The Omaha morning bee., 1925-02-22
RediscoUerinq
Omaha
by T. w. MCCULLOUGH.


Police reporters Of the present day,
with their press room" At the CEN
trail police station, typewriters, tele-
phones and other conveniences, may
bless their stars they were not on the
job when Omaha was first commenc
ing to enjoy a metropolitan" police
force.
1t was the legislature of 1887 that
did away with the job of city marshal
in Omaha and established in his
stead a chief of police. Marshal Tom
Cummings was the last OF a long line.
s.. Webber s. Seavey was Omaha's
n chief of police.
Seayey had a stormy reign as chief
of police. He could not get along
with the newspapers. One or the
other. and mostly all Of them were
in a row with Seavey continually.
Seavey issued orders forbidding re-
porters to ride on the patrol wagon,
forbidding the desk sergeant to give
out information, forbidding the pres
ence of reporters In the lobby of the
old Jail on Fourteenth street, forbid
ing anyone below the captains to give
out any Information.
Kindly Judge.
But the boys managed to get the
news just the same. Judge Berka was
In charge of the police court in those
days. He left his room open. so the
reporters had a place to roost in bad
weather. Sergeants Pat Moystn, Tom
Ormsby and Mike Whalen were most
considerate. Some OF the patrolmen,
like John Savage. Mike Dempsey,
Mike Kissane and few others did all
they could to help. Henry Dunn was
just then coming along, and with an
eye to the future. he furnished many
bit of information that would have
landed him "on the carpet" had the
chief ever found him out.
The never-failing friend of the
boys was Patsy Havey. who was
night desk sergeant for many a year.
Havey took his job In his hand night
after night to give the boys tips
when he could not give definite in
formation. He was offset by Paddy"
Cusick. who was patrol conductor on
the night shift for many years. Cusick
did not like a reporter in any guise.
What he did to make things tough
for the newspaper bunch was enough
To fill a good-sized volume. His great
est achievement was to buy a paddock
to fasten the little booth in which
Garbage Master Louis NJ. Goldsmith
had a telephone. Goldsmith did not
object to the reporters using the
phone, but Cusicl did. Paddy" gave
several of the boys a ride in the
patrol wagon, and saw to 1t that they
stayed in jail until liberated next
morning by Judge Berka.
Surgeons "Jimmies.'
Mike Kissane served under Marshal
Tom Cummings. One day when the
hlgh-wheeled bicycle was in vogue
Mike saw one go down Tenth street
from Howard and turn the corner on
Jones. The next man he met asked
him If he had seen a man go BY on a
bicycle.
mo, didn't" said Mike, but be-
gorry I did see a hoop runnin' away
wild man down the street"
Tom Cummins' fame rests mainly
on his edict against Mother Hub
bard" gowns. He attained nation
wide notoriety because of his crusade
against the flowing garment.
One of the older doctors of the city,
still In practice. tells OF being over
hauled by Cummings one dark night.
Who are ye, and where y goin'
this time onight?" was the marshal S
demand.
Il am so-and-so. a physician" was
the reply.
''Oh. it's goln' fishin' " arel Well,
this Is a hell Of a time o. night to be
goin' fishin'. What ys got In the
bag? Your tools? 1 tot SO. Coin
fishisy It's burglar ye arer'
Tho doctor says he never had to
talk farder in his life than he did
TO get the marshal to let him 20 on
his journey.
Reporters Murder Clue.
But the police and the reporters got
together frequently. recall one very
notable instance in which Charles
Somers Young. now publisher of the
Oakland (Cal) Post-Inquirer, then
night police reporter on The Omaha
Bee, did an excellent piece of de-
tective work. A brutal murder had
been committed. and the police were
searching for the murderer. Young
located a little brother of the girl
victim, and from him secured a story
that led to the arrest of the murderer
in a few hours after tho crime had
been committed. The guilty wretch
was convicted and hanged.
A .sinHter incident marked the exc
cution. Just as the doomed man
mounted the scaffold in the old county
Jail yard. a procession swung around
the corner Of the court house square,
the band playing "There1l Be a Hot
Time In the Old Town Tonight" The
last earthly sound the condemned cuI-
prit heard was the strain of that
ribald tune.
How Ball Game Came Out.
One occasion that caused much
merriment was the ball game OF Re
porters versus Policemen, played at
the old Miami park In the summer of
1889. II was for the benefit of Mrs.
George w. Clark's open Door," an
institution since supplanted by the
salvation Army Rescue homo. The
policemen won by a wide margin. nc
one ever knew just how wide, but
three morning papers next day an
nounced the score as 26 to in favor
of the reporters. Three afternoon
papers followed suit, and the police
men never did get their side of the
story to the public. incidentally. Mrs
Clarks funds were swelled by more
than $400 as a result Of the game.