Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-02-05
SONG BETRAYS MURDERER
Second Time Recently Homicide is Csugk,
by Music He Sings
CLUE FROM WIFE OF THE DEAD MAN
Henry Browns widow, when Told of
Murder, Recalled song She Heard
william Bartee sing ut
Her House.

For the second time this year In Omaha
song betrayed murderer to the police
when within four hours after Henry
Brown was stabbed to death by William
Bartee at SO North Eleventh street. the
latter was placed under arrest by Sergeant
Nanous, Detectives Mitchell and Davis and
officer Sandstrom at the home OF Henry
Coffey. 1919 Cass street, at o'clock yester-
day morning.
Connected with tho capture OF Brown S
murderer there was need of considera bic
detective work, and in placing the man
behind the bars in so short a time the POI
lice OF Omaha have added another clever
deed to their credit.
Both of the men were colored. They went
TO the home of George Duncan. 205 North
Eleventh street at IL o'clock Saturday
evening. Bartee was a stranger to tho
rest of the company. which was composed
of number of colored men and women
can of beer was sent for and drank.
Brown and his friend. Bartee. seemed to
have IA bone to pick between themselves
and a heated quarrel began when il was
proposed that Brown get another can Of
beer, which he refused to do. Before this
Bartee is said to have induced Brown to
give him his knife and when, still fight
out of the room and down the rear stair
way, it is supposed to have been this knife
with which Brown had been cut. when he
staggered back up the stairs and showed
his wounds Within a few moments Brown
was dead
Duncan Notified Police.
Duncan notified the police. When they
arrived Bartee was nowhere to be seen
and none of the witnesses could saw what
his name was nor where he lived. They
had never seen him before. The police
therefore, had little to work upon, but
knowing Brown worked and had a family
IN South Omaha, Captain Dunn sent De-
tectivc Mitchell, accompa MED by Duncan
to South Omaha to find out what they
could. Tho wind was cold and blowing
hard and the two had nothing but an opcn
buggy TO make the trip i'm, but they wasted
no time in getting to South Omaha, where
they We're Joined by Captain Rinouist
They made tour of lodging houses with
out success and then went to the home OF
tho widow
There was but one clue by which they
could enable Mrs. Brown to identify the
man who was with her husband and that
was song which Bartee had tried to
teach the children while at Duncan's home
that evening. 1t was only little lullaby.
which he said he had taught Browns chill
dren, and as soon as this was told to the
bereaved woman she remembered Fair
child, or Bartee. both OF which names he
carried, She also told that he lived at
the home Of William Coffey, in Omaha.
Catch Him Asleep.
Mitchell Immediately returned to Omaha
and. with the aid of the other officers, sur
rounded Coffey's house and found Bartee
asleep upstairs. He offered no resistance
He did not deny stabbing Brown but main
tained he did it in self defense He has
been known by several names-Fairchild.
Davis and Hobo Mke-besides Bartee The
police have Information that Bartee killed
man in Texas last year, and Duncan
SAID there was reference to some crime
in the quarrel between the two men. When
questioned on that matter yesterday he
would neither affirm nor deny it, The in
quest over Browns body probably will be
held this afternoon, although Coroner
Bradley had not been able TO make the ar
rangements last night
The other instance when a song BETRAYED
a murderer was that of John Doyle. who
killed John Kelly last month In the de-
scription of his assailant, Kelly said that
when drunk he was apt to sing the Irish
melody "SlIibbereen," and 1t was hearing
the strains Of that ditty floating out from
a saloon door in South Omaha that caused
! Officer Morton to step in and place the
singer under arrest 1t was DOYLE. the
murderer.