Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-21
CREEK KILLS TO SAVE SELF
John Masuredis Tries to Excuse Muir.
der Of Policeman.
OFFICER ED IOwERY VICTIM
Police Had been watching the Man,
who, with wife in Greece. Per-
sisted In Attentions TO
Young woman.

John Masuredis, who killed officer Ed
ward Lowery Of South Omaha Friday
night was identified in the county
jail Saturday morning by n. j. Mandannis,
a contractor for the Union Pacific, who has
known the prisoner several years. Mandan-
mis- was the only man to whom Masuredis
would talk. He has a tale of self-defense
to offer.
II took the revolver out of my pocket
and was going to throw 1t away" declared
Masuredis. II did not want to be fined for
carrying concealed weapons. The police
man thought l was going TO shoot at him
and he fired at me, hitting me In the
breast. Then 1 fired at him to save my
self. He then shot at me again, hitting me
In the leg.
Il did not intend to kill him."
The South Omaha police had kept their
eyes on Masuredis ever since he returned
to Omaha from Kansas City two weeks
ago. They saw him in the company OF the
girl. Lilli Breese. That young woman was
arrested some time ago, 1t Is said, and II is
declared she is not IS years old, but II.
Masuredis repeated to his friend Mandan-
mis- his story that he went to see the girl
70 learn English and asserted that he had
a primer In his pocket as well as the re-
~volver. Masuredis has been in America
thres.and one-half years. coming here from
Messenia, Greece, where he has a wife and
one son about 5 years old. He first went to
Sunrise, Wyo., where, his brother Gust was
at the time. Later the two came to South
Omaha and opened a confectionery and
grocery. This was sold some months ago
and Gust Masuredis went to Alexandria,
Egypt. where he now is. The man who
shot the policeman went to Kansas City.
No one could get a word out of the pris-
oner, whose wounds are not serious, save
his fellow countryman. To Jail officials,
the sheriff and newspaper men he refused
to answer, although he can talk English a
little and must have understood the aues-
lions addressed him. He submitted to be-
Ing photographed without protest.
story of the Murder.
Officer Lowery was shot and instantly
killed by Masuredis at five minutes be-
fore II O'Clock Friday night at the corner
of .Twenty-fourth and N streets. Lowery
had gone up to the room where the girl,
Lilli Breese lived to arrest Masuredis for
vagrancy. He found him and the girl
there and brought them downstairs and out
on'the street. 1t was then that Masuredis
pulled his gun and fired at the policeman.
He shot twice, the bullets striking Lowery
in the right leg and left side. The bullet in
the side severed the mesenteric artery and
the policeman bled to death In less han
five minutes In Schaefer's drug store.
whittier he was carried.
Masuredis ran around a street car and
then a G to the staircase and up again
to the girls room. Here officer Harder
found him hiding under the bed. Harder
dragged him out and then the Greek showed
fight and reached for his gun. The officer
Lost ~ @lrna To- a.o1vtor ~ 10
the man out the first blow. The chief OF
police and four otke officers were called
from the drug store and kept a large crowd
Of angry men back who shouted. Hang
himi Hang him!',-. Further than. these
sic uts there was no disorder, except that
the men crowded around the prisoner yell
ing all the way to the jail. There DR..
Koenig, who had attended Officer Lowery
during his dying moments. examined the
Greek and discovered his wounds.
Mrs. Lowery had arrived at the drug store
within a few minutes afte. the shoot
ing, but not in time to bid farewell to
one of the b~ravest, kindliest officers on
the force. Her grief was most pitiful
and the effect on the immense crowd
was maddening.
Girl Tells story.
The girl who was accompanying the
Greek made no effort to escape and was
making her way sobbing oward her room
when she was detained and taken to the
police station. There she told the first
story of the shooting.
She said: 81 was teaching the man TO
speak English. He came to my rooms
evenings to learn what he could. Mrs.
Haynes called the officer and when he
came in the prisoner was seated on the
49, A. 80 -
The officer said, Aha, I want you to
the Greek. Then he told me to get ready
to go to the police station. 1 went. for
the officer told me 1 could come right
back again. When we got opposite the
car used for a shop l was ahead. heard
the officer say. None of that now and
then heard two shots. / don't know who
shot first. Both were shooting. The man
dove under the car and the officer fired
one shot after him. and then sank to his
knees, The Greek then got up ana
walked away"
The woman is small. of dark COM
plexion, sharp-witted and apparently
frank in her story. The police will
not hold her except as a witness. She
was placed in a cell for the night.
Mob Threatens Revenge.
There was much trouble before Masuredls
was sdiely louseo IN the Douglas county
jail. Frem the South Omaha lookup he was
was taken a little past midnight to the
South Oman hospital. Five hundred men
bowling for the Greeks blood had sur
rounded the jail, but made no overt effort
to get him when he was hustled into an
ambulance guarded by the chief of police
and as many men as that official could
muster.
The mob was told that Masuredis had
been shot and that his chances OF recovery
were small. This had for a time a mollify-
Ing effect, but while he was In the hospital
the news of the murder was spread over
South Omaha as fast as only a tale OF
murder can travel. The officers had word
of the spirit OF moi vengeance now sursing
higher and higher.
They then determined to bring Masuredls
to Omaha. He was replaced in the ambu-
lance and the drive begun. A roundabout