Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-05-09
Reveals the Most Astonishing
Corruption In Official
Circles In Omaha
TRIED 70 SHIELD DENNlsoN
Omaha Chief Of Police and His Officers
Did. All In Their Power to Discour-
age the Efforts to Bring Him and His
Henchmen to Justice--The Recovery
Of Stolen Property.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican,
Council Bluffs May THE true story
ne the theft at Clinton of The famous
Fay diamonds and their recovery after
eighteen months of unremitting effort
reads like a Nick Carter novel; and 1t
reveals the most astonishing corruption
In Official circles in Omaha. The fact
that the same gang which aided and
abetted Shercliffe in the great Pol
lock diamond robbery WAS coneernsdlin
the Fay robbery and the sensations
growing out OF the Shercliffe parole
lend additional interest to the story.
Editor Fay. OF Clinton, who was IN
terviewed here and gave a complete
history of his fight to secure the stolen
property asserts that not only did the
Omaha chief Of police and his officers
refuse TO give him any help in running
down the gang, but did all in their
power to shield Tom Dennison and his
henchnen and to discourage the efforts
to bring them to Justice. Never in the
history of Iowa was so desperate gang
brought to bay ana 50 completely out
wi,ted, practically by the efforts OF one
man as in the Fay case. To press
representative Editor Fay gave the fol-
lowing story:
THE residence of my brother. C. A.
Fay, was robbed on November 3, 1892,
by w. C. Rogers. who al the point of a
revolver aroused him and his wsfe and
demanded all their vaiuables. Among
other things were diamonds valued az
about $1,000. My brother had cor
rect descriptiontof this property. includ-
ing weights, slight tmperfections, ETC.,
which made them = easily identified.
Immediately following the burglary, a
circular was sent to all police head
quarters offering $50 reward for the
stolen property and there would pc no
questions and no prosec uuons.
sIn February, 1908, George b., Bur
rier. who had been hanging around
Clinton for some weeks was arrested
Tor several burglaries. which he had
committed in Lyons, the arrests being
made by Officers w. T.. Doherty and
Ed Burk. both OF whom had been in
Council Bluffs several different times
working on the case 1t had been learn
cd ataGsiinton that Burrier was In some
way mixed UP in the robbery and this
lead to an Investigation Of Burriers
record, which disclosed the fact that
Burrier was at that time parnfed
prisoner from an Indiana penitentiary.
having been sent up for ten years, and
that he had served time in several penal
institutions. II was discovered that
shortly after the Fay robbery Burrier
purchased a house of prostitution In
Omaha with funds which were suppos-
ed to have been secured as result OF
the sale OF the Fay diamonds. Rogers
and Burrier were known In Omaha as
pals and to certain extent identified
in the same crimes. called on Burrier
several times and accused him OF steal
ing the Fay diamonds, which he OF
course. denied. stating he would rot in
the pen before he would make any
statement to the contrary.
.sIIowever, when Rurrler was cons
fronted with the evidence of his crirn-
inal record and his parole from the n-
diana penitentiary, he Weakened, and
In April. 1908, he made complete cons
fession OF ilis relation to not, only the
Fay robbery hut a number of others
made In Lyons and Clinton, duplicating
Codroy and Murphy, VINO We're after
ward sent TO the penitentiary largely
on Burrier's testimony and on corrob-
Grating evidence secured by the state.
"a short time prior TO Burrier's con-
,,sasa,,,n / went to Fort Madison for the
purpose of making an investigation OF
Ba1rrier. who had been, at one time, a
prisoner there. saw various prisoners
who had been identified with diamond
robberies, among them Frank Sher-
rlifre. inquired of Shercliffe what was
the general course of stolen property
An the west and he said it usually went
10 Omaha and that Tom Dennison could
a-iya all the Information necessary II
Ia wished. He also stated that Denn1-
son received the Pollock diamonds
which he had stolen and for which he
was then serving a seventeen year SEN
tence.
eater Rurrier made his confession
relative to the Fay diamonds he stated
that Tom Dennison. of Omaha, could
assist in recovering the property II ne
was disposed to do SO, and advised that
r go Mt once TO Omaha to see Dennison.
a year ago this month came to Coun-
ell Bluffs, accompanied by w. d. Do
herty. a detective and L. +. Sutton,
attorney for Burrier. Sutton called on
w. C. Rogers at the jail In this city
and told him that Burrier had con-
fessed. and told him we were here to
recover the diamonds If possible. Rog-
ers also advised us to see Tom .Denni-
son at Omaha We went to Omaha and
met Dennison. He denied any acquain-
lance with any OF the parties / have
mentioned. Bernstein had told me that
the goods were disposed OF to Harry
Bernstein, a pawnbroker in Omaha, but
that Bernstein was simply tool IN
Dennison's employ and that 1t was best
for me to go to headquarters.
at told Dennison that ] was there to
secure the return of the stolen goods
and that proposed to stay on the trail
until they turned up or until every man
connected with the robbery in any way
was landed In the penitentiary. Dem
Y,ison sadvised me that the best thing
for me was to get out of town and de-
MED any knowledge of the robbery.
called his attention to some statements
made IL Shercliffe and Hubbard which
understood were on file at Des
nfoanes. Then Dennison was willing to
falk and stated that Chief Of Police
Donat1ue had come to him shortly after
49, ..otharv and had asked him to try