Omaha daily bee., 1920-08-15
Trio Of Omaha Gunmen Wild
Piled Trade for Weeks Admit
Part They Played in ScortI|
Of StiCkups.
SISTER OF ONE BANDIT
IS UNDER SURVEILLANCE
Desperadoes Who Craved Ex.I
citement Took Fiendish De-
light in Frightening UnarmecI
Victims, They Tell DetectivesI

Three holdup men, arrested by de
tectives Friday and who confesscI
yesterday to more than 20 holdupsa
admitted to robbing the Waterloo
(Neb.) pharmacy OF $400 worth oA
jeweIry and stealing 100 pennies III
the Grimes pool hall of that towr
last Tuesday.
Miss L. Murphy, sister Of one oil
the holdup men, burned up aboua
$500 worth of jewelry to protect he'll
brother, police say. Only abou
500 worth of stuff was recovered
She was to have been taken in Gus
tody, but her physical condition.
prevented the police from arrestin&|
her, Acting Chief of Detectives
Pszanowski said.
The confessions we're obtained
on1y after a five-hour grilling BY
Chief Pszanowski and Detectivessl
Wavrin, Whalen and Bolar.
One an Ex-Conviet. 4
Beginning with last Moada,a
night, all three confessions. which
tailed in all important details, told
of the inner workings of the trio'sl
scheme which came to an end
Thursday night.
Tie trio is Martin Cunningham
119 South Twenty-ninth street; LyE|
man Larson, 2l20 Douglas street
and P. J. Murphy, 2755 Davenport
street.
Both Larson's and Cunningham
confession were given more freely
than that of Murphy, who, deteoi
tives say. is more educated thar
his pals" because of recent sen
tcnce in the state penitentiary.
Murphy was sentenced from
Omaha to serve from three to Isl
years for highway robbery on Feb
ruary IS, 1917. He was pardoneda
police say, after sarving two yearsg
aad eight months.
How They Operated.
Chief Pszanowski yesterday de-
clared that victims of last weeks
series of holdups boosted the amoun3
of their losses in reports to police3
He based his statement on the con.
fusion of the trio who recited de.
tails of II holdups.
On Monday, according to the pur.
ported confession, the first man thas'
the trio held up was S. Sheeler all
Twentieth and Cass. They got S.
According to their confessions the|
men would steal an automobile eacks
night to use in their operations. Lar-s
son would do the driving whilsl
Murphy and Cunningham would dis-'
mount upon the sight of a victinl.l
They would then cover him with,
revolvers and relieve him of val!
uables. Larson would drive couple'
of blocks away and wait, ready tos
start upon the signal of the other
two.
After their operations each night,
the trio would abandon the stolen
car and go to their "den" at Tenth
and Capitol avenue where they
would divide their spoils, policcs
say.
According to the police. auto.Il
mobiles were stolen by the trio
from Charles Lovejoy, 22Oo FarnanS
street, r. G. Clark in front of the
Strand theater and William Baker.
33l6 South Second street at Tenthg
and Howard streets. The cars haye
been recovered.
Like the Excitement.
When asked by detectives for thei,6
reasons for their daring holdupsH
both Cunningham and Larson said.
that they committed the crime more
for the excitement. hi
1T was fun to see how those BIRDS
fell" said Cunningham, who was thel|
Jollier of the trio. "As soon as oud.
victims were covered with guns I'll
would seem that their pockets werd3
already extended cut to us" Mur4
ply had little to say, save that hdl
asked detectives to help him make,
quick journey to Lincoln. ThsEl
trio said, according to Offices, thadl
they would plead guilty to a high3'
way robbery charge when they ard
arraigned in police court Tuesdayl
morning.
Chief Pszanowski wants the narnclS
of every person held up in Omahs;
last week so he will have enougfhI
evidence against the trio to make al
strong case in the event the men||