Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-11-20
Quotes Military Men as Say
ing Small Force Under Eff
cient Officers Could Have
Dispersed Mob.
LACK OF LEADERSHIP
EVIDENT, JURY FINDS
Absence of Police Chief and
Commissioner at Crucial
Period Is Called Unfortunate
BY Investigators.

The Omaha police department is
scored by the grand jury for its in
action in heading off the riot Of
Sunday, September %, which result
ed in the lynching of a negro, Will
Brown, the burning of the court
house with an estimated loss II
$500, 10000, the deaths of three per-
sons. the near-lynching of Mayor
Smith, injuring of many people,
looting of numerous stores and
other damages.
Many Recommendations Made.
The final report filed yesterday
covers "a typewriter pages, touches
on all angles of the riot, scores the
police for not preventing the riot.
laments the "lack of testimony of
eye witnesses of the mob aetivi-
ties" makes recommendations to
combine the city and county gov
ernments, recommends that police
men be defended at city expense
when they are used in the courts
and makes many other recommen-
dations.
Responsibility for the lack of
standard revolver and ammunition
equipment of the police is placed
upon the city commission by the
jury.
There were 1e5 cases considered
by the jury, covering 81 indictabfe
crimes. There were 120 persons in
dicted and SIS witnesses examined.
In regard to the police action the
night of the riot, the report says:
Is Called Unfortunate"
"The absence of the police chief
and commissioner at the crucial
period, from $3.50 to o'clock on
Sunday, was unfortunate"
Lack of coordination and leader
ship was evident in the handling of
the police, the grand jury states.
Military men told the grand Jury
that at anytime from 3 to E O'Clock
on the fateful Sunday afternoon. a
force of Is to IS men under proper
leadership could have dispersed the
mob without firing a shot, and be-
tween 6 to 8 o'clock the same force
of men could have stopped theviot-
ing by shooting.
Sergeant Highest Rank.
Between $3.50 and E o'clock that
afternoon there was no policeman
at the court hotse of higher rank
than a sergeant, the jury finds.
In connection with the court house
fire, the grand jury recommends
that the county commissioners in
vestigate to find whether the county
records were left careless1y outside
OF the freproof receptacles provided
tor them and, if so, to fix responsi.
bility and take action against the
persons responsible.
:. The principle features of the re,
port follows:
We presume that previous grand
juries have had evidence presented
to them OF many and various kinds
of crimes. In this respect their ex-
perience ard that of this grand jury
is similar.
In addition it remained to this
grand jury to secure and consider
evidence in connection with a class
of crimes and during a condition oil
the public mind, such as no grand
jury in this county has ever had to
do before, and we hope no other
will ever be called upon to do
again.
We refer particularly to the un.
lawful. destructive and disgraceful
acts of persons in this city on the
night of September 28, 1919.
These acts resulted in a nearly
fatal attack on Mayor Smith.
| Assaults on police officers.
| The burning of the court house.
| The burning and destruction o4
public records and documents.
| Injuries to prisoners and innocen
persons. ..
The cowardly lynching of a de-
fenseless man, etc.
| We have endeavored, to the bes