Case Summary
In 1919, Thomas Kelley, James Cosgrove, Henry Wedgworth, Frank or James Keating, and Patrick Burkery were arrested for bootlegging in Omaha, Nebraska, where they lived. This scheme allegedly allowed 3,000 cases of whiskey to cross the Nebraska-Iowa border via the use of motor boats. According to the Omaha Daily Bee, it was organized by a group of Omaha Italians. However, this was done on the orders of the sheriff of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, and he ordered the men to be taken to the state line. Because of this, they filed for a writ of habeas corpus on March 29, 1919, arguing that they were innocent of the crime and that the Iowa sheriff had no constitutional right to have them arrested in another state and then taken back to Iowa. Although their writ was allowed, the case was eventually dismissed on June 30, 1920, for a want of prosecution, and the petitioners had to pay all court costs. The Omaha Daily Bee says that the men were all released on bond on March 24, 1919. However, he was arrested again, allegedly for the 28th time, in the February of 1920.
Case Information
Petition type(s)
Petition subtype(s)
- Selling liquor without a license
Sites of significance
Outcome
Writ allowed
Fate of bound party
Dismissed|released on bail
Case Citation
Douglas County District Court, Omaha, NE, RG230: Douglas County Records, Subgroup 10: District Court, 1855-1972, Series: Criminal Appearance Docket Books, Vol. 21: ca. 1919, p. 433; Douglas County District Court, Omaha, NE, RG230: Douglas County Records, Subgroup 10: District Court, 1855-1972, Series 7: Criminal Case Files, 1897-1920, Reel 85: Doc. 21-342 to 21-471, Jun. 26, 1919 - Aug. 13, 1919, No. 21-433
Source material(s)
Docket |
Case File
Length of case file
5 or fewer pages
Repository(s)
State
