The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-01-18
Pal Tells
OF Shotgun
g~e d y
white River White" De-
clares Earl Williams. Taken
Dying 10 Hospital, Victim
of Accidental Shooting.
Carried Load of Rum

Harold W tstDroOk, known among
bootlecgers and rum runners as
white River White" because he
rpalls White River. 5. D.. his home and
has extremely light hair, yesterday
related in musical voice the littl,.
incident of rum running party last
Monday night which resulted in the
death of one of the runners.
White was IA witness at the in
quiry yesterday afternoon at the
johnson & Swanson undertaking
establishment. into the death OF an.
.other young man known as Earl vii.
liams, whose body lay in room ad-
joining that where the inquest was
held. Williams was only 25. His
blond hair, six or eight inches long
on top. was Worn "pompadour," after
the manner much affected nowadays
by snappy youths
White and another young occu.
pant of the booze car. testified yester.
day. The other young mans name is
Claude Dixon, 6322 North Thirty.
third street.
Both Appear Harmless.
Both wore natty blue serge suits
and looked like quiet aw-abiding
young men. But police say they both
have long criminal records.
What's your business?s County
Coroner Paul Steinwender asked
Westbrook. 1t actually made the
young man laugh. Such foolish
question: But he recovered himself
quickly.
'Why-farrrfer." he said, amiably
Which made the detectives smile a
little.
lie told how he and Dixon, by pre-
arrangement. met Williams and a
man named Bud Martin In a Stude-
baker car at Fifteenth street and
Capitol avenue. Monday night VIII
llams and Martin had run in cargo of
whisky and they were going TO help
them get rid of it, he said. He men
toned the bags of whisky several
times.
Drove Out OF Town.
They drove out of town, he testi-
fled, and as they passed a culverr,
they decided to hide the shotgun,
which was in the car. Williams ran
back to hide 1t. they heard two shots
and FASTENED back finding him groan-
to the University hospital.
Dixon gave the same testimony.
lie described his business as roofing
contractor and said he had told VIII
liams that he would help him dispose
Of the next load of LIQUOR he brought
in to Omaha. 1t was In accordance
with this promise that they met the
two rum runners Monday night, he
said
city Detective Trapp. one of the
officers who arrested the youths Tues
day and who later went to the scene
of the shooting, gave it as his opinion
that the death of Williams was acci.
dental.
Accidental Shooting.
The jury returned verdict of acci.
dental shooting.
But police are trying to solve sew.
eral problems that don't coincide witl
this verdict.
If the gun was discharged acci-
dentally. why were both barrels dis
charged? Why did the booze runners
want to get rid Of the gun" at all
And what is the real name of the dead
youth and where does he live? The
laundry mark on his shirt is &C. c."
which, the police point out. does not
stand for Earl Williams.
Sioux City police say that West
brook is wanted there for auto thefts.
Find Blood-Stained Car.
Buick touring car on which oil
had apparently been poured and then
ignited. was discovered by Detective
William Cich at Fifty.second street
and Redmond avenue. 1t was taken
to the Military garage in Benson,
where close scrutiny revealed many
blood spots on the machine.
Detectives Palmtag, Murphy. Trapp
and Munich were assigned to determine
il this is the automobile in which
Earl William. rum-runner. was borne
fatally wounded to University hospi-
tai, where he died from bullet wounds
without regaining consciousness.
The machine. police record show,
was stolen from c. J. Junge of Lin
coin at Eighteenth and Douglas
streets. the night of January IL.
In addition to WestbrooS and
Dixon, John L. Hogan and John T.
Grafton and Mrs. l.. Davis, 1922
North Twenty-second street, have
been taken into custody following
Williams mysterious death.