Omaha daily bee., 1919-12-17
DENIES ARREST
BY EXONERATED
POLICE OFFICER
Indignant Nebraska Citizen
Declares Officer Held
BIameIess by Chief Was
Not Present. +

MOI FreSent.
Officer Robert Samardick has
been held blameless by Police Chief
Eberstein in the matter of the I'M
lawful and disgraceful arrest last
week of c. w. Clark, business man
and respected citizen of Union. Neb
Detective L. H. Stolley and Pa
trolman Ailo Barnes, whom the
records at the police station showed
suntil Monday made the arrest,
@,sswere not mentioned in the an
nouncement of the chief of police.
-. When Mr.. Clark was booked at
the station. more than week ago
eStolley and Barnes we're credited
with the arrest. Samardick's name
later Appeared on the record as one
of the arresting officers.
Mr.. Clark, who has been coming
to Omaha to buy goods for the past
= quarter of century, had been wait
: ing in the hall way of the Douglas
! block, Sixteenth and Dodge streets,
: for his doctor to arrive at his Office
:. in the building, when he was picked
: up by only two officers, he declared.
But Two Officers.
! { Il am certain of this" he told a
4 Bee reporter yesterday morning. Il
!. do not care what the records at the
= station show" he continued, there
: were but two officers there"
: The statement of the chief of pc
Z lice to the effect that Mr.. Clark was
= talking to several dope fends at the
y time he was arrested was branded
: as absolutely" false.
= mot word of it is true" de-
: clared Mr.. Clark II had been
- standing in the hal! about two min
!. utes after coming out of the physi-
= clans Office. l was told the physi-
= clan was expected to arrive at any
! moment and just had stepped into
! the building when two men arrested
= me. / never saw the other men be-
: fore in my life. did not speak
!, word to them nor did they speak
:. to me. The statement published in
e another Omaha daily newspaper
!. creditihg me with saying l on,y
! used narcotics when ordered to do
!. so by my physician is also false. |
y made no such statement. ! never
! took a dose Of morphine or any
!, other kind of narcotic in my life.
! Asked Insinuating Question.
! Mr.. Clark declared a reporter
: called him on the telephone Mon
! day and asked him if he was dope
: head" Il did not know what he
I meant by such an expression" he
I continued. II do not think ever
: heard the term before"
!, Paul Topping, 730 ld-Herald
: building, attorney employed by Mr..
: Clark to bring suit against the po-
! lcemen who made the false and lille
= gal arrest. declared he had known his
{ client for the last 10 years.
: "Mr. Clark always has enjoyed a
: splendid reputation declared Mr..
I mess man and is highly respected in
! his community, where he has lived
: for Is years"
Z Mr.. Clark declared he, had in
/. structed his attorney to kle the
I proper suits and that he would be in
: Omaha today or next day to
= discuss the matter further with his
Z lawyer.
!. !. Friends Are Indignant.
= Friends of Mr.. Clark are in
! dignant at Chief Eberstein for what
: they style "his himsy excuse" for
! keeping Mr.. Clark in Jail for three
i days without trial and refusing him
: All opportunity to furnish bonds
= The police chief declared Mr..
! Clark was being held as dope hend
-sfor investigation by his son, Russell
Eberstein, federal agent, but that
an examination of the prisoner by a
physician developed he was not a
drug addict. 1t was then, declared
the chief, decided to place a charge
Of vagrancy against Mr.. Clark.
:. After being held in Jail for three
ssiays, refused an opportunity to es-
-stablislr his identity, communicate
with friends or relatives and denied
.he privilege of buying decent food,
Mr.. Clark, who is in i'll health. was
in serious physical condition when
he was released.
Sentence Later Suspended.
He was taken before Police Judge
Foster with three other prisoners
charged with vagrancy and SEN
fenced tos3O days in the county Jail
without being allowed to take the
witness stand in his own defense or
employing a lawyer to represent
him. The sentence was suspended
following the prisoners indignant
protest against the high-handed tao
tics.
Mr.. Clark declared he made re-
peated attempts to get in touch with
an attorney while he, was in jail. He
was not allowed to do so. He was
in jail two days when a negro pris-
oner was released. Il gave the negro
So to communicate with the Mer-
chants hotel for me" declared Mr..
Clark. "The man kept the IS.
believe he was intimidated by the
police.