Omaha daily bee., 1906-05-17
CROW SAID TO Be INDICTED
Former Postmaster Of Omaha Reported
Under Charge BY Federal Grand jury,
VERDICT BY AN UNANIMOUS VOTE
Charge is that ns Foreman of Grand
Jury that Indicted Ware Crow
Tried to Inauence his
Colleagues.

Joseph Crow is indicted" is the burden
of a persistent report waited on the waves
of gossip at the federal building yesterday.
None seems willing to bear responsibility
for making the unqualified assertion that
the former postmaster Of Omaha actually
has been indicted by the federal grand jury
now in session. yet the report is generally
accredited.
The rumor says the jury unanimously
voted the true bill against Crow. The re-
port is not made public as yet
Crow was foreman of the federal grand
jury the latter part Of 1906, which indicted
Rev. George q. Ware, and the charge
against him is that he had used his official
position as a member Of that grand jury
to influence the action Of other members
of the jury against bringing in an indlct-
ment against Rev. Mr.. Ware, who lie presi-
dent OF the U. B. 1. Land and Cattle COM
pany OF Hooker county and was charged
with conspiring with Frank Lambert and
Harry welsh in procuring fraudulent home
stead filings within the U. b. 1. land en-
closure.
While this case was under investigation
by the grand jury several ugly rumors
were ahoat that efforts were being made
TO influence the grand jury against in
dieting Ware These rumors got out into
the state and the charge was made by
several papers that certain Jurors wero
travelling home rather often on free
transportation, furnished presumably by
some one about the federal building who
was PROBABLY in close collision with lead
ing cattlemen who had pull with the
railroads.
~ Effort Was Systematic.
There was no secret in the fact that
-. N-sA he
tlemen were hanging around the corridors
OF the federal building with the hope of
persuading some of the grand jurors OF
the November. 1905, term to be lenient
with Mr.. Ware, and that one of them at
least was approached by an attorney from
Mullen, Neb, the county seat of Hooker
county. with the inquiry as to how he
stood on the Ware case. This same at
torney was summoned as government
witness in the Ware trial, but was not
put on. the stand for the government be-
cause of his known frlendlness to Ware.
However, he afterwards was called to the
witness stand in Wares defense
The fact that Wares indictment was
returned on a very narrow margin gave
some cTedence to the report that
Influences might be at work inside
the grand jury room in his favor. and It
was upon this hypothesis that the present
grand jury was called upon to investi-
gate the matter.
Following the adjournment of the grand
o. Jury Of November 1905. which jointly in
dicted Frank Lambert, Harry Welsh and
George G.. Ware as co-conspirators In the
fraudulent land filing matters, both Lam
bert and Welsh pleaded guilty to the in
dictment. Welsh was sentenced to six
months in the Douglas county jail, with a
nominal fine. Lambert was not sentenced.
but was placed under 5000 bonds. This
bond he gave and was for a time at liberty
Ware entered a plea OF not guilty and the
case went to trial. resulting In his convic-
ton with a sentence Of one year in the
Douglas county jail and a fine of 81 900
This case is nov Tonding on appeal TO the
United States circuit court OF appeals, a
new trial having been denied Ware by
Judge Munger.
Lambert Principal witness.
The principal witness for the government
in this trial was Frank Lambert, but a
short while before the trial was 20 begin
Lambert asked permission to go to Dead
wood. This was denied him by the federal
officials. and his bond was increased an ad-
ditlonal $4,000, which he was unable to give
and he was remanded to Jail. II is further
alleged that Lambert, having no attorney
at this time, sent for Mr.. Crow TO ask his
advice as 10 what he had best do II IL
stated that Crow visited Lambert In the
county Jail. accepted a retaining fee. but
tie nature OF the legal advice he gave
Lambert is known only 10 the parties al
interest. This admission was made BY