Omaha daily bee., 1916-08-22
ONE DEAD, TWO CUT
UP IN KNIFE FIGHT
Mexican in Hospital May Die
and Third is Being Shielded
in Private Home.
PERHAPS SETTLING FEUD

One dead man another lying at the
point of death in St. Joseph's hospital
with his abdomen slashed to ribbons,
and possible third victim being har-
bored by friends somewhere in Oma-
ha while recovering from serious
knife wounds are believed by the po-
lice to be the results of Mexican
vendetta that reached a head in
Omaha.
Detectives are weaving together,
piece by piece, facts which may :e-
veal feud between Mexicans, a
theory being that revenge vows were
settled here Saturday night in a
bloody battle with knives.
Brutally beaten and mutiliated and
with a stilleto wound in his left
breast and through his heart, Mex
lean whom the police thus far have
been able to identity as Mike" was
found dead in weed-covered vacant
Z lot at Twelfth and Chicago streets,
west Of the Peoples Ice company
plant, Sunday morning about 7
o'clock.
The trampled-down weeds and the
shambles-like appearance of the patch
of ground upon which the body was
found gave evidence of battle to the
death, the Mexican obviously hav-
ing fought furiously until his last
breath
May Have Been IN Mix.
A Mexican, weak from loss OF blood
and hardly able to walk, staggered
into the police station late Saturday
night.
He was taken to St. Joseph's hos
pital, where doctors hold out scant
hopes Of his recovery. Knife wounds
that could have been inflicted by a
long blade in the hands of a dueler
who cut to kill, criss-crossed through
his flesh and penetrated his intes-
tines.
Unusually reticent, he Mexican
finally told detectives that his name
was J. Aerney, and that he received
his wounds when several men at
tackled him, with robbery as the mo-
tive, on dark street in the lower
district.
Later versions of the affair by Aer-
ney were conflicting, the police de-
Quoting that he is trying to shield the
men who really did knife him, prob
ably fatally.
Third Mexican Hurt.
A clue that may throw some addi-
tional light on the Standings and aid
in clearing up the mystery surround
ing the murder and the other stabbing
IS being run down by detectives.
There is a report, fairly we'll substan-
tiated, that third Mexican, in a Sc
rious condition from knife thrusts, is
being kept under cover at the home
of friends.
Following the finding of the body
OF the. murdered man Sunday the po-
lice threw out dragnet for Mexi-
cans who have made the Bowery their
stamping ground. Mexicans being
held for investigation are Frank Gar.
cha, Gertrude Garcia, who has been
serving as interpreter; Felix H. Smith
Santragis Zuaris, Felix Savalla, A.
Garcia and Jose Ruiz.
Denied All knowledge.
At first all of these Mexicans de.
MED knowing either the murdered
man or the one in the hospital. Later
they admitted knowing each other.
Detectives took the suspects being
held to the hospital in the hope that
Aerney on his death bed would iden.
tify some Of them as having been
the ones who had hand in the fra.
Gus. Aerney, however, maintained a
stole indifference to any efforts of the
detectives to get him to tell what
they are confident would be the ex-
planatory story of the feud street bat
tie.
The last seen of the dead man
Mike, was at II o'clock SATURDAY
night, when he left a restaurant al
iZl1 Cass street He is said to have
had a violent quarrel with three other
Mexicans earlier in the evening.
Coroner Crosby will hold an in
quest over the body of the murdered
man.
Consultation and SIcb u..5,.h.