Dahlman was elected mayor that year, and in eight out of nine subsequent campaigns for mayor between 19 Dahlman's losing the election in 1918 was part of the background to racial violence in Omaha. Dahlman seemed to be more tolerant of Dennison's " Sporting District", so Dennison supported him. "Cowboy Jim" Dahlman, a popular, first-time candidate.
In 1906, Omaha Republicans supporting the Progressive Movement nominated a reformer named Erastus Benson for Mayor, and Dennison was afraid that Benson would come out in favor of prohibition. His approval to run for office was gained through payment of bribes and by supporting the rest of Dennison's political slate. He explained he was making side payments to a county commissioner for "protection from the law." ĭennison controlled Omaha politics throughout his reign. During the proceedings, Dennison himself admitted that one of his " roadhouses" operated for more than 10 years without a license. For my part, I hate a damn hypocrite." Įarly in 1918 Dennison was the subject of a sensational trial. Dennison once explained his law theory to the Omaha Bee, saying, "There are so many laws that people are either law breakers or hypocrites. For more than 25 years, his power was such that no crime occurred in the city without his blessing, the police reported to him daily, and the mayor himself answered directly to him. Dennison operated a private bank at 1409 Douglas Street, the site of the current Union Pacific Center, loaning money and providing a discreet repository for those who shunned traditional banks. He actively worked with local temperance groups to eliminate half of the saloons in Omaha - reputedly, the half he didn't control. His gambling operations were mainly located in Omaha's third ward. ĭennison acted as a power broker between the business community and the local vice lords. Dennison never actually held public office, instead buying influence through lavish campaign contributions and his ability to get out the vote. Dennison soon became known as the city's "King Gambler" and first entered the political arena around 1900 as a way of protecting his interests. Upon surveying the city, he found Omaha to be a "wide open town", meaning there was little legal control over gambling, liquor, prostitution and other criminal interests. Tom Dennison was thirty-four when he arrived in Omaha with $75,000 in cash.
0 kommentar(er)
