Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1905-05-26
.sHERCL|FFE HAS
BLOOD IN HIS EYE
Declares That There May Be
a Job for an Undertaken
at Red Oak.
GUARDS WILL WATCH MEN
There Is Said to Exist Much Bad
Blood Between the Two Men and
1t Is Feared They May Come TO-
gether During the Trial.

Des Moines. May 23.-Everything
seems to be in readiness for the trial
Of Tom Dennison to begin at Red Oak
this morning without any delay,
though thirteen years have now pass
ed since the crime with which he is
charged was committed. Both sides
have stated that the trial will occupy
fully two weeks and from the host
of witnesses subpoenaed it looks as
If they knew whereof they spoke.
Shercliffe, the states star witness,
left Des Moines for Red Oak yester-
day and accompanied by his wife.
He has declared that he will get
Dennison this time" if it is in his
power to DO so. To crowd OF
friends Sherclffe declared when ask
ed if there might be any sensational
developments in the case:
There might be a good job for an
undertaken at the end.'
There is much bad blood between
Shercliffe and Dennison. AS far as
known the two men have never come
face to face since Shercliffe's release
from the state penitentiary last fall.
Friends of the TWO have feared the
results of such meeting and have
always endeavOred to avoid possible
trouble. However, at Red Oak the
two principals in the famous Pollock
diamond robbery case must come to-
gether.
Red Oak. May 24.--In the Dennison
trial yesterday jury was secured.
Judge Green ordered close segrega-
ton of the jury and also the separa-
ton of all witnesses with the excep-
ton of Mrs. Dennison, who is allowed
to remain in the court room.
Judge Walter I. Smith made the
opening argument for the state and
fatty charged Dennison with having
conceived the plot of robbing Pol
lock.
S. T. Cochran made the opening
argument for the defense, in which he
charged the Civic Federation of Om-
aha with the attempt to break down
the reputation Of Tom Dennison. and
also charged that the refusal of Gov
ernor Cummins to allow requisition
for Shercliffe is a promise of safety
to him for his testimony.
Judge Green allowed the reading
of famous letters from Dennison to
Homer Morris, Shercliffe's brother,
by Judge Smith in his opening argu-
ment
". G. Pollock, a New York dia-
mond merchant, was placed on the
stand and told the story Of robbery.
Red Oak. May. 25.-In the Dennison
case yesterday, Frank Shercliffe was
called to the stand and testified that
Tom Dennison planned the Pollock
hold-up. He said mysterious
Hooker was the go-between OF
Dennison and his attorney on his trial
for the Pollock robbery and that Den
nison told him that H. G. Mcmillan
had promised to get his parole for
$1,000, but when he found that he
could get it he raised to $4,000 and
then Dennison put on another $500.
Shercliffe told straight story and
has not yet been shaken by the de-
Tense. His cross-examination will
probably last throughout today.
During his examination Shercliffe
shook his finger at Dennison and
charged him with attempting to fasten
other crimes on him SO that he might
be tried for them after the present
trial.
Red Oak, May 26-Shercliffe on
cross-examination yesterday swore
that Elmer Thomas told him that
Omaha was politically rotten, and in
order to purify it he wanted to prove
Tom Dennison thief, gambler and
an outlaw and in league with Mayor
Moores and Edward Rosewater.
He also stated that Thomas made
him no promise of relief from prison.
Sherclffe caused a sensation by adj
hitting that he had been paid various
sums of money by the Civic Fedora
ton Of Omaha to keep him in the
state until the trial should be held.
Shercliffe was confronted in court
by c. e. Bean, who is alleged to have
secured a confession from Shercliffe
that Dennison was not implicated in
the Pollock robbery.
Shercliffe was confronted by numer-
GUS charges by Attorney Cornell that
he confessed his individual guilt of
the Pollack robbery, but denied all of
them.
During the day he said: ~ have
made a threat to take care Of my
self if Dennison persisted in threat
ening to assassinate me. l only de-
sire to tell the truth in this matter
My part of the partnership with Den
nison was to steal diamonds and send
them to him. I didn't have a CONVEX
sation with Wetmore, the cheap de-
tective He did the talking and
listened"
BOY HEIR TO MILLIONS.