Omaha daily bee., 1918-02-20
FAKES
STAND IN HIS
own DEFENSE
Denies All Charges, DiscIaims
Interest in Resorts and
Washes Hands of Alleged
MiSdemeanorS.

County Commissioner Johnny"
Lynch entered wholesale denials of
all charges of alleged misconduct in
Office built up against him by the tes-
timony of witnesses called by attor-
neys for Sheriff Clark, when he took
the stand in his own defense Tuesday
afternoon in the custer hearing.
Lynch denied that he fitted up a
gymnasium in the court house and
claimed that the gym" was merely a
store room" where he and some of
his friends exercised"
He denied he had had women" in
the "storeroom" at. night, but said his
mother-in-law and sister-in-law might
have been there. He said the wom-
ems hats belonged to them,
ADMITS INSTALLING SHOWER.
He said the shower bath lit the GYM
nasium or "store room was installed
by him at his own expense, solely for
the convenience of Joe Calabria, su-
perintendent of the building, as a
special favor"
Denied he ever requested Joe
Glenn, Pete Loch's barkeeper, to
bring liquor to him in the gymnasium,
or to call up women for him.
Denied that Pete Rooney ever slept
in the gymnasium all night with him
self and two women
Denied he ever divided the pro-
ceeds from the Lakeside resort in the
gymnasium or store room" in the
court house with Pete Loch and Gus
Tylec, and denied he had ever had
any interest in Lakeside.
Denied he ever told Sheriff Clark
that he Oynch) and Johnny Ford
stood to lose $500 month if Lake
side was closed up.
No Tips Offered.
Denied he ever visited the house of
Hans ,Voss or made any deal with
Johnny Ford, whereby he vas to have
a third interest in the saloon at
Fifty .siStaias asad Gertrf feetsssyiv
reason of helping Voss get a license.
Denied he ever suggested "junket"
or trip to the Mardi Gras to Sheriff
Clark shortly after he took office.
Admitted he had consistently con-
tested all of Sheriff Clark's bills for
feeding prisoners in the county jail,
even after the district court had Or
dered them paid. He said his attorneys
advised him Clark was not entitled to
the money.
Crowd Shows Interest.
The crowd which has packed the
small court room to the doors day
after day during the seven days of
the hearing, stirred in their places and
leaned forward intently when the ac-
cused county commissioner was called
to the witness stand at, 3:15 Tuesday
afternoon by his own attorneys to
give final testimony in his defense.
]. A. c. Kennedy, his attorney, con-
Quoted the direct examination.
You are John {. Lynch, defendant
in this suit?"
II am"
How old are you?"
"Forty-two years old"
Where were you born?"
Omaha"
"Where do you live now?"
Eight twenty-five Forest avenue,
with my mother"
Began Work at Is.
"When did you first go to work."
when l was 16 years old"
"At what business?"
plumbing business"
"How long did you continue in that
business?"
about 16 years. Until I became
county commissioner in l9l1."
"Were you chairman of the court
house committee as county commits
sioner"
81 was from 1912 to 1917"
What use was made of the north
east corner room in the basement Of
the court house by the contractors
working on this building"
Store room. They kept their tools
there and had their own lock on the
door"
What became of those things"
"One cot was taken out and used
in the Jail and other things were taken
out and used in other parts of the
building"
"How did that mat get there"
What for Entertainment.
1T was brought down at the time
of an entertainment at the court
Continued on Page Two, Column Two.)