Omaha daily bee., 1922-05-22
Victim of
ooting g.
Succumbs.
Father Who Fought Duel
With Bandit in Effort to
Save Son, 10. Dies Of
Wounds.
One Suspect Is Nabbed


Greater love than this hath no
man"
And Charles Sieiken, Omaha
sportsman, gave his lie yesterday
because he sought 10 protect that OF
his lo-year- -old son. Robert, Satnr-
day night in an attempted holdup by
lone bandit at the Nicholas filling
station, Thir,hy-eighth avenue and
Farnam street.
Death came 10 Siefkcn yesterday
morning at II o'clock, IA hours after
he had received FIVE bullet wounds
from the automatic revolver OF the
bandit.
In another room at Lord Lister
hospital lies the son. He also is
wounded, and the fathers sacrifice
may have been in vain. Doctors say
that il will be three or four days yet
before young Siefken will have
passed the crisis.
Suspect is Held.
City detectives. led by John Pszan-
owski, lieutenant, arrested Joe Mar
conini, 80sH West Tenth street, tile
worker, who has bullet wound in
the left arm, and the owner OF two
guns found under odd circumstances.
They are holding him for investiga-
ton.
While Marconini's varying explain
ations OF his bullet wound are being
investigated, other detectives are
seeking to learn the whereabouts OF
all automobile that may have been
driven by confederate of the holdup
murderer. Robert Siefken was unable
to identity Marconini as the man who
shot him and his father. Gertrude
Siefken, 49, his sister. who was
witness OF the shooting. told detec.
tives the prisoner "looks something
like the man"
Think Girl Mistaken.
Positive that her information was
correct. Miss Siefken yesterday
morning gave detectives the Ii
cense number OF the mysterious
motor car. but they learned it was on
a reputable business mans machine,
and declared she had erred.
They hope to make careful
check today of papers carried by
Siefken in the belief that he made
a penciled note of the, number.
On two nights preceding the hold-
up the car was seen to pass the
oil station slowly while the man
who later turned holdup sat on 4
bench near. the station, rowned by /
the Nicholas Oil company. Both
times the driver seemed to lean out |
and signal to the holdup with his
head. The actions Of the two men
were so suspicious that Siefken |
made note of the cars number.
II it can be found it may guide the
detectives to the slayer's pal.
Explanations Differ.
Following Marconini's arrest he
said he had received his bullet wound
while cleaning his revolver in his
room. Later he said he shot him.
self while on Tenth street, and that
Alto Vinci, 80l IL South Tenth, and
Joe Loni, 805 IL South Tenth, both
heard the shot. The two men told
officers they knew nothing of the
incident.
The gun was in his trunk, Mar |
conini said, but he later declared it
was under his bed. Detectives re-
covered it from Vinci, who signed
statement that Marconini went to
him before 8 yesterday morning and
asked him to keep it until he called.
Later, Lieutenant Pszanowski said,
another weapon owned by Maroon
ini was found in battered conh-
ton on a vacant lot close to his
home. An effort had been made to
destroy the pistol, the lieutenant
said.
Gun Is an Automatic.
The battered gun in .32 caliber
automatic. The one recovered from
Vinci is $3.50 Harrington and
Richards. Both had been fired re-
Gently, according to the officers.
Marconini, Vinci and Loni were
held for investigation and Lieuten-
ant Pszanowski announced that other
witnesses would be asked to view
Marconini this morning lin an effort
tc identity him.
While circumstances tend to in
criminate Marconini, detectives are
not convinced they have the oil sta
ton murderer and are working othr
clues and tips.
One Clue Involves Doctor.
One remaining line Of investiga-
ton involves a doctor who, detec-
tives say, secretly treated wound
ed man. Arrest of the doctor early
today was threatened last night.
The Siefken murderer cried hat
he was shot as he ran from the oil I
station, according to Stanton Ken
nedy, 2l38 South Thirty y-eighth
street.
Mrs. Siefken is grieving in the
home of Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Abbott,
51O1 Nicholas street. next door east
OF the Siefken home.
Mr.. Siefken had been identified
with Ak-Sar- Ben, the Masonic Or
der and the Omaha Gun club. He
was born and reared in Omaha and
was engaged in the insurance busi-