Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-06-21
CROW LAMBERT'S ATTORNEY
Foreman Of Grand Jury Counsel for One
Man II Indicted.
WcTIS-cLIEN1 UNcOVERs SOME THINGS
Tells How Joe Crow Came TO Him
and Took His Case for Two
Hundred and Fifty
Dollars.

The trial Of the case OF former Post
master Joseph Crow, ex-foreman Of the fed
eral grand jury of 1906, was resumed IN
the United States district court wednes-
day morning, with Frank w. Lambert on
the stand The court had already decided
that the testimony of Lambert was COM
petent from the fact that although he had
pleaded guilty to an indictment for con-
spiracy, judgment had not yet been pro-
nOunced, and the witness was therefore
qualified to testify under the laws Of the
United States.
The testimony Of Lambert was in effect,
that he had visited Crow at his office on
November Is, 1905. the day the grand jury
adjourned, in company with Robert Dun
can, another member OF the grand Jury.
This was about o'clock in the afternoon.
He talked with Crow. who advised him to
go in with Ware and Frawley, as II would
be best for the witness to see them. Crow
told him that Wares attorneys were
strong and influential Grow stated further
to Lambert that he did what he could TO
abate an indictment against Ware. At
witness solicitation Crow gave witness
paper or note to the Burlington headquar-
tiers for transportation from Omaha to
Deadwood and witness secured a pass on
this request II was on the advice of Grow
the WilHeSs ueClueQ 10 go 10 DeaQWOOO.
That same afternoon witness accompanied
Crow to the Douglas county Jail to confer
with Harry Welsh who was confined there
under the same Indictment which had been
returned against Lambert and Ware, Welsh
having pleaded guilty to the indictment.
Crow Upbraida Welsh.
Crow, Lambert says. told Welsh in the
4 presence of the witness that he was foolish
for pleading guilty to the charge, because
il would be impossible to convict any of
them. and that IL Welsh were to with
draw his plea of guilty and enter plea of
not guilty arrangements could be made to
secure for him good attorneys.
Witness and Crow then returned to the
latters office, where the matter Of employ
ing an attorney for Lambert was discussed,
and Crow said the case ought to be worth
$500. but he would take 1t for $3.50 Witness
paid Crow $25 the following day as a re-
tainer November 2S the matter of secur-
ing a bond for the witness was discussed,
and Crow thought a Mr.. Mcpherson OF
South Omaha could be procured to go on
Lamberts bond McPherson was already
on Wares bond). Witness and Crow made
an appointment with Mcpherson for that
evening and had conference on Farnam
street, near the Paxton Crow told Nc
/ EHeTSOH LdlllDtIl ndu Hldut Heterogeneous
! to so to Deadwood, but under the present
/ circumstances was unable to go.
Did Not EIope with Woman.
! In his cross-examination witness denied
he had run away from Mullen with another
! mans wife. He went to consult with Crow
( as an attorney and not for the purpose Of
securing bond. He denied that his purpose
in seeing Crow was in reference 20 any
persecution he was subjected to by the
secret service officials because he refused
to sign a certain statement he is alleged
to have made in the grand jury room, and
which statement had been prepared for him
by the government officers.
Mr.. Gurleys who was conducting the
! cross-examination, went into the, alleged
gun play episode in Special Agent l. c.
| Wheelers ONCE, wherein 1t was told at the
time that upon Lambert's refusal TO sign
the statement alleged to have been pre-
pared for him by the government officers,
that Mr.. Wheeler drew a gun on Lambert
and subsequently turned him over to the
custody Of Secret Service Officer Phillips.
Lambert denied he had made any state
ment to the effect that Wheeler had locked
the door. In the redirect examination
Lambert stated that when Phillips took
him into custody Mr.. Wheeler asked Phil
lips If he had a gun, and upon Phillips
reply in the affirmative Wheeler placed his
gun back into the drawer In reply to
Mr.. Gurley the witness said he had pleaded
guilty to the indictment after the gun play
incident. He was not taken to Jail that
night, but was placed in the custody OF
Phillips. He was afterwards placed In jail
and kept there until after the Ware trial
when he was released on bond.
Statement True, but Not Signed.
In reply to a question by Mr.. Rush
Lambert said:
Prior to this gun play incident / had
told the government officers of my inten-
ton TO go to Deadwood 1 did not sigr
the statement the officials wanted me e
sign at that time. However, the state
ment was true. but l did not want &c
sign II then. had my talk with Mr. Rusr
and Mr.. Wheeler the same night / got
my transportation through Mr.. Crow"
c. ]. Canaan of Omaha, a member OF
the grand jury of 1905, testified as tC
some of the proceedings in the grand jury
room. The motion to reconsider the War,
indictment was made by Mr.. Duncan. Crow