Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-10
INDlCT ROGERS FOR MURDER
Nothing Exospt What Was Already Known
Brought Out Against Him.
3 uNes NO BILL ON ROBBERY CHARGE
George Matheson, who shot Deputy
sheriff Baker, Indicted on Charge
of Assault with Intent to
Commit Murder.

w. c.. Rogers, the suspect whose arrest
was affected the day following the. crime,
will now have TO answer to the charge of
killing S-aloonkeeper Bert Forney on the
night of April 8. The district court grand
jury, which was ~reconvened last Monday,
returned an Indictment yesterday afternoon
against Rogers In connection with the kill
Ing of Forney, charging Rogers with muir
der In the first degree. No indictment was
returned, however, against Rogers on the
charge of holding up and robbing Charles
w. Letchford, the South Main street
butcher, on which he had been held to the
grand jury.
The witnesses in the Forney murder case
before the grand jury were Dan O'Leary,
Chief OF Police Tibbits, Sheriff l.. B.
Cousins, James E. CLANCY, Detective T. F.
Callaghan, DR.. NJ. A. FINLEY. Mrs. Addie
L. bowers. G. W. Sparks, Richard j.
Organ, Henry Kahler. James Jensen.
George s. Baker and W. T. Cochran. Their
testimony, however, developed very little
but what has already been made public.
James E. CLANCY, who claimed to be
alone with Forney and playing cards with
him at the time the robbers entered the
saloon and shot Forney, related to the
grand jury substantially the same story
he did the night Of the crime. Regarding
the Identification of Rogers as one of the
robbers, Clancy testified that Rogers is
the build and has the general appearances
OF the man who did the talking and fred
the first shot" He further testified that
Rogers eyes looked the same as those of
the taller of the two robbers. CLANCY
stated also that he had seen Rogers a
number of times last year in Omaha, but
made no admission as to being personally
acquainted with him.
Detective C~allaghan, in addition to tes-
tifying as to the facts Of the arrest of
Rogers by him. stated that he had seen
Rogers in the city a day or two before the
murder of Forney.
Mrs. Addie l.. bowers of 1908 West
Broadway, who vent to the Forney saloon
shortly before the shooting, testified that
she saw two men looking into the front
window of the saloon and that she was
positive Rogers was one of these two men,
as she got a good look at him. Richard ].
Organ testified TO seeing three men, one
of whom he was almost certain was Rog-
ers, sitting on the chain fence Of the
Northweste depot grounds on Broadway
the afternoon of the day Forney was killed.
W. T. Cochran of 245 West Washington
avenue testified that shortly before the
shooting he saw three men near the For
ney saloon. one OF whom answered the
| description of Rogers.
The indictment of Rogers on the Forney
murder charge will prevent his being
turned over to the authorities of Clinton,
Ia, where he is wanted to answer to the
charge of being implicated in a number
of robberies with George Burrler. who was
sentenced a few days ago to fifteen years
in the penitentiary.
The grand jury also returned an indict-
ment against George Matheson. the young
man who shot Deputy Sheriff Baker al
Weston Thursday evening, on the charge
OF assault with intent to commit murder.
The evidence before the grand jury in the
Matheson case was not made public yester-
day. Also one against Mrs. Lizzie Thordser
on the charge of being implicated with John
Thordsen in stealing e~ighty-hve chickens
and harness from the premises of Mrs
Susan Thome on the night OF January
last. John Thordsen recently pleaded
guilty to the charge and was sentenced tc
two years In the penitentiary.
The grand jury was instructed by Judge
Wheeler to %reconvene Monday, May 3.