Omaha daily bee., 1908-03-10
PRESTON TELLS some TRUTH
Contractor He Said Employed Him in
Texas Located.
REFUSES TO GIVE UP TO CHEF
sends for Donahue, but Does Not
TEN Him Any More ThaR
Ne Dtd Other later
vfevrern-

Evfdant1y Preston has toid somsthtng
resembling Sha truth, no matter how much
else he has not toid. IN reply 70 tsls-
Erum ssne 80 4 y. smith. W1ggins. TEX.
for whom ana where Preston nags he
woEksd. Ths nee rsosived . tslsgraa say
ing thsre waa . rAliroad oousractor ~
that name there. but that he - now IN
Canadian. TEX, whittier the message fol-
lowed him Whether Preston ever worked
for this man - not known. but that he
knew there was Snoh . maa ana place is
proved and Il IL now bslisvsd thsrs may
b more truth IN his story thnn at first
guVpossd-
chief Donahus received q telegram yes-
teraay afternoon from slser4ff @. l. Hacre-
ley Of Brighten. Colo. where the post
office robbery and murder of the marshal
Of which Preston ~ suspected took place.
The telegram - as follows:
Hold Preston for Investigation. leave
here tonight for Omaha"
1t is expected much will Be cleared up
with the arrival Of Sheriff Haekelsy. II
the revolver from which Marshal E7lis OF
Brighton discharged his shots at O'Clock
last Friday morning was q B-calibge gun
u viii establish a new elua. as that IL the
sire Of the bullet taken from Preston's
body.
sends for the Chief.
J. B. Preston. the man who walked into
the police station Saturday noon with
three bullet wounds in his groin, who said
he had come from Texas direct to Omaha,
but whom the police believe TO be one OF
thres robbers who killed Night Marshal
James d. Ellis at Brighton. Colo. early
Friday morning. when he surprised them IN
an attempt 20 break into the postoffice.
has asked 10 have an interview with Chief
Of Police Donahue.
When Chief Of Police Donahus called at
the hospital Preston told HIM the same
story as he has told to all others who
have Interviewed him. The chief told him
he would be safely identified within forty
eight hours and that he could only do his
case harm BY persisting in his story.
But that is my true story" he persisted.
Preston told the chief he came TO Omaha
from Higgins. Tex. and that he had
ticket to Omaha
"on what road did you come inT' asked
the chief.
On the Santa Re"
When told that the santa Fe does not
run to Omaha, Preston said ne supposed
he must have 'got switched off" Finally
he said he came in to Omaha in a ooxcar.
He seemed to place considerable reliance
on the fact that the authorities cannot
identify him.
Officer on Guard.
An officer Is on guard at the door OF
the ward where Preston lies. night and
day. Chief OF Police Delaney OF Denver
has sent word to hold him under strict
guard DR.. schleier reports his condition
about the same. with chances about equal
for recovery or death
He has all the earmarks OF a crook, I"
said Chief of Detectives Savage He came
here without a scrap Of paper on him by
which he could be identified except the
mark in his hat, which he rad evidently
forgotten TO remove He puts up a very
plausible story. but most OF the crooks are
very smooth liars"
II Preston should prove to be the man
for whom half the country is looking in the
nsighborhoOd OF Brighton there viii be a
handsome reward waiting for the officers
here. The purse amounts TO 8, 800 cash
Knowing the circumstances Of the Brigh-
ton affair and reading in The Bee an ac-
count of Preston's story. a friend Of Cap
tain MOstyn's who was passing through
Omaha Sunday evening called up the po-
lice station and intimated that Preston
might be the man who had killed Marshal
Ellis.
At the request OF Chief Of Police De-
laney OF Denver a photograph OF Preston
was sent 10 Denver Monday afternoon for
the use Of the authorities there in identi-
flying the man.