Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-11-02
Parole for Auto Thieves
to be Granted at Request
Of Omaha Police Heads
William McKenna and L. c. Jones, Who Allege They
Were Promised Immunity by Chief Eberstein For
Testifying Against "Higher-Ups," Will Be Given
Liberty on November 20, According to Reports.

Word comes from Lincoln that
William McKenna and L. c. Jones,
notorious automobile thieves. SEN
fenced several months ago to from
one to seven years in the state penn
Tertiary after confessing their guilt
to wholesale operations in and
about this city, upon the alleged
promise of immunity by Commits
sioner Ringer and Chief Eberstein,
are to be given their liberty Mo-
vember TO- Their parole, it is de-
clared, has been recommended by
both Chief Eberstein and Commits
sioner Ringer.
The police commissioner and the
chief are said to have entered into
the arrangement to obtain pardons
for McKenna and Jones following
the promise of the prisoners to tes-
tify against Fletcher Neal and Maui
rice Katelman, picked by local de-
tectives as being the "higher-ups" in
a ring-of organized car thieves, who
for a year made the Omaha police
appear ridiculous in the public eye.
Testify in Court.
Both McKenna and Jones signed
statements duplicating Neal and
Katelman. They also appeared in
district court and testified against
| the alleged higher-ups."
Following the expenditure OF
thousands of dollars by the city and
county authorities to obtain the
conviction of Neal and Katelmarl
and the confessions of McKenna
and Jones, to date the sum total of
the entire affair amounts to the
star witnesses having served several
months in the state prison, and the
alleged ''higher-ups" accused by the
police commissioner and the police
chief are as free as they were before
| Omaha detectives attempted to
make thir case against the men they
attempted to land in the peniten-
tiary. Both are at liberty on ap-
peal bonds.
McKenna and Jones went to the
penitentiary accusing Commissioner
Ringer and Chief Eberstein OF
breaking their promises and vlolat-
ing their agreements.
| Freedom in Jail.
In order to prevail on McKenna
Ito testify against Neal and Katel-
man, the prisoner was held at the
police station for months after he
had been arraigned in police court
and bound over for the dlstric'
court. He was allowed to leave the
city jail at will and seek his own
pleasure and entertainment on the
streets and wherever his fancy lee
him without the semblance OF .
bond.
| According to his own statement
McKenna stole several AUTOMOBILES.
while he was enjoying this unusual
privilege afforded him by the Oma
| ha chief Of police, with the Sanction
! of Commissioner Ringer.
! AT the time these thefts were com
mittcd by McKenna by right and BY
| law he was state prisoner ant
should have been in the custody o
| the sheriff of Douglas county.
| Held by City.
| Likewise Jones was held a pris
! oner at the city Jail after ne ha'
been bound over for the distric
hcourt. For months McKenna AM
tones remained in the city Jail whel
thew should have been in the count.
!. Jail. ~.
was taken to the women's detentio,
home by policemen with the know
edge Of Commissioner Ringer an
Chief Eberstein three and fou
times a day for weeks and month
4 and given injections of morphine. :.
II tones testified to this on the vii
ness stand in district court.
How long has it been since yo
/ were given the last injection OF moi
|, phine?" he was asked in the pres
| ence of the Judge and jury.
"About 80 minutes" was the re
. ply. Jones declared he was take
Regularly to the women's detentlo
home each day and morphine wa
, injected into MS arm.
i Say Promised Pardon.
Both McKenna and Jones declare
! they were promised by Chief Ebel
lstein they would be pardoned in tn
event they testified against Neal an
: Katelman and pleaded guilty at the
own trials. McKenna asserted 7
: was allowed the special privileges
. the city jail because of his agre
$ ment and Jones asserted he WI
granted the frequent and genero'
doses of morphine, because he a
ceeded to the demands Of the pole
!, leader.
McKenna hurled a bomb I'M
J. Omaha police circles on the eve
n his departure for the penitentiary
i Lincoln. He was angered at II
: chief of police because Mr.. Ebe
: stein repudiated his alleged agre
4 ment.
: The prisoner declared he W;
n sent with Detective Jim Murphy
t town in southern Nebraska
{. identify an automobile thief WI
2 was known to have operated y
i Omaha. The thief was apprehen
e ed, according to McKenna's stat
k ment, and released upon the pa
ment to Detective Murphy OF $ll
n McKenna maintained he saw Il
IT transaction; that he heard Detect,
n Murphy and the thief discuss I
le proposition, finally witnessed t
e money change hands and was pre-
re ent when the prisoner was given
II liberty.
Ignore Graft Charges.
McKenna further declared he +
70 ported the matter to Chief Ebe