Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-01
On the Wrong Foot.


The state press seems to have got
ten on very badly on the wrong foot
in connection with the recent train
robbery on the outskirts OF Omaha.
Getting a bad cue from the local vel
low journals that have been for years
libeling the police and disappearing
Omaha as a haven OF professional
criminals, these country papers imme-
diately jump to the conclusion that
this train robbery Afforded proof posi-
tive of police inefhciency and conniv-
ance with criminals.
Under the head of Rotten Omaha"
for example, the Nebraska City Press,
which is chronically Safeguarding our
city, INDUCES this characteristic out
burst.
Crooks who are able TO break into banks.
steal anything loose, even rob the United
States mails, seem TO have an immediate
harbor as soon as they reach Omaha. The
local authorities are either unable to han
die the criminal classes or else the re-
sponsible heads are in "cahoots" with the
thieves.
Another paper constantly suffering
with Omaha-phobia, the Kearney New
Era Standard, sagely remarks:
Omaha seems to be headquarters for a
bunch of pretty desperate men. After
this, how will they be able to persuade
the timid east that Omaha is not in the
limits Of the wild and woolly west?
Still another paper, printed in the
same town, the Kearney Hub, which is
usually sensible and ~level-headed, de-
clares:
There is 9 suspicion creeping into the
minds of a Few people that there is some
thing wrong with the police administra-
ton Of the city of Omaha. When a mail
train is looted and the robbers are swat
lowed up in the NAV of that city, where
they undoubtedly had their rendezvous,
there Is an appearance OF shutting the
other eye" when these fellows are around.
1t so happens that before these inky
lugubriations were even dry the per-
p~etrators of the train robbery we're in
the tolls as a result OF the combined
efforts OF the police of Omaha, South
Omaha and the detectives working on
the case.
1t turns out, further, that the rem
devious OF the train robbers was not
in Omaha, unless South Omaha is to
be considered part of Omaha, although
its police administration is entirely
separate and distinct.
1t turns out, further, that the train
robbers were newcomers and strangers
to the community. had beer in the
neighborhood only a few days, had
been operating in other cities equally
boldly and had escaped the police of
those cities.
Instead OF finding Omaha a safe
haven they came to grief here for the
first time.
Instead of finding the police admin
istration shutting the other eye,"
they ran up against a police admins
%tration that caught them mapping.
Even II the train robbers had sue
cessfully gotten away from Omaha, as
they had from other cities In which
they had committed crimes, ii would
have been no serious indictment of the
police here or In South Omaha. A
professional crook is liable to drop
into n city in the country at n
time, pull off a job and get away, but
that would be no test OF faithfulness
and efficiency Of the police department.
Wonder II these papers and the
others that have made the train rob-
berry their excuse for similar reiec-
lions upon omaha's badness will have
the decency to retract and do what
they can to repair the damage of their
u~ncalled-for comment.