Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-03-18
Howard
Cor. 18th st.

shot answered his refusal and he backed
to the north end Of the bar, where he stood
for minute, when he pitched forward
dead.
In the meantime Nelson had gone be-
hind the bar ana rihed the cash register
OF $3.50. Then the two ran out Of the
saloon and went away as rapidly as posi-
BILE. OF these facts there was no dispute
The only question in dispute at the trial
was whether O'Hearn or Nelson fred the
fatal shot. Each accused the other on the
witness stand. Bonney's testimony was
that the man standing next to him with
short overooat on did the shooting and
the other man went behind the bar and
rihed the cash register. He also said the
man who did the shooting covered him
with his revolver as he (Bonney) started
to leave the saloon after the shooting
oiHearn admitted in his testimony that
Il was he who covered Bonney, but he says
he did It while Nelson was covering Laus-
ten. Bonney testified neither one OF them
paid any attention TO him until after the
shot was Aired and this was corroborated
by Nelson
Ben Perslnger also testified to looking
in at the saloon door and seeing o'Hearn
standing in front of the bar with a gun
rifing the register.
After the murder.
The four pals" met after the murder
according to previous agreement at
Washington hall, where. according TO a
statement signed by Angus ana the testi-
mony Of Nelson. Angus asked O'Hearn
did you shoot the barkeeper?''
Shut up" answered O'Hearn; "yes.
smoked him.
The revolver with which the shooting
was done was also a link In the chain OF
evidence which entangled o'Hearn, The
bullet was a S2-ealiber, and a a2-caliber
revolver was found in the possession OF
Ralph Gray, o'Hearn's father-in-law. 70
whom It was given by Mrs. oHearn the
morning after the shooting and after
oHearn had been arrested. o'Hearp/ sd-
mitted II WAS the gun that killed Lauston.
but sAid II was in the hands OF Nelson
when the shot was fred. Nelson ana An
gus purchased II at Council Bluffs the day
Of the murder. but. according TO Nelson,
Il was given by Angus 20 OHearn when
the quartet met that night. OHean at
tempted TO show Il was In the possession
OF Nelson He said after the four had
met Nelson asked him to trade guns, as
! ~ L-N n % ohA hN RANANAANa q g. AAS oatu
Nelson kept the gun until they started TO
run away from Lausten's saloon, when they
traded back. Nelson saying he was going
to stay in Omaha and he did not want to
be caught with 80 gun on him. o'Hearn's
overeoat also implicated him in the shoot
ing. He were a short light coat. which
was identified by several OF the witnesses
who saw him Bsnney said the man who
did the shooting wore a short overeoat
but he thought IL was black.
Arrest OF the Wanderers.
Angus was arrested that night at Wash
ington hail for another offense and II was
through statements secured from him that
the other arrests were made on Sunday.
o'Hearn was arrested about o'clock Sun
day morning, Warren about II o'clock and
Nelson at 4 o'clock. Nelson was the FIRST
TO make definite statements placing the
responsibility for the shooting. but the
confession OF the Others pointed strongly
10 OHearn. Up to within a few days Of
the trial Il Was generally conceded that
O'Eearn was responsible ror the shooting.
but then Nelson's friends learned an at
tempt would be made 10 fasten the shoot
Ing o. him. He was the only one Of the
four who took the stand for the state
Joe Warren testified for the defendant
but his evidence was not conclusive a. 10
any OF the main facts In the case. o'Hearn