Omaha daily bee., 1905-06-09
HOT SHOT FROM CONNELL
Tells Just What He Thinks Of Men Behind
!. the Dennison Prosecution.
NO CAUSE FOR WLLlFYING WITNESSES
Says Gamblers May Have Better Repu-
tHtion for Honesty Than Men
in CaIIinRs Not Pro-
scribed by the Law.

Inc post-mortem resolutions put through
lhe Real Estate exchange and the Com
merclal club belaboring the public officials
ana business men who testified to the good
reputation for honesty of Tom Dennt-
son are entirely unwarranted, according tn
Attorney W. j. Connen Expressing him
set more at length to a reporter, Mr.. Com
nell said, with some warmth:
The criticism and villihcation OF those
VINO testified to Tom Dennison's good repu-
tation for honesty and integrity is utterly
"'hout Justihcation. 1t is the aftermath
OF blackwash by two newspapers and cer-
tain disappointed individuals who attempted
TO railroad Tom Dennison into the penitcn-
uary on prejudice and by perjured
testimony. Under the laws of Iowa
every defendant in a criminal case has
the right to prove. IL he can that he
Is man Of good moral character
or that he has reputation for
certain qualities which make 1t unlikely
that he would commit the particular crime
with which he is charged For instance
III ne Is charged with ar assault with in
tent to commit great bodily harm he can
show, as tending to establish his innocence
either that he is a man of good moral
character or that he is a man of quiet and
peaceable disposition and therefore not
likely to commit a crime of that character
II charged with stealing, the defendant
can show that he is man of good moral
character or that his reputation for hon
esty and integrity is good.
Reputation for Honesty.
IN the defense of Tom Dennison we did
not attempt to prove good moral character
but to show that he was man of honesty
and square dealing. We stated at the out
set. and Tom Dennison freely admitted
that he had been gambler. We recognized
that gambling was unlawful and therefore
1t could not be said of gambler that he
was man of good moral character But
we asserted to what is known to every man,
woman and child in Omaha who has any
&snowledge on the subject that notwith-
landing the fact that Tom Dennison has
been a gambler, he is man of honesty
and integrity and man whose word is as
good as the bond Of all the members of the
Civic Federation combined. This is what
we proved, and it is all we attempted to
prove. so far as reputation is concerned.
Lots of Honest Gamblers
Some years ago there lived in Omaha a
well known gambler named Mat Har-
ris. Later there lived for years in Omaha
= mother well known gambler named Dan
Sllen. Were it necessary to do so | could
call hundred of our best known and most
highly respected citizens and prove by
every one of them that the reputation of
Mat Harris and Dan Allen for honesty and
integrity was good without mentioning IT
to them in advance. l know l could prove
this by Judge Lake, DIR. Miller, James f..
Boyd. w. A. Paxton and host of other
old and respected citizens.
"At the time the populistic wave was
sweeping over the country William McKin-
ley said in one of his speeches delivered in
Council Bluffs that there were two kinds
of farmers-the farmer who farmed the
farms and the farmers who farmed the
farmers. So. also, there are two kinds OF
gamblers-the open, square dealing gamb-
ler, who does not deny he is a gambler
and the miserable leech who wants to
fasten his graft on the gambler It is
with the latter kind that the prosecution of
Tom Dennison had its origin And It is
further true as holy writ that the fight of
gambler against gambler was taken up By
gang of disreputable and disgruntled
politicians, who seized the livery OF heaven
TO serve the devil, and in this city induced
some good men, both in and out of the
Civic Federation, to aid in pulling their
political chestnuts out of the fire.
Someone is Using Them.
ut is astounding that such organizations
as the Commercial club and Real Estate
exchange should now allow themselves to
be so used l supposed the Commercial
club was organized for the upbuilding of
Omaha and not to create strife and dis
senslon, which in the past has worked so
Gmuch injury to our city. Why is IL that tho