Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-03
# US ard that Gordon was behind us

Of us ard that Gordon was behind u.s.
How Mail Clerks Acted.
@. O.. whitmore testified to the stop be-
Ing made about a mile and a half east OF
Seymour. He said: "At first ] thought II
was a wreck, but soon found out that we
were In a holdup. We we're all ordered 20
get out Of the car. One Of the men said.
II you fellows be good, you won't be
hurt ! answered, Wen be good, all right
The leader then said, That's all right,
that's what 1 like to hear Tie then ordered
me to climb back into the car and get out
a special shipment told him l knew OF
no special shipment, but he commanded
that should call out the pouches, and
then he stepped around me and picked up
two small pouches, and threw them on
the pile. He then went down the length
OF the car and seeing our hand bass
wanted to know what was in them. l told
him they were simply our working clothes
and there was nothing OF any. value In
them. This seemed to satisfy him, but
he kept his pistol in his hand all the time.
He then commanded me to pick up the
pouches and throw them out of the car.
I then Jumped out, he following, and then
he insisted that I should help carry the
pouches down the track. l demonstrated
a little. telling him I had only recently
recovered from q broker leg and was
lame. but he couldn't take any excuses,
30 I helped to carry the sacks. l recognize
the voice, walk and general appearance
NJ the man as the prisoner Woods. / am
very sure that he is the same man who
took the leadership and was in the car
with me. He has a peculiar walk and 1
recognized that in the car. and also when
ne was in the court room here Saturday.
Yes, he is the same man"
woods Looks worried.
Wood watched whitmore very closely
while he was testifying and seemed to be
worried over the positive identification
stated by Whitmore.
Other wisnesses of the afternoon were
John Vavre, and A. r. Bentz, ~janitors OF
the Brown Park school. who testified to
seeing woow and Torgensen prowling
about the school house Friday and Sunday
At one time they saw three men, Gordon
being one of them. This was on Friday
May p. They saw the men sitting on the
| steps at the south side of the school house.
The remainder of their evidence related
to the discovery Of the mail sacks in the
school house attic.
Officers Turnquest, Elsderfer and Ma
Whitney of the South Omaha police force
I testified as to the arrest of the three men
last Thursday night about IL O'Clock. Mel
Their of the three men were armed when
arrested near the school house. They all
told the officers about the same story
Of their reasons for being in that vicinity,
having just taken some girls home. Wood
said he had escorted a married woman,
named Mrs. Olson. home. The others did
not give the names of their women friends.
Frank Kudona. aged 10. told of his find
ing the gun and a handkerchief
Of a blue and polka dot pattern Thursday
evening about 4 o'clock. They were buried
about four inches under the ground, near
where the other articles were found.
The last witness Of the afternoon was
Postoffice Inspector Loren A. Thompson.
His testimony related to the recovery OF
the mail sacks from the school house.
The government then rested.
Defense 06era Nothing.
Attorney Mcfarland held a short con-
ference with the three accused men and
decided to put neither of them on the
| stand. stating that the defense had no
evidence to offer just at this time. Mr..
I Mcfarland said to the court: 1T does not
appear that either of these men have been
sufficiently identified to connect them with
this crime. / think that an affair Of this
kind, which has been so skillfully car
ried out, has been worked by shrewder
men than my clients. l do not think there
has been any evidence introduced showing
that these men are the probable guilty
parties and shall move their discharge"
Commissioner Anderson did not agree
with Mr.. Mcfarland, and the three men
were consequently held to the federal
grand jury in the sum of s25, 900 each.