Omaha daily bee., 1912-02-10
AXE UP POLICE BOARD PROBE
Enquire Into Meeting Between Ss-
loon Keepers and Board Members.
CALLED TO STAND
Street Railway Officials to Tell Of
Alleged Jury Bribing.
JURY ASKS ABOUT GAMBLING
Newspaper Men Are Called Upon 10
Tell what They Know of the
violations of Eight O'clock -
Closing Law.

Testimony brought out at yesterdays
sittings OF the Douglas county grand Jury
resulted in a decision OF the inquisitorisl
body to recall Fire and Police commis-
sioner Charles j. Karbach and to call
Police Court Clerk John ]. Mahonsy TO
testify regarding an alleged meeting Of
the Board Of Fire and Police Commits
sioners with Omaha saloon keepers to
discuss license matters prior to the
boards hearings on applications for IL
censes. sA
After briefly considering evidence 90
far given in the street railway jury brib-
cry cases the grand jury decided to so
deeper into this matter and to call en-
ployes and officials Of the company to
the stand.
Judge Sutton has requested the news
papers not TO publish names Of sub
poenaed witnesses until they have pre-
sented themselves for examination by
the grand jury. The request was made
at the instance OF the grand Jury.
nsidphBt eet AAeAAthaA 8Ha s9&ttA
sambo. ssloonkeepers were examined by
the grand jury yesterday afternoon.
Their names have been connected with
the rumors Of ''shakedown'' Of liquor
dealers seeking licenses Fred A. Carey
and r. Eugene Ackerman. reporters for
the Daily News. also were examined.
carey's examination was lengthy. He
probably will be recalled. His. .tsstimony
dealt mainly with violations Of the 8
o'clock closing law and laws against
gambling.
The grand Jury adjourned until this
morning, This noon II probably win ad-
journ until Monday morning.
fndictments-the first fruits Of the de-
liberations OF the present Douglas county
grand iury-were returned BY the grand
jury before Judge A. l. sutton In district
court shortly after 2 yesterday aftsr-
noon. Two indictments were handed 10
Robert Smith. clark Of the district court.
by John W. 0e.ger. foreman Of the grand
jury. after the clerk had called the roll.
One OF the indictments was Against
George Williams. who already is under
arrest In the county jail He 10 charged
with breaking and entering. The name OF
the other Indicted person Is being with
held pending arrest. Tho charge 10 said
to be Of sope common felony.
At II yesterday morning the grand
Jury sent word 10 Judge sutton that Il
desired to report some indictments. The
Judge sent word that he would receive
the grand iury's report at noon. When
the Jurors had assembled before Judge
sutton at noon Clerk Smith called the
roll. Grand Juror A. ID. Klein was alb
sent. Il was discovered that he had not
understood that the grand jury was to
report at noon and had gone to his office
Judge sutton said he could not receive
indictments when all the jurors were not
present and instructed Forman Geissr to
return with all grand Jurors at . O'Clock.
Further probing OF matters In conncc-
ton with licensing OF saloon keepers by
the Board OF Fire and Police Commits
sioners occupied the grand jury all NOM
ing. A RablnowitE Of the Her Grand
pharmacy, A. NJ. Easterling and C.
Mason You'd. reporters for Tho Bee;
Miles Greenleaf and Kenneth B. Cam
eron. reporters for the world-Herald; T.
w. Mccullough. managing editor Of The
Bee, and Fred A. Carey. reporter TOR
the Daily News. had been examined when
the grand jury adjourned at noon.
John sambo, Frank Sktuppa and Joe
Hoffman, who had been subpoenaed for
10 O'Clock, and had waited outside the
grand jury room all morning, were told
to return at o'clock.
karbach n ON stand.
Charles ]. Karbach. a member OF the
Board OF Fire and Police Commissioners.
told the grand Jury what he knows about
the rumoTs regarding liquor licenses 5es-
terday afternoon. and was thoroughly ex-
amined regarding the boards e1pend-
itures for supplies for the police and
fire departments. II was the first tes-
timony Of this nature given the grand
jury He resumed his testimony OF the
beginning Of the afternoon sitting and re-
mained on the stand until nearly O'Clock
Karbach was followed on the witness
stand by Arthur Pugh, editor Of the
Mediator. who was In the. jury room
about a half hour. Both Karbaoh and
Pugh refused to discuss their testimony.
Attorney Thomas w. Blackburn. who
has taken a leading part In gathering svi-
dence In the matter OF tho strest rail-
way company jury bribery charges. was
the next and last witness OF the after
noon The grand jury adjourned until