Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-12-20
EEMMERLING SAYS HE LIED
Asserts Confession Concerning Jury
Bribing is False.
TALKED WHEN HE WAS DRUNK
Omaha Bar Committee Proposes 60
Put one Phase OF inquiry Up 90
judges of the District Court
M Once.


John A. Kemmerling's confession Of hls
alleged corruption BIZ an agent or agents
Of the street railway company while he
was serving on a district court jury
panel was repudiated by Kemmerilng IN
n note and a letter 20 Robert smith,
clerk OF the district court. within twenty
four hours after he made the confession
kemmerling declared mis- entire statement
false. saying he was drunk and had been
on a ten-day spree at the time De made
81: but Attorney r, w. Blackburn, who
took a leading part IN the conversation
with hemmerlinB. continued the work
and secured from James Allan, n private
detective. statements that were corrobo-
rahve Of a part Of Kcmmerlings story.
In It's further proceedings against the
etreet railway company the Omaha Bar
association VIII use statements OF Allan
md OF the housekeeper OF DR.. James
McRoberts. n Council Bluffs veterinary
surgeon. as well as the register OF the
ogden house, Council Bluffs, to offset
5Semmerlings reputation OF his confess
sion.
The statement OF Kemmerllng which
Gurdon w. Wattles. president OF the
street railway company. says the COM
pany has il said 20 he substantially
identified with the letter Of reputation re-
ceived from Kemmerling by Robert Smith.
Jim AIIan's Part.
From the statement Of tho houselSeeper
Il appears that Kemmerling and Jim
Allan. a private detective. came 10 the
AfcRoberts house about the middle OF
November. 49,, when a cApias for KEN
sneriing was out. and secured a room,
Allan paying a weeks rent IN advance.
Describing the incident the woman said.
an part:
'-rhe two came and rented n room. The
short, heavy-set man paid the rent and
eaid the taller, more slender man was
not well and they wanted quiet place
FOR him. tIe looked 20 me like a man
that was recovering from an extended
spree. lie did not go away from the
HOUSE much and both Of them staid
pretty close TO the premises. They were
here about two weeks. and when they
had gone the closet OF the room where
they had slept was packed with papers
and remains Of lunches and empty whisky
bottles"
Examination OF the ogden house regis
scr, shows names Of George Allan and
Bill German OF Fremont on the day KEN
merlinR said he was taken 20 the hotel
Detective Allan explained this to Mr.
blackburn.
AIIaa Explains Conduct.
Allen said he was offlcing with Cap
Cornack. another private detective. at
the time OF the Kemmerling exposure
Under Cormack's instructions, he said
he went with a man named German 10
1<emmerllng's residence ana took KEN
nierling 10 Council Bluffs. Ills recol-
lection was that German accompanied
them TO Council Bluffs and said that was
the.reason no ,registered George Allan and
Biii German. German returned 20
Omaha and Allan and lSeInmerling oc-
cupled room 239, Allan said he then took
KenmerIing 60 the McRoberts house and
remained there with him several days,
Cormack coming over from day TO day
10 see them.
Allan told Mr.. BLACKBURN that his serv-
ices were strictly professional and that
he personally had no dealing with any
person directly connected with the street
railway company. though he understood
az the time that he was performing the
services for the company and that his
compensation came from II.
kemneriins Quickly Retraeted.
Kemmerllngs note to Robert smith
Fepudiating his confession was slipped
under the door Of smiths office during
the night OF the day on which Kem-
merllng confessed or early the next morn
ing. II was found by clerk who opened
tho. office the morning OF October 8. IL
was brief, simply stating that the con
a ii. n.
was drunk and had been drinking when
no made It, on October Mr.. Smith
received a five-page letter from KEN.
meriing repeating what he said in the
note and going into a more detailed
FcpndAtion. declaring the entire statement
false.
Answering a question today. Mr. smith
said In his onlnion KemmerlinE certainly
was not drunk and certainly knew what
he was doing when he made the con.
fessiou. on the day before he made
the confession 20 Smith and Blackburn.
kofhtlerliUE -failOen with Judge Wills q.
Scars Of the Law division OF the district
court. who had tried and convicted him
ON the contempt charge. Kemmerllng
says no told one OF the district judges
Il was shame he should be punished
and, others so free. Judge Sears says
he does not believe Kemmerling was
drunk when he talked with him
May Ask for GRAD Jury.
Members OF the Omaha Bar association
VIII ask the Judges Of the district court
40 call a special grand jury at the be-
ginning OF the February term OF district
court TO investigate the alleged corrup-
ton Of jurors, and II sufficient evidence
IS found, TO indict persons believed 10 be
guilty Of juror-bribing. The judges have
not considered the matter and will not
express themselves. Whether or not such
nction be taken win not be determined
until the judicial college holds Il annual
meeting on Monday, January ]. igl2.
Jurors who served with John A. KEN
lneriing on the case OF Mrs. Nellie West
against the street railway company were
Nels Lundeil. 3. n. jackson, A. b. Ander.
nOn o. Mccormack N n Apdr.,,,g q.