Omaha daily bee., 1906-03-15
HOLDUP MEN CONFESS
Mrs Warren, Wife Of One of Suspects, Gives
Officers, First Conclusive Proof,
ADMITS HAVING MADE ALL THE MASKS
Tells Where the Revolvsrs Used by the
Trio Were Concealed,
GATHRIGHT BREAKS DOWN COMPLETELY
Gives Detailed Story Of the Shooting Of
Edward Flury,
CLARK AND WARREN HANDLE THE GUNS
Three Were Concealed SO RS TO
ComnIeteIv surround the Car
ellis Where the Revolvsrs Used by the
Trio Were Concealed.
FRIGHT BREAKS DOWN COMPLETELY
LARK AND WARREN HANDLE THE GUNS
Three Were Concealed SO Rs to
Completely Surround the Car
when Il Turned at
the "Y."

The South Omaha police cleared up the
entire robbery and shooting mystery OF
last Wednesday night by securing the un-
qualified confessions OF Clarence Gath
right one OF the trio of robbers, and OF
Mrs. Flossie VAIN, or Warren, the wife
of the mysterious tall man. Gathright was
the last to be connected with the crime.
but he was the first to confess his con-
nection with it. He made his confession
In the city jail at Il o'clock last night and
will reduce the whole to a written and
sworn statement today.
The South Omaha police, who have solved
so successfully one OF the most mysteri-
Gus cases while the chief man among those
attacked was lying at the point OF death
| in st. Joseph hospital and unable to aid
them. wore the most positively joyful
countenances at the close Of their long
search that have been seen about the city
| in many day.
Detective Elsfelder said: Il can go home
toniKfS and sleep just Ike had earned
my salary, sleep l haven't been able TO
get for so long that I've forgotten what a
bed is like"
Yes said the chief, Il guess we all
will
GrRudualIy Clearing Up.
! 1t is expected that Chief Briggs and his
officers will bring the three negroes who
shot Conductor Flury a week ago TO South
Omaha some time during the day. Since
| the capture of "Pinky'' Gathright the
case has cleared up TO an astonishing
degree. Gathright is of a different tenn
] perament than the two other members
OF the gang and he has divuged, while
doing his best TO conceal H. a great deal
/ df valuable information. Chief Briggs de-
clared last night that there were no longer
| any surmises in the case but that he
knew that they had the right men and
| all three OF them. He declared that they
had enough evidence to convict the entire
three, even II the unfortunate conductor
| should not recover. When the men are
brought down tomorrow they will be con-
fronted by the saloon men who were their
victims before the street car was held up.
It will then be seen whether their evil
dence will be positive anu will cooperate
with the werk Of the detectives the
outside. Another woman was found I'm
Omaha who knew more about the inside
history OF the crime than any previous
woman in the case, and she is said to
have told this to the officers. Her name
was not revealed. but II will be placed
on the list with the others
Wife of warren COnfesaes.
The South Omaha police arrested the wife
OF Cal Warren, alias VAIN. ana she 10 be-
ing held as an accomplice at the city jail.
She is charged with having made the masks
which the three men used. After the chief
had given her severe questioning she con-
fessed her connection with the affair. She
said she had made masks for their faces
and a kind of hood to put over their hair,
something after the pattern OF a baby's
hood. This was so no one could see the
kinks Of their hair and know positively
they were negroes. Besides confessing to
the making of the hoods and the masks,
she revealed other features OF the crime
which closed the evidence against the three
bandits lik a vice. AS soon az she had
been returned to the jail afteer the confess
sion Chief Briggs and Captain Shields, act
ing on the information they had secured
from her. set out at once on another search.
4 They were directed by a colored boy whom
the woman designated. and the result was
most gratifying They found the small
nickel plated revolver which they have
been looking for so persistentiy for the last
week. The Colt had all the chambers
empty. but the small gun had three shells
loaded and two which had been discharged
still in the cylinder A box ot cartridges
was found for the smaller gun. The on
GERS had to crawl back under the floor OF
the house where Warren, or Walm, lived.
to get tho guns. This is at Mrs EwinS's
house at Twenty-third ana r streeta
Chief Briggs, Captain Shields and Detec-
tive Elsfelder were all engaged In the
search and had to dig about under the floor
OF the house for nearly an hour before they
found the weapons. They had been wrapped
in some old newspapers and buried under
the dirt and rubbish.
Tells All she Knows.
When the officers returned TO the police
station after the discovery. with the ind
they took tho woman 20 the chiefs office,
where she made fun confession OF her
part In the matter She allowed the chief
to take down her words, and afterward. In
the presence OF the officers as witnesses
she signed the paper. lin this statement
she declared that she lived at lS3 South
Twenty-third street South Omaha, and
that on the night OF March she had seen
Harry Clark, Clarence Gathright and her
husband Warren Cor VAIN which Is the
right name) leave her house at about i0:30
in company They ali had masks. which
she minutely described. with the hoods
which they wore 90 cover the back OF their
, heads She declared that she knew their
intention was TO hold up people They all
had guns and Harry Clark carried the long
blue Colt II was Clark, she said. who hit
the saloonkeeper at Kings saloon over the
head and strained his gun by the blow
Clark also tore the telephone wires down
before they left.
She said Clark and Gathright came back
} 20 her house at about 30 a.. IN. OF March )
! and asked her II her husband had goS home
? yet When she told them that he had not
Gathright said:
) THAT was a he'll OF shooting scrape We
, got into down there"
Her husband. she declared. came home
, about twenty minutes afterward and gave
, her S4of which there were seven quarters.
, four halves. four nickels and dime
After making the full confession Mrs.
: Warren was allowed TO go, but was
! warned 20 be on hand in case she was
D wanted a witness.
: Early IN the evening Captain Shields had
Continued on second PsgNl