Omaha daily bee., 1919-03-28
STATE SPRINGS
SUPP RISES AT
KATLEMAN TRIAL
Alleged Wichita Thief Testi-
flies That He Drove Stolen
Car to Nebraska City
for Defendant.

Virgil OFT of Wichita, Kan, wa:
produced by the state yesterday as !;
witness against Maurice Katleman
on trial in district court before
Judge Redick and a jury on the
charge of aiding and abetting Viii.
liam McKenna and L. c. Jones ir
automobile stealing in Omaha.
The appearance of OFT was a sur.
prise to the defense aud the admis.
sibility of his testimony was argued
tor more than an hour. Judge
Redick decided that Otis testimony
is admissible as tending to support
the theory of the state that there
was conspiracy and plan by Katie
man and someone else to steal auto
mobiles"
Arrested in Wichita.
OFT is under arrest in Wichita on
the charge of automobile stealing
and therefore the authorities here
were able to bring him from there
to testify in the Katleman case.
Otis testimony, as outlined by
County Attorney Shotwell. is that
he brought 4 stolen Hudson car
from Hutchinson, Kan, to Omaha;
that he asked a taxicab driver
whether he knew where he could
sell shot" car; that the taxi driver
introduced him to Maurice Katie
man, who introduced him to RED"
Neal, who, in turn, made arrange
ments for OFT to drive the car to
Nebraska City and leave it on the
east side of the court house with
the cushions turned UP.
This is the procedure to which
both McKenna and Jones testified
in the cases against Katleman and
Neal.
Another blow at the defense came
when the state placed Daniel Horri-
gan, Omaha attorney, on the stand.
: Mr.. Horrigan testified that McKen-
ma sent for him when he was in
the county Jail under seven days
sentence for vagrancy. following the
theft of the first of two Oakland
which, McKenna testified. he
stole under orders from Katleman
and Neal.
Mr.. Horrigan said that he told
McKenna he would require SIS to
file an appeal and get him released.
McKenna, he stated, telephoned
from the Jail office to Maurice Katie
man and then asked Mr.. Horrigan
to go to the Katleman store in the
Securities building, Sixteenth and
Farnam streets, for the money.
Went for Money.
The attorney went there.
what did Mr.. Katleman say
when you told him McKenna asked
you to come to him for the money!"
asked the county attorney. -
He seemed reluctant to give it"
said Mr.. Horrigan.
did you have to urge him to
give the money!
well, he said he thought it was
foolish to let him have it but he'd
take chance"
The defense also had its inning,
when w. H. Brown of Auburn, Neb.,
the proprietor of the Frontier hotel
in Nebraska City, testified that Nc
Kenna and Jones registered there
at the time, when they say, they
took the second Oakland car to Ne
braska City after stealing it in Oma-
ha at the alleged behest of Katleman
aud Neal. Both Jones and Nc
Kcnna have testified that Maurice
katleman came to see them at the
Frontier hotel on the morning of
Sunday, September 20, 1918. They
had arrived there with the car at 4
o'clock that morning.
Mr.. Brown testified yesterday
that man called at the hotel be-
tween and 10 o'clock that morp-
ing and asked to be directed to. the
room occupied by Mckenna and
Jones.
'sS-sve Describes the Man.
"He was large man, about $50
pounds in weight. 40 to IS years old,
with a light moustache and slick,
shiny hair" said Mr.. Brown.
Attorney Baker asked Maurice
Katleman to rise.
rs this the mani" he asked.
mo, sir. He looked nothing like
that man." was the answer.
!. Mr.. Brown admitted on cross
examination by the county attorney
that he has known RED" Neal all
his life and that he saw him in Ne
braska, City once or twice month
for years. Neal was found guilty
three weeks ago after a trial in this
same court on the same charge as
that on Y hich Katleman is now be-
ing tried.
Mr.. Browns testimony bore out
the theory of the defense that Nc
Kenna and Jones had disposed of
their stolen cars to someone else
and are seeking to, put the blame on
katleman.
Attorney Baker for Katleman. in
the course of 4 searching examina
ton of Lowell c. Jones career,
brought out the admission that he
was once owner of half interest in
the Wick & Moore saloon, ol2
Dodge street. notorious resort for
years. He said he bought the half
interest in 1912 but remained in the
business only about five weeks.
y Following that he said he worked
al waiter and cook in restaurants
it Omaha and also on Union Pacific
railroad dining cars at various times.
Ne stated that he has one-eighth
Indian blood.