Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-02-09
KARBACH IS PLACED ON STAND
Six Reporters Summoned to Appear
Today to Tell What They Know.
BRIBERY DROPPED FOR TINE
Attorney Blackburn, Who Gathered
Evidence, Before Jury an Hour.
ALL WITNESSES ARE RETICENT
Commissioner karbach Who Is First
Witness Called I'm Ugay Rumor
Feature of Probing spends
Mpch Time In Jury Room.

subpoenas for six newspaper reporters
and one saloonkeeper to appear before
the Douglas county grand jury today
were issued yesterday afternoon as a re-
suit OF the grand jury's examination OF
Harvey Newbranch, editor OF the Wcrld-
Herald; Victor Eosewater, editor Of The
Bee' and Joseph Polcar. editor nf tho
Daily News. These witnesses were ex-
amined regarding the ugly rumors'
about the granting Of liquor licenses to
saloonkeepers and druggists.
Examination OF the witnesses for whom
subpoenas were issued yesterday viii be
begun some time this morning. They are
Kenneth b. Cameron and siiiss Green
leaf OF the World-Herald; Anthony NJ.
Easterlng and c. Mason You'd OF The
Bee; Fred A. Carey and r. Eugene lscker-
man OF the Daily News: and Joe iIoff-
man, proprietor OF a saloon at Ninth and
Douglas streets.
Charles ]. karbach a member CT the
Board OF Fire and Police Commissioners.
told the grand jury what he knows about
the rumors regarding liquor licenses ,es-
ierday afternoon, and was thoroughly ex-
amined regarding the boards eApend-
lures for supplies for the police and
fire departments. II was the first tes-a
timony OF this nature given tho grand
jury He resumed his testimony at the
beginning Of the afternoon sitting and re-
mained on the stand until nearly s.
o'clock
karbach was followed on the witness
stand by Arthur Pugh, editor OF the
Mediator, who was I'm the jury room
about a half hour Both Karba n and
Pugh refused to discuss their testimony.
Attorney Thomas w, Blackburn, who
has taken a leading part in gathering evil
denee In the natter Of The street rail-
was company jury bribery charges, was
the next and last witness os the after
noon. The grand jury adjourned until
TINS morning after having devoted an
hour 10 Blackburn's examination.
numor Probe Inserted.
Probe Of the ugly rumors'' that saloon
keepers and drwgistsl seeking liquor
licenses paid money not required by law
IN order to secure licenses and that more
money was paid than ever reached the
public treasury was begun according to
schedule by the Douglas county grand
Jury yesterday morning.
The grand jury temporarily dropped It's
investigation OF charges of jury bribing
In cases In which the street railway COM
pany has been interested.
Arthur w. Gross. former claim agent
and attorney for the street railway CON-
pany, who has been implicated In the
jury bribing charges. asked the grand
Jury TO subpoena and examine the eleven
other petit Jurors who served with John
A. Kemmerling In a case In which Kem-
merling says he and others were bribed.
Jim Allan. private detective. who ad-
mitted to the jury bribing investigating
committee OF the Bar association that
he took Kemmerllng TO Council Bluffs
and Kept him in a hotel there while
search was being made for him, was
the first witness before the grand jury
Allan on the stand.
Allan was on the witness stand a half
hour. During his examination John A.
kemmerllng waited outside the grand
jury room. When Allan's examination was
finished Kemmerling was told he might
go home and II the grand jury wanted
him during the day II would send for him.
The grand jury then began its probe Of
the ugly rumors." Harvey Newbranch.
editor OF the World Herald. and Joseph
Polcar. editor OF the Daily News. were
placed on the witness stand for fifteen
minutes each. Victor Rosewater. editor
Of The Bee, was placed on the stand and
kept there for more than half an hour.
He was succeeded by Charles ]. Karbach,
member OF the Board OF Fire and Police
Commissioners. whose examination had
not been concluded when the noon recess
was taken.