Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-05-24
DYNAMITE FOR TON DENNISON
Internal Machine Placed on His Porch
is Discovered.
FRANK ERDMAE UNDER ARREST
Man who Threatena Life OF the In
tended Victim of Device Held by
the PoIice-ExpIosive is
Found by Girl.

| An Internal machine, charged with TWEEN
ty-four sticks Of dynamite, was found on
the porch Of Tom Dennisons home, 1907
North Eighteenth street, Sunday evening.
Frank Erdman, 42s North Eighteenth street
who claims to be an agent Of Elmer
| Thomas, attorney for the Antl-Saloon
league, was arrested later in the evening
when Dennison made a statement to the
police that Erdman had threatened his
life.
Erdman has been identified by a man
giving his name as Gus Nordne, a work.
man in the Union Pacific shops. but whose
name the police say is ole Olson, as being
an escaped convict from the Colorado state
prison at Canon City. Nordine visited Erd-
man in Jail and, shaking hands, held a
conversation with him.
He was at Canon City under the name
of Brnkmann. He was No. $780," said
Nordine.
Erdman makes a stout denial Of having
| served IN the Colorado prison and insists
that he had no connection with the placing
OF the machine on Dennson's porch.
Chief Donahue has received the following
telegram in reply to message sent to
Canon City Monday morning:
| N<ANON Sl11s Colo, May %, 15lV.-
John j. Donahue, Chief of Police Hold
| Brinkman, $3.50. Am sending photo and
description today. THOMAS J. TIBNEN,
Warden Colorado state Prison.
Erdman has made an unenvable namo
for himself by his operations in Omaha dur
ing the last year. He has several times
pulled one or two revolvers In saloons, and
once he stuck up saloon in East
on aha, single handed. while he pretended
to search for gambling devices. He has
proclaimed himself as the man who is to-
break up crooked gsmbling." and few
days ago was the chief witness in polics
court case, alleging a charge of keeping
gambling house against the owners of the
Budweiser saloon. The case was dismissed
by Judge Crawford. Chief Of Police Dona'
hue has tried on several occasions TO get
Erdman to desist from his peculiar opera
tions, but without avail. Erdman has also
figured in the anti-saloon crusade through
out the state, and was concerned in the
recent upheaval at Crawford.
Found by DennisOn.
The machine was found by Dennison
when he arrived home for supper at $3.50.
1t had been noticed on the porch three
hours previously by his little daughter,
Frances. who was playing around with
; school companion, Margaret Fordyce The
instrument of destruction was concealed In
a new brown leather suit case. When the
children came upon it they tried to lift 1t,
but failed Had they been successful
neither would have been living to tell the
tale. In trying to raise the grip the chill
dren had tilted IL over and 1t was this fact
that enabled Dennison to see that the suit
case was attached by string to the porch
, This aroused his supicions and he notified
the police station. Detectives Mitchell and
, He'll hurried to the place.
Contents of the Case.
The first thing Detective Mitchell did
: was to cut the string attached to the bag,
which was connected with a screw, eye
driven into the porch. The bag was then
carried to a vacant lot. Up to this ther0
: was a feeling that some one might be
perpetrating joke. but when the straps
were unclasped and the bag opened a SS-
caliber revolver was seen with hammer
raised prepared for action. In one com
partment of the suitcase was a newly con.
structed box. This occupied two-thirds Of
the compartment, the remaining space be.
ing reserved for the revolver, which was
tightly wedged In position by pieces Of
: wood When the lid If the box was I'M
d screwed by officer He'll 1t was found to
: contain dynamite packed in sawdust
n Through the division board appeared the
barrel of the revolver.
The method arranged for the discharge of
the revolver would seem to be through the
lifting Of the grip, and when this fact be-
r came apparent IL was seen what narrow
escape the children hal when they tried
TO remove the bag from the porch. To the
trigger of the revolver was attached a
4 string which ran over three puleys. sus-
20 ha slfg
q through hole cut in the side of the grip
4 and thence to the screw eye on he porch.
II By this arrangement any grown person
! lifting the grip would give sufficient pur-
a chase to pull the trigger, crack the cap
and set the machine in operation. There
was only one cartridge in the weapon and
!, in this the bullet was left ready to explode
n the dynamite by conclusion. The other five
- chambers had also been filled with dyna
n mite.
When Officers Mitchell and Hell had
finished their examination of the suit
:, case and its contents they returned to the
!. station, accompanied by Dennison. and II
!, was In consequence of his statement and
= other suspicious circumstances that Erd-
man was arrested
Erdman Under Arrest.
Ia Erdman, against whom the charge o.
"A suspicious character was entered on thu
+ book, had been taken to the station Sun
l. day morning for carrying concealed wea
pons He was picked up at Sixteenth an,
70 Webster streets when comparatively new
m weapon was found in his pocket. II,
= claimed to have permission to carry
revolver and was allowed to go on a per
sonal bond to appear in the court THU
4 morning. When Mitchell and Hell went To-
-
ID captain wanted to see him in connection
T. with the Sunday morning charge.
m The workmanship on the Internal ma
" chine was crude and did not show tina
IN the chise cutting work had been don,
Is by skilled carpenter.
he Mr.. Dennison thinks that the machine
~ was placed on the porch while the famil!
d. was absent. He says that about $3.50 Sun
day afternoon a man was seen by a cir