Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-03-29
WITNESSES IN
kATLEMAN CASE
SPRING ALiB|
Accused Of Being Involved in
Auto Stealing, Defendant
Shows Where States
Evidence Is Mixed.

denial Of all the testimony against
him by McKenna and Jones. He will
undergo cross-examination this
morning.
]. w. Meadimer, dealer in second
hand automobiles, was a witness for
the defense He formerly was q
saloon keeper. He testified that l..
&C. Jones tried 70 sell him stolen
Oakland, five-passenger car, Sep
TENDER 20, 1918. This is the day
on which Jones and McKenna testi-
fled they stole the Oakland car un-
der orders alleged to have been re-
ceived from Katleman.
DR.. Van Camp, county physician,
was introduced as an expert wit
ness to testify regarding the effect
OF dope on witnesses. Jones had
admitted that he is 4 dope eater.
His testimony was not admitted by
Judge Redick..
: Tries to Prove Abb. u
An abb for Katleman was sprung
In the morning session Of court.
-Four pages from the hotel register
OF the. West hotel. Sioux City, Ia,
were offered in evidence while Frank
]. Donahoe, proprietor Of the hotel,
testified.
The next to the last name on the
last page offered in evidence is the
name Maurice Katleman."
This Is under date of Saturday,
September e, 1918. Mr.. Donahoe
testified that.he met Katleman in the
Lobby Of the hotel between 9 and 10
O'clock, the morning Of Sunday, Sep
TENDER %, 1918.
Contfadiets Witnessed Statements.
This is exactly the time when. ac-
cording to the testimony of Nc
Kenna and Jones, state witnesses,
Katleman visited them At their room
in the Frontier hotel, Nebraska
City, on business alleged to consist
OF selling a car which, the two
thieves allege, Katlenian had induc-
ed them to steal in Omaha on Sep
TENDER 28 and take to Nebraska
City.
County Attorney Shetwell called
attention to the fact that the defense
had failed. to produce the page of
the register following that on which
the signature Of Katleman appears.
The number in front Of Katleman's
name is "764l."
at is important to know whether
the numbers which appear on the
following page are in consecutive
order or not" said the county at
torfey.
Different Ink Used.
He also pointed out that the sig
nature of Katleman is in green ink
while the other signatures are in
black ink.
"How do you know that You saw
Mr.. Katleman in the lobby on Sun
day morning, September 29?" asked
the county attorney.
Il remember we talked about his
being up there while Ak-Sar- Ben
was going on" said Mr.. Donahoe.
He said he had known Katleman
for several years.
G. E. Circuit, travelling man, liv-
ing in Lincoln, INeb., testified that
he saw Maurice Katleman at the
hotel register in the West hotel,
Sioux City, on the night of Septem-
Der %, between IL and ! o'clock.
Mr.. CIRCUITS name also appears on
the hotel register. He, said he has
known Katleman for FIVE years.
Youthful Thief Testifies.
A glimpse into the alleged work
ings of the automobile stealing in
dustry was given by the testimony
OF Virgil OFT, 17-year-old automo-
bile thief, who testified Thursday
afternoon. Otis testimony con-
cerned an alleged sale of ''hot" or
stolen car through Maurice Katie
man.
OFT Is awaiting sentence in Wich-
ita, Kan, on charge pf automibiie
stealing to which he PLEADED guilty.
He said he and boy named Cecil
Grape stole Hudson supersix in
Hutchinson, Kan, drove it to Lin
coin. Neb., and later to Omaha
where, he declared, he dealt with
Maurice Katleman and "Red"
Neal.
He said he met Katleman through
taxicab driver, Sunday morning,
September %, 1918.
: He said he'd take care of it for
me-" said OFT. "He went away after
telling us to wait for him. We wait
ed in a pool room at Sixteenth and
Farnam streets and he came back
in about an hour and said his part
ncr, Red Neal, was drunk. He told
us to come back next day"
He told Of bringing the stolen
Hudson to Sixteenth and Farnam
the next morning and parking It.
Then, he said, he and Grape walked
past Katleman's store and motioned
to him to come out. The two young
thieves then walked past il, point
ing to It IS they passed and Katie.
man, he said, followed behind them
md looked the car over.
OFT said Katleman and Neal then
got into 4 taxicab, telling the two
thieves to follow in the stolen car
Thus they proceeded to East Oma-
na and stopped in a clump of will
lows.
Offered six Bits"
They looked the car over and
finally Neal offered US six bits for
T." said OFT.
what do you mean by six bits"
,sked the county attorney.
"Sevcnty-hvey dollars"
He said Neal then directed them,
in Katleman's presenc. to drive the
car to Nebraska City. which they
did. They.returned to Omaha by
train and were paid SIS, he said.
After their return to Omaha, he
said, the two boys and Katleman
visited the house where Neal was
living, which OFT said was ITO Cass
street. Here, he said. they were
given specific "orders" for more