Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-21
RECITES ROWLEY CONFESSION
ArmOur's Financial Man Says Timekeeper
Admitted Populations.
DEFENSE DECLINES TO STATE ITS CASE
beginning of Trial in Criminal Court
of Timekeeper ROwIey, Accused of
Padding Packing House
Pay Rolls,

Martin Rowley's struggle for freedom be.
gan In criminal court Friday morning with
Judge Baxter on the bench and a speciaI
jury In the box. The defendant has been IN
the county Jail since early last April, when
he was arrested on a charge Of embezzlina
$4,000 of the funds Of Armour & Co. while
acting as that company's general time
keeper at its packing house in South Omaha.
The county attorney, In stating the states
case to the Jury, said that no intended TO
show that Rowley had secured the money
by making out special pay checks to hcti-
tious persons and then endorsing the same
and cashing them, the roll being so large
and the company's confidence in Rowley SO
complete that the populations were not dis
covered until after they had been going on
for many months.
During all the days Of his confinement
Rowley has steadfastly refused to make
any statement or talk Of his case, and the
outline Of the defense by his attorney was
awaited with interest Friday morning. but
after the county attorney had finished the
former said: "We~~waIve statement TO the
Jury, your honor" and his course remains
as much In the dark as ever.
sayIOr Says ROwIey Confessed.
The first witness called by the state was
Charles L. Saylor, general financial man for
Armour & Co. at South Omaha. He said
that there we're four division timekeepers
at the plant and that Rowley was the gem
eral timekeeper for more than two years
prior to March 81, when he was called upon
the carpet to explain the presence on the
pay roll OF the names OF ]. d. Haley. ].
Schwartz, a Smith and a Walker, whom no
one else seemed to know. He stated TO
Saylor, witness said, that the men were
doing some special work for Robert Howe.
the general manager. Monday Saylor
called him again for a private talk and
told him that It had been learned that no
such men had done any work for Howe.
witness said that Rowley then admitted
mat he Rad placed the names on the pay
rolls without right, that he had done so
because he needed money" and that he
had resorted to the plan a number OF
times.
To this line of testimony, attorney for
tho defense entered vigorous objection de-
elaring that no relation Of an alleged
confession was proper testimony until the
state had proved that the crime charged
mad been committed. But the court per- |
mitted the witness TO proceed and the lat
ter told Of asking Rowley why. II In
st~raitened circumstances, he had not an
piled to him THE witness) or some other
friend for assistance.
He said that Rowley's reply was that he
had not had the heart to do IL. had re-
sorted TO the other means TO secure a little
money at a time. and that he must have
been crazy when he did IT, Witness said
further that Rowley said in this second in
terview he had gone over some of the books
since first asked about the matter and was
to find that the total must be
more than s., 1000.
sAylors testimony occupied until noon.
me county attorney then announced that
'ome OF the companys books were on the
1ay ron south Omaha and would be in
In the afternoon to show the exact