Omaha daily bee., 1907-04-19
SaERCLIFF STAR WITNESS
Pollock Diamond RObtsr Says Civic FEEDER
alton, Through Erome, Paid Him.
REPEATS STORY IN NEWS LIBEL SUIT
Day a. Largely Consumed with
the Dispositions Of rats
Man Relating TO Tom
nennison.

mony in the Denuison Red Oak trial, Sher-
man w. Morris, better known as sher-
cliff, the man who served many years In
the Fort Madison penitentiary for the Pol
lack diamond robbery, was the star witness
In the Dennison- News libel suit before
Judge Estelle yesterday, and In his affida-
Wits the statement was brought out that
he had been paid by the Civic Federation
in reference to his testimony at Red Oak,
receiving the remittances from "a man
named Bronze"
HAS Elmer Thomas ever sent you any
money!" he was asked.
mot personally"
did you not receive regular remittances
while you were in Logan7'
Not from Thomas"
who were they frOmT'
From Bronze"
"a representative Of the Civic Fedora
tion?'
II believe So"
why did he send you the money!
Because 1 refused to stay here in Iowa
unless got regular witness fees"
He denied the fact he got the money
would affect his testimony in any way and
also that he had made a proposition to
Dennison for money.
A deposition from George B. Burrier an
inmate Of the penitentiary at Anamosa, Ia,
! was read touching on the reputation Of
Dennison in Omaha and vicinity. He ad-
mitted he had been a thief since boyhood
and that Lewis r. Fay Of Clinton, Ia, who
was associated with Elmer E. Thomas, had
been working FOR parole for him.
ShercIiG Repeats His Tale.
The entire morning session was devoted
TO a continuation OF the deposition re-
garding the alleged connection of Dennison
with crimes recounted by Morris. Most
OF the deposition is a repetition OF his tes-
timony in the criminal case against Denni-
son at Red Oak After the reading Of the
direct examination Attorney Eagan began
the reading OF the cross-examination d.
rected mainly 60 questions tending to dis
credit Morris Norris went into consider
able detail in telling his story of the Pol
lock diamond robbery on the train near
Missouri Valley. There was nothing new
in all this; It was the same oft-told tale
Of how this desperate slugged and robbed
this man with $4,000 worth OF diamonds
on his person, the same testimony used
against Dennison at Red Oak
part of the deposition that caused
considerable laughter related to an at
tempted holdup which, Morris said, Denni-
son had told him about
He told me he and Tom Farrell went
| TO a cabin In Kokomo, Col, opened the
door and turned loose with AS at the
bunk. He said they only succeeded in
shooting the - in the toe"
The cross examination began with ques-
tions to show that Elmer Thomas, as at
torney for the Civic Federation, had writ
ten to Morris, or Shercliff. while the latter
was in the penitentiary at Fort Madison.
and that he saw Thomas when he was re-
leased from prison. Mr.. Van Dusen OBJ
jected to bringing Elmer Thomas or the
Civic Federation into the case, but Judge
Estelle admitted a part Of the questions
faith OF the witness. Morris said when he
was paroled Thomas was there and accom-
panied him away from the penitentiary.
May Have said II.
did he not say he was trying to get
Dennison in the penitentiary?" he was
asked
HE may have; don't remember that
he did"
1T is true you are not very friendly to-
ward Tom Dennison, is it not2'''
yes. sir"
Are you not personally unfriendly and
hostile?"
II am very unfriendly to him."
The witness denied he would. make an
|
'Is II not true you have threatened his
Hfe2"
mo. sir"
did you not make threatsT'
| Il made a statement to his brother that
II he tried to kill me or have any one do
IT / would start in and keep on till had
wiped out all the male members of the
Dennison family"
The witness said he started on his ca
reer of crime when he was II years old
and was prosecuted at that age in Geneva,
Ill, for robbing safe. He had been con-
hned in three penitentiaries. When he was
asked II he did not hold up house of Ill
fame in Denver and get about 5000 in
Jewels and money. he declined to answer
on the grounds he might incriminate him
self The questions sought to bring out
the fact that II was at this holdup and
not by the holdup of the two women IN
Salt Lake City as he had previously tes-
titled, that he got the $500 worth of dia.
monds.