Omaha daily bee., 1919-12-19
Case Of Man Charged With
Attacking Mayor Given to
Jury Last Night After
Four Strenuous Days.
JUDGE STOPS ATTORNEY
FROM ARRAIGNING MAYOR
William Jameson Criticizes
City Executive for Remarks
To Mob-Says He Brought
Attack Upon Himself.

IlOOIl.
Davis trial on charges of assault
with intent to murder and assault
with intent to do great bodily in
jury to Mayor Smith the night of
the court house fiot was brought to
a close and given to the jury at s
o'clock last night after four days of
strenuous work.
The jury was reported at 2 this
morning to be It'll out.
So great was the crowd that
wanted to gain entrance to the court
room yesterday afternoon that sew
era1 deputy sheriffs and two bail
ifs were stationed at the door. The
h all Immediately outside was
jammed so that when Judge Redick
announced that the door must be
opened, according to law, to admit
as many as could find seats, the bail
ifs could hardly admit the crowd.
Judge Rises From Chair.
A dramatic scene occurred when
Judge Redick stopped William Ja-
mieson, one of the attorneys for
Davis, in the midst of an arraign-
ment of Mayor Smith for what he
called "inciting the mob"
As Mr.. Jameson proceeded in a
loud voice on this line of argument,
Judge Rcdick rose from his chair,
stood a moment by the side of it
and then stopped the attorney.
do you think that is a good line
of argument, Mn Jamieson?" he
asked.
"Its the truth a, see it," said
Mr.. Jameson.
well, I don't care to sit here
and hear you charge the mayor with
bringing on what happened to him
in the riot" said Judge Redick.
"Not Discharging Duties"
Mr.. Jameson had criticised Mayor
Smith for his remarks to the mob
which had him on Seventeenth
street after he had been dragged
from the court house.
81 do not consider that Mayor
Smith was discharging his duties as
chief executive of this city when he
made some of his remarks to the
mob" Mr.. JAMESON argued. "He
not only told the mob that he didn't
have the keys to the Jail. but that he
wouldn't give them up if he had
them
"I do not care whether that was
a brave thing to do or not. 1t was
not justihable to defy the mob. He
knew men were there whose brains
were ahame because of the outrag-
ing of women by black fiends. He
knew that he and the police had lost
the battle and such remarks were
not iustifable at that time.
Suggested Hanging Himself"
According to the evidence in
this case. the mayor himself is the
one who rst.-suggested his hang
ing. Testimony is that he said
You'll have to hang me before you
do the nigger.' And the crowd said,
Fine, we'll do that Whatever
happened to the mayor he brought
upon himself"
At this point Judge Redick stopped
the attorney, who then proceeded
to fay John OVERLY and Russell
Norgard, the two principal states
witnesses besides Mayor Smith.
A terrific arraignment ,of Davis
"alibi" was a feature of the OPEN
ing argument by Chief Deputy
County Attorney Coffey.
"Think of it, gentlemen of the
Jury" he exclaimed. THE people
who get up here on the witness
stand and swear that they saw
George Davis at his homes all even
ing the night of the riot are his
sister, his sisters gentleman friend,
trained nurse who has moved to
the Davis home since the night of
the riot, another girl friend of Miss
Davis and two soldier boys. particu-
lar friends of these two girls.
Prosecutor Scores Witnesses.
-Four of these people had never
seen George Davis before they say
they met him the night Of the riot.
CONTINUED on Page Two, Column One.)