Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-09-04
Not Satisfied With Coroner's
Verdict Placing Responsible
ity for Shooting Of Negro
BeIIboy on Holman.
SPECIAL DETECTIVE
HELD ACCOUNTABLE
County Attorney Will An
nounce Names Of Officers
Today Against Whom a CON-
plant May Be Asked.

County Attorney Shotwell last
night declared he was not satisfied
with the verdict of the coroner's
jury, holding Edgar Holman for the
murder of Eugene Scott. the negro
bellboy, who was shot and killed
following a raid by the police on the
Plaza hotel early Monday morning.
Certain members of the Omaha
morals squad still are under suspi-
cion by the county attorney.
Mr.. Shotwell declared indictments
likely would follow.
Eugene Scott came to his death
as a result of a gunshot wound in
flicted by Edgar Holman on Septem-
Der /, 1919, at Omaha, Neb., and
we recommend that said Edgar Hol-
man be held for trial"
This was the verdict of the coro-
ner's jury.
There are other features in the
case which | shall go into further"
said Mr.. Shotwell.
while Holman may have fired
the fatal shot, in the light of the
testimony, ! cannot see why the po-
lice are not guilty"
The county attorney said he would
give the matter his first attention
and make an announcement within
the next 4S hours.
Raid Law Violation.
"Scott was killed. The police
were in the Plaza hotel on a raid
ing party in violation of the law
Mr.. Shotwell declared. Nothing
developed at the trial to show that
the bellboy was guilty of a crime.
If the poice had not gone there,
the boy would not have been killed.
ut makes no difference whether
the boy had bottle of whisky or
a case of whisky, there was no ex-
cuse for killing him"
Paul Sutton, Elmer Thomas
private sleuth and director of the
morals squad, who was the first de-
tective to encounter Scott in the
hotel, gave instructions to his men
to shoot and kill the bellboy. be-
cause, he said, he thought Scott
had a bottle of whisky under his
shirt according to the testimony
of Mrs. Margaret Roberts of Mime
apolis. who is stopping for a few
days at the hotel,
Mrs. Roberts declared she heard
a scuffle. which. according to wit
nesses, took place on the floor be-
low between Detective Thestrup
and Scott. The bellboy's shirt
was torn off, but no whisky was
found.
A half-dozen witnesses declared
Scott plunged from the front door
of the hotel. He was followed by
Detectives Herdzina. Armstrong
and Brigham east in the alley from
Fourteenth to Thirteenth street
where he was killed 10 minutes
later by gunshot through the
heart.
Ordered, Kill Him"
A half-dozen witnesses declared
they heard Armstrong echo Sut.
tons instructions. Kill him"
Armstrong called out twice. dur,
ing the chase down the alley, "Kil
the - -" according to wit.
nesses.
Witnesses testified that they saw
Detective Brigham fire pointblank
at the fleeing negro,
"The police certainly are to blame
for the death of this boy" said Mr.
Shotwell. u simply want further
, time to look into the matter"
The county attorney declared he
believed Holman fired the fatal shot
but the entire responsibility did no.
rest with the private detective.
Brigham's Revolver Missing.
Attention has been called to the
fact that Brigham's revolver was not
at the police station the day follow
ing the shooting when investigator
Dempsey called and asked to see it
Holnan's revolver was found in the
safe, but Brigham's weapon was
missing, declared F. NJ. eastman
special agent for the Union Pacific
who also has been investigating ths
/ affair.
| The coroner's physician testified
that the bullet taken from the deae
mans body was kept in mis- custod,
until it was offered as an exhibit te
the coroner's jury. "This is un
true" said Mr. eastman, because
had the bullet in my hands for II
minutes after it was removed from
the mans body. | showed it It
ether persons and it was dropped
and lost on the floor of the under
taking establishment. 1t was som,