The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-03-17
Mail Clerk
EXOnerated
at Inquest
Slayer of Mail Car Bandit Will
Get Reward for Killing
Fugitive-Stolen Pack
ages Recovered.
Mail for Iowa Is Looted

kull, mail clerk, of blame for the
death of John Kennedy, negro, shot
while fleeing from mail car which
he had robbed on Union Pacific train
No. at Thirty second avenue and
the Lane cutoff Thursday night.
I'VE find that the deceased came
TO his death while failing to obey the
command of the mail officers" the
jury reported.
Evidence at the inquest showed that
the dead man, at the time he was
shot, had in his possession a suitcase
filled with objects stolen from parcel
post packages.
County Coroner Paul Steinwender
was in charge of the inquest.
Reward in Sight.
John c. Kun will get reward Of
$50 to $500, in the opinion of Post
office Inspector w. NJ. Coble.
Mr.. Coble Friday took state
ments from Kull and the other mail
clerks at his office in the federal
building.
We first noticed at North Platte
that someone was in the car" said
Kull. ut was the third storage car
ahead of the work car. At Grand
Island the train was cut, permitting
us to go in through the vestibule and
enter the car from the door in that
end which was locked. We unlocked
il from the outside. We found no
one.
"At Fremont we found the front
end door barricaded from the inside
and we knew someone was inside.
We watched it carefully when we ar
rived at Summit and saw the man
lump out OF a side door carrying the
suit case. Several shots were fired.
I was about $50 feet from him when
1 fired the shot that brought him
down.
KuH lives with his wife and two
children at 2oI6 Avenue A, Council
Bluffs.
The other clerk who fired was w.
T. Corbourn, 4123 North Thirty-sixth
avenue. Other clerks in the car were
Curtis Cook, 1902 Grand avenue; A..
!. Anderson, 3214 North Fourteenth
street; II. C. Madden, 61o1 Florence
DOulCNdtu, dlu W IL A>btti'
Clerks believe the negro was well
acquainted with Omaha and perhaps
lived here.
He knew enough to make his
break from the car when we stopped
at Summit, we'll inside the Omaha
city limits one said.
A suitcase carried by the victim in
his flight. a cheap telescope affair,
contained a new suit Of clothes sold
bv A San Francisco firm and much
100 small for the dead man; two
women's cloaks. two silk blouses and
a silk kimono. Some of this was
taken from packages mailed by the
Milady Manufacturing company, San
Francisco, to the j. A. Strohm COM
many. Carroll, Ia. The value of the
contents OF the suitcase probably was
5000.
Frank Gross, son Of Anton Gross,
federal court bailiff. saw the fray at
Summit. where he is employed as
car checker.
"A few more steps and the negro
would have been over the rldge ana
probably wopld have escaped he
said. "He gave no cry when the shot
struck him, just whirled around and
, dropped"
Mail clerks are armed with As
caIiber revolvers.
Proud Of Husband.
John c. Kull has been in the mail
service for 20 years. He was born IN
Des Moines, Ia, but was raised at
Central City Neb., according 10 MS
wife, whom he married Il years ago
Ever since his sffiliation with the
mail service he has resided in Coun-
eli Bluffs.
Kulls wife and two small children
Mary Catherine, ~, and Helen Rae,
g. we're waiting at the family home,
901s Avenue A, Council Bluffs. last
night for the husband and father 10
return from Omaha, where he was as
sisting in the investigation OF the at
tempted robbery.
MY husband sent messenger TO
me. when his train arrived in the
Bluffs at the regular time said
Mrs. Kull 1.-The messenger told
me that John had shot and Killed
negro who had attempted 10 ROB- Inc
mail train and that they had white
man in custody. lie said John must
20 10 Omaha and would not he home
until 10.
II am proud OF my husband for the
manner in which he protected the
unas, and | am anxious To hear the
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W;II;,, - Car..r Dies