Omaha daily bee., 1918-08-22
Uncle Sam Conducts One More Raid To Get
Slackers Who Have Failed to Register;
Seventy-Four Held in County Jail
Government Rounds Up Men
at Postotfice, Taking Many
OF the Suspects to the
County Jail.

The long arm of Uncle Sam reached
from Washington last night and his
mighty hand picked up nearly 1900
young chaps in Omaha and his agents
demanded that they show their regis
tration cards or 60 to Jail.
1t was the second raid on slackers
in Omaha. The first was made last
Thursday night, when 1,4OO were
taken in. Seventy-four prisoners were
detained at the county Jail last night.
1t proved, as did the first one. that
there are many young fellows of draft
age who underestimate the eyesight of
their estimable uncle in the Stars-and-
Stripes suit. Some had even failed to
register. depending evidently on their
wits to keep out of the fighting forces
and never dreaming that Uncle Sam
would find way to catch them.
Ihe raid was a surprise, of course,
as the first one was, and as future
ones will be. Russell Ebersein of
the federal bureau of investigation ar
ranged the little party and the gather
ing in of the guests" began at 8
o'clock.
Public Places Invaded.
The city was divided for the pur-
pose into 81 districts, each district
presided over by policeman. Assist
ing in the raid were Is military police
men under Captain Kingsbury, "a city
policemen under Chief Dempsey, IA
deputy sheriffs under Sheriff Clark, to-
gether with large body of home
guards and citizen volunteers.
The Stacker hunters went into pool
rooms, restaurants and public build
ings, they waited at the doors of mov-
ing picture houses, they boarded
street cars, they invaded the parks,
where many swain who lacked the
protecting registration card was sep
arated from his fair companion and
hustled off to the postoffice. In fact,
men of draft age were not safe from
anywhere except in their
own homes.
Postoffice Under Guard.
Headquarters were established in
the postoffice corridor. In automo-
b1les and on street cars the arrested
men were brought from various parts
of the city and hustled to headquar-
tiers. The outside of the postoffice
looked like the outside OF fort.
Armed soldiers and citizens paraded
up and down, looking sternly at every
passerby. And the home guards with
the thrill of rifles in their hands
looked just shade more stern than
any OF the regular soldiers.
Alter the arrested men had passed
to the headquarters in the north part
Of the postoffce corridor they couldn't
get out again without passes which
were issued only after they had given
evidence that they were
labeled and catalogued for
service as by law provided.
Every few minutes detail of men
who couldn't give satisfactory an
'wers to the questions would come out
under guard, enter a police patrol
wagon and be driven to the county
Jail. The men held at the jail for
further investigation exceeded the
iulilDCF Hclu Ill lHe llISt Tdlu.
Delve Into Lower Classes.
The orders from Washington were
10 pick up all men of draft age in
Classes ! A and A whose numbers
are under 1000, but to pay no atten-
ion to men in other classes or to
Mexicans.
OF course, the great majority of
hose picked up were innocent. 1t is
likely that most of those held in the
county Jail will also prove innocent.
Many men over draft age by year
Or two must be taken in such raid.
It is case where many innocent must
suffer in order that the guilty may be
,pprehended.
A special effort is being made to
catch men who registered but failed
10 ,:nswer when they were called for
service. The raids are being con-
iucted all over the country as they
are here and the foaters and evaders
will have sorry life of it from now
On. When caught their punishment !
consists in being sent into the army |
~ the shortest and quickest route.