The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1905-03-04
A DIAMOND ROBBERY.
GAMBLERS KING, HE NEVER
PLAYED CHANCE HIMSELF
He is Said TO Have Controlled . Truse
OF CrimInoIs for Political Ends-Tho
Pollock Case and Thomas Bomb-Is
Worth u FIR une

Pollock Case and Thomas Bomb-Is
Worth FIR une.
Tom Dennison, gambler king of
Omaha, almost the last of the poten-
tates of the green table who have
ruled in Western cities, must go to
Iowa for trial on a charge for which
he may receive a penitentiary sentence
Of Is years. Gambler, political power
In Omaha and Nebraska, putative head
of a great organization of gamblers
and criminals, Dennison has for IL
years warded off all efforts to bring
him to trial for the famous Pollock
diamond robbery. Other men have
gone to the penitentiary for it: muir
ders have been attempted as a result
of it. the Thomas dynamiting outrage,
which was a national sensation for
few days, grew out of it. The courts
of two states, from highest to lowest
have struggled with it, hundreds Of
thousands of dollars have been spent,
politicians of National repute have
lent their names and Influence to save
Dennison; but at last he is brought
face to face with trial before Jury Of
70 men. And it is the mandate of the
Supreme Court of the United States
which thus suddenly sweeps aside all
the barriers so laboriously builded up.
Tom Dennison never CANDLES. and
has made fortune out of comforting
gambling in Omaha, policy especially
having been a mine of wealth. He is
the ideal political boss; his henchmen
execute his orders with fear and abso-
lutte loyalty. They have no affection
for him, but they give mquestioned
obedience. His word is as good as
his bond with anybody in Nebraska.
and it is said his bond is worth a mil-
lion. He was never known to break
his word in politics, or to desert a sup
porter in trouble. He is a great man
in Nebraska because ne controls abso-
llitely two or three wards in Omaha;
Omaha is Douglas County; Douglas
County, in a majority Of the elections
in 20 years. has controlled Nebraska
both on general results and as to the
Legislature. Hence Mr.. Dennisons
standing With gentlemen who, would
be legislators, Governors, Senators or
successful lobbyists. If the prosecu-
tion in the forthcoming trial makes
good its claim, it will prove Dennison
has been for 20 years the head of the
most wonderful organization of crimi-
mails in the West, If not, indeed, in the
whole country. The Omaha Civic, Fee
deration publicly declares that Dem
nison is the head of a trust in crime
the clearing house of the most bust
ness-like organization of thugs and
thieves that the country knows. And
Attorney Elmer e, Thomas of the fed
Grafton. promises that all this will. be
proved. ,,sE s-a.,
But to the strange story of the Poll
lock robbery which finally has been
developed after is years. One. night in
the spring of 1890 w. s. Pollock,
travelling diamond salesman left
Omaha for Sioux Sity. In his pocket
he carried $25,OD0 worth Of unset stones
in two leathern wallets. During the
day he had sold diamonds to several
Omama merchants, among them one
who has since been charged with be-
ing a fence" for Dennison. When the
train was passing, through Harrison
County. Iowa, at 49, miles an hour, a
tall man rose from a rear seat in the
day coach, walked forward to Pollock,
pulled a mask over his own face and
struck Pollock twice over the head
with a slung shot, at the same time
reaching for the wallets of diamonds.
Pollock made a game fight, and the
bandit shot twice, severely Wounding
him. Then he got the wallets, ran to
the rear platform and jumped off. He
was not seen again for two years. ..
Pollock recovered. The National
jewelers. Protective Association was
put on the trail Of the robber, This or
ganization hired the best Pinkertons,
and gave them carte blanche to spend
money. At last the crime was traced
to Frank Sherclife, notorious GRIM
inal, who was found in a Western peni-
Tertiary. He was brought back to
Harrison County, Iowa, when re-
leased, and sensational trial resulted.
The diamonds had never been found.
Neither had Shercliffe's gun He de-
clined to tell anything whatever.
Though he was Just out of the peni-
Tertiary and apparently utterly without
means, the best lawyers appeared for
him. They spent money freely as wa
ter. So did the National jewelers. As
ISOLATION.
The trial was fortnight's wonder
in Logan. Judge Van Wagenen, the
trial judge early observed that a gang
of Omaha men were attending the trial
every day, Dennison at their head.
They interviewed Shercliffe from time
to time in his cell, until they were
barred; then they tried to bride the
jailer to communicate. and finally
Judge Van Wagenen, discovering that
efforts were making to bride Jurors, or
dered the - men kept strictly to-
gether and under guard. Dennison al
ways came very, early to the court
room and sat where he could Keep his
eye OH Shercliffe: and 1t never left the
accused man.
With wonderful array of circum-
stantial evidence the State brought the
crime to Shercliffe door. It's theory
was that the robbery was planned by
the Dennison clique in Omaha; that
Shercliffe hid been given opportunity
to wacth Pollock during the day in
Omaha, and had done the work that
sa.I.I G