Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-11-08
BY
| Grand JURY FOR
OMAHA WOMEN
Bluffs True Bills Give Names
Under Which They Were
Arrested for
Theft.

Mrs. Forest R. King, "a years old,
/ 203 South Thirtieth street, wife Of
10 salesman for Paxton & Gallagher
Co., and Mrs. Harry Winchell, IS
years old, wife of a travelling sales
man, living at 207 South Thirteenth
street, were indicted Thursday un-
der the names Hazel Reed" and
mabel Miller" by the grand jury in
Council Bluffs for the alleged theft
OF two $500 sealskin coats from the
Beno store on the afternoon of Oc-
tober /.
Indictments were returned separ-
ltely, and> again jointly, bonds be-
Ing fixed at $1,000 in the individual
Indictments and $500 under the joint
charge. The bonds were ready as
soon ~ the indictments were re-
burned.
Arrested on October 1.
Both women were arrested In
Council Bluffs on the afternoon of
October following an alleged at
tempt to steal two sealskin coats
from the John Beno department
store. They were booked at the po-
lice station under fictitious names,
but their identity was discovered by
The Bee.
At the time Of their arrest, Mrs.
King was released on a 81 900 bond
furnished by Ben Gallagher, after
she had spent Wednesday night In
Jail. Mr.. Gallagher declared he had
been moved to 60 to the assistance
Of Mrs. King, BY the fact that her
husband was an employee of his
company, who had an excellent rec
ord.
Mrs. Winchell was not released,
lfter her arrest, Until the following
Friday afternoon, when someone,
whom the Council Bluffs police de-
ciared they did not know, produced
ID 81 900 cash bond. The money was
said to have been telegraphed by
friends in Chicago.
Gallagher Puts Up Bond.
Desperate efforts were made at
that time to withhold the identity
Of the women, who were allowed
to use the telephone after being
taken into custody. Mr.. Gallagher
was located in Omaha and imme-
diately went to Council Bluffs,
where he offered ST 900 cash indem-
nifty as an inducement to Ed Wick
ham, prominent banker and contrac-
tor, to sign the surety bond. Mr.
Wickhafn signed the bond without
requiring the indemnity.
Mrs. Winchell was said to have
been identified after her arrest by
Z representative of the Brandeis
stores, as a woman alleged to have
had trouble before, but investiga-
ton failed to disclose any previous
arrest.
The women, who are pretty and
were wearing handsome street
clothes at the time of their arrest,
were first detected by Peter Mad
sen, manager Of the Beno store, who
declared that when they discovered
he was following them, they
dropped the two coats, ran BE-
tween two houses, and crouched in
the corner of an clubhouse, about
four blocks from the store, where
they were apprehended.
Carried Coats on Arms.
my attention was attracted to
the women in the store" declared
Mr.. Madsen, following the arrest,
by the fact that they were carrying
heavy coats on their arms, although
Il was IN extremely warm day.
looked more closely and discovered
that the coats were brand new.
Il was sure the coats were taken
from our store and followed the
women into the street. They ap-
peared excited as soon as they
reached the sidewalk and argued
over the direction they should take,
So / followed them until their ulti-
mate arrest"
Mr.. Madsen said he was deter
mined to prosecute the cases against
the women, stating at the time Of
their arrest that he felt some SYM
I pathy for Mrs. King. because he was
convinced she Was in bad company
but as far as he could learn Mrs
Winchell deserved to suffer the pen
atty.
H Emmett FINLEY, Paxton & Gal
1agher's attorney in Council Bluffs
was retained to represent Mrs. King
while Robert Organ, United States
z. E1,,,,e;f pfIHs wa