perkins stated that he had been
regularly assigned for picket duty Saturday
night and was to stay at his post all night
He said that he, John and Mike Spellman.
| Che latter is John Spellman's father), Jack
| McKenna and Raymond Chadwick were
standing together when Ball and Caldwell.
the Union Pacific employees, came along on
their way to the shops. He declared that
| Charles Popisil the tall man" whom Ball
assured the police was one Of CaldweH's
assailants. was not present when Ball and
Caldwell made their appearance or when
the fight occurred He said that Pospisil
did not arrive until about ten minutes after
the afair and therefore had absolutely moth
! ing to do with it,
Perkins likewise stated that John Kerri-
gan, another striker positively identified by
Ball as being a participant in the fight,
was not present when the affair occurred
and did not show up for some time after
ward. Chadwick corroborated these state
ments. both to Pospisil and Kerrigan.
Perkins did not see anyone else hit CaId-
see Ball attacked by anyone but McKenna.
He saw Mike Spellman standing there with
a small piece Of a broomstick in his hand,
but did not see him take a hand in the
fight Close cross-examination failed to
bring out any statement from either Per-
! kins or Chadwick that old man Spellmap
or anybody else but young Spellman hit
Caldwell Neither OF the boys saw any
weapon used during the entire fight.
Mike speIIman Talked.
Perkins admitted that he heard Mike
spellmau say after the assault upon Cald-
well and Ball: well, I got one good
whack at him with my club, anyway" He
was unable to say whether it was Caldwell
or Ball to whom the elder Spellman re-
ferred.
1t was brought out very clearly by the
testimony OF both Perkins and Chadwick
I
been drinking heavily during the night and
that they had shared their bottle with
Mike Spellman They both we're under the
impression that John spellman and Nc
| Kenna were drunk, but were confident that
I Mike Spellman was not.
Both the young men were questioned
very closely by the attorneys on each side
as to what instructions they had received
on that and other nights from their lodge
officers who assigned them to picket duty.
They both were clear-cut and emphatic in
their replies that they were always in
structed TO talk to all the nonunion work
men they could hnd and try to persuade
them 10 leave the shops. but under all cir
cumstances to refrain from violence in any
form. They say they were working under
Mike SpellmAn, who was lieutenant of the
picket force to which they belonged, and
that on that very night Mike Spellman had
sdmonished them to be careful Of their
conduct and by no means strike anyone.
The young men said they had been doing
picket duty ever since the strike began
and that they had never violated the orders
given them.