Omaha daily bee., 1912-09-22
0UTWITTED AT HIS OWN GAME
Got George Clark to Room, but Acted
Suspiciously and Police Called.
coNFEssEs TO OMAHA JOB
Says He Pulled Trick in Omaha, but
Did Not Come Down Fire Escape.
WILL BE BROUGHT BACK HERE
His Offense i'm Council Bluffs Was
Not Strong Enough, So Will De
Turned Over to Omaha
Courts for Trial.

Arthur ooney, who attempted to rob
w, G. Flatau, an Omaha jeweler, in room
No. 119 In the Paxton hotel Friday morn
ing after inviting him there to make a
loan on diamond ring. attempted to pull
off the same stunt at the Grand hotel in
Council Bluffs yesterday afternoon, and
not only failed to rob his intended victim
and make his exit by the fire escape, as
he did here. but was himself held up ay
Chief of Police Froom and Eme, sency
Officer Jack o'Neil, and is now locked
up in the Council Bluffs city Jail, after
making frank admission of his RESPONSE
bility for the Omaha job.
The fellow went to the Grand hotel az
about o'clock Friday evening and
registered as Richard waid, Omaha. He
was assigned to room 4l9, located on the
fourth floor facing the areaway where
there was no fire escape. Later, after
investigating the hotel rooms the outside
Of the building he asked to be transferred
to south room, 29 facing Bayliss park
with one of the windows opening upon
a fire escape.
Friday afternoon he made the rounds
of the loan brokers inQniring about the
possibility of securing small loan on
three-stone diamond ring, which he said
he had purchased ten years ago for s375
Lays Trap Again.
Shortly after 5 o'clock yesterday after
noon he called up the Clark Jewelry
company on the phone and asked if
looans were made on diamonds and told
the story of the $S75 ring. Fifteen min
utes later he called UP and asked that
the diamond expert be sent to his room
at the Grand as he was laid up with
sprained ankle. and suggested that the
money. for the loan be brought to the
hotel. Mr.. Clark had shortly before read
the story Of the Paxton holdup and was
suspicious and asked his attorney, Her
man Schurz, who was in the office, to
go over and investigate. Schtrz refused
to concur in the suspicion that 1t might
be the same game that was attempted
at the Paxton but wisely took no money
with him. He was shown to Waids s
room. He entered leaving the door wide
open and two bell boys stood across the
hall to observe what was going on. They
there through several minutes
of the preliminary conversatsn, dur
ing which Waid appeared to be nervously
cycling the boys. He then told Schurz
that his wife had the diamond and would
be back in a few minutes and asked him
to call in fifteen minutes.
Police Notified,
In the meantime Mr.. Clark had tele-
phoned police headquarters, and Chief
Froom and Officer oNeil responded. On
the way to the hotel Patrolman Barrett
was picked up and stationed at the foot
Of the fire escape on the outside of the
When Chief Froom raped and
was hidden to enter he found the door
locked, and heard Waid open 1t. AS the |
latter did so the chiefs revolver was /
thrust into his face and he was told to !
throw up his hands. The muzzle of .
o'Neil's revolver was also pointing at his
head, and his hands quickly went. up as /
he remarked, well. l guess you've got !
me''