Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-05-26
PICTURE IDENTIFIES ERDMAN
Prison Photograph Shows Him to Be
Escaped Convict.
PROMISES TO TELL IT ALL
Declares HIMSELF Unrepentant and
Abandoned when Questioned
Suit Case Found TO Have
Been stolen.

Frank Erdman is escaped convict No.
$3.50 from the state prison of Colorado at
Canon City, according to Identification
made by the police from prison photo
graph received Wednesday morning.
Erdman was identified as Brinkman at
the city Jail shortly after his arrest in
connection with the placing of an internal
machine on Tom Dennson's porch. This
Identification was made by workman
from the Union Pacific shops. Erd-
man made stout denial and has repeatedly
insisted that he never has been in Colo
RADIO.
The man under arrest is said to have
been in prison for theft Of bullion. His
escape, according to police information,
was made about six years past.
| When Erdman gwn confronted with the
picture and the suggestion that he might
as well confess hr sneered at the officers.
IT am and l have been all my life
and don't give rip for anything. In fact
| l would Just as leave die right here" was
| his reply.
| He became irrational and once said in
the course of a wandering conversation
that he would tell all in due time
A letter from Warden Tienan Of the
/ Colorado prison says that Erdman, alias
Brinkman, served several terms there and
became unbalanced in prison.
The suitcase in which the internal ma
chine was placed came from the store OF
| Freling & Steinle, Eighteenth and Far
nam streets. Detectives Donahue and Helt-
field made the discovery of the place which
supplied the suitcase when they found an
other of the same type in this store. The
i suitcase was stolen, sometime since April
4 20, when the last inventory was taken
r, G. Williams, a young man employed
by the Walter G. Clark company th'
powder firm which sold some dynamite q
few days ago which answered the descrip'
tion of that placed in front of the Den
nison home, appeared at the station to try
to Identify Erdman as the man who bough
the dynamite. He said Erdman was no
the man.
ShercIiffe Back OF Itf
Messages received in Omaha by the Off
, GERS from the Denver police have given ris'
to the suspicion that whoever 1t was Wh'
placed the dynamite upon the porch OF th'
Dennison home may have been instigate(
by a desire'for revenge prompted by Franz
p sherclffe, who bears an old grudge agains
the Omaha man. To bear up this theor!
= lit would be necessary to presuppos
|
Sbericliffe, who has been taken back Il
the Canon City penitentiary, has communi
Gated with the man who did the work. l
is along lines like these that the police ar
bending their energies. Denver police tax
great deal of stock in the theory.
charles walker who lives at Fifteenth
and Yates street. and his daughter Wed
{ nesday afternoon positively identifies
Frank Erdman as a man they saw Sat
urday evening in the vicinity of the house
They also say that the grip is similar T.
the one the man was carrying
, Walker came into the case Tuesda
morning. following a telephone messag
j., 70 Chief Donahue. The identification
took place when Erdman was among
number of other prisoners confined in tn
citv iail. THAT'S the man." said Walker
pointlng to Erdman. when he and tn
other iail charges had passed in review
His daughter was equally sure. They sal
they saw him over the hill in the direC
ton of Dennsons residence.
Erdman issued a statement through job
O. Yeiser, lawyer, at noon Wednesday.
G this statement he tells OF his conviction {
theft at La Junta. Colo, and his oscar
: from prison. lie reiterates his innocen'
Of connection in the dynamite plot.