Omaha daily bee., 1919-10-02

IOlng INTO Qctdll anu cApidliilis
the events leading up to the Omaha
riots, the Kansas City Star of Mon
day relates how the Nebraska me-
tropolis is Sin political mire' and
draws attention to the fact that the
city has a reform administration
that failed to reform"
The Star in its story declares the
mob spirit of Sunday was the out
growth of bitter feeling engendered
by failure of the police and city au-
thorities to cope intelligently with
vice and corruption.
1t was written by a staff CORE
spondent, who was sent to Oma-
ha Sunday when reports of threat
ened trouble were first received in
Kansas City.
Omaha, Neb., Sept. 2o.-Muni-
cipal politics, too long neglected
by the majority of the otherwise
progressive element, begat po-
lice corruption, the infection
spreading to court circles and be-
yond.
This, in brief, is admittedly the
background of the dark picture of
Omaha today. Jim" Dahlman
served nine years as mayor, six
years of his term being under
commission government. "Jack"
Rider was Dahlman's first super
intendent of police under the
commission form, and the late ].
J. Donohue was chief. Donohue
died while in office. He was sue
ceeded by Henry Dunn, who re-
signed three months before the
1918 spring election. NJ F. Demp-
sey, veteran patrolman, who had
record of never having been "on
the carpet" was named to succeed
Dunn. Dempsey had worked his
way to the top from patrolman to
captain, and later to the position
of command.
"Reformers Didn't Reform"
In the election in the spring of
1918, J. Dean Ringer, lawyer and
avowed reformer, who had gained
considerable local fame as a spe-
cial prosecutor in the South Oma
ha vice crusade, was elected as
one of the seven commissioners
on the reform ticket. This ticket
was strongly supported by The
Omaha Daily Bee, the same paper
that, in the last six months, has
lambasted the present admins
tration which it helped elect by
persistently and continuously
pointing out incompetency and
specific cases of failure to enforce
laws and making other charges.
The mayor, Ed. P. Smith, also a
lawyer, and his commissioner of
public safety, ]. Dean Ringer,
have been especial targets for The
Bees shafts of criticism.
Ringer undertook to reorganize
the police force, his first move be-
ing to displace the chief of police
and appoint Marshal Eberstein,
then the head of the local bureau
of the United States secret serv-
ice. A police captain, Henry T.
Haze, who had resigned under fire
before the election, was reinstated
by the reform administration.
Named Vice Committee.
A committee of citizens, so in
number, was named to cope with
the vice situation. Later this COM
mittee was expanded to 500 men,
bers. Elmer I. Thomas, attorney
for the Anti-Saloon league, was
prominent in this committee. Then
the legislature enacted law en-
powering the governor to estab-
fish a state constabulary for the
enforcement of the prohibitory
laws, and the Omaha committees
work was at an end.
The methods of the present
police force in dealing with vice
and crime intensified the feeling
that found expression Sunday
night by lynching and burning
negro charged with a crime. max
ing an attempt upon the life of
the mayor and burning the court
house. s
Morals Squad" Aroused Public.
DESTINATIONS pretense at law
enforcement on the part of the
police department morals squad
called down upon the department
heads the wrath of citizens and
made enemies of former friends.
Apartments, small hotels and even
private residences. were invaded
by this so-called morals squad"
the places searched, and respect
able men and women dragged off
to the police station, in many in
stances in their night garments.
And in none of the cases of this
kind, which so aroused public in
dignation, did the arresting Off
GERS obtain conviction. Damage
suits followed, some of which
were settled out of court by city
officers. -
About six weeks ago a small
hotel was raided, ostensibly under
the prohibitory act. Two patrol
men not in uniform, accompanied
by special officer who works for
the Union Pacific railroad, enter
ed the place and encountered in
the hallway a young negro boy
employed as a combination watch
man and bellman. The negro, be-