Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-01-05
CHAMBERS SWINDLE.

County but Finally Concentrated Them
at Omaha-A Neatly Planned Fraud
Nicely Nipped-A st. Paul Attorney
| Secures the Goods for His Clients.
On the 18th ult the GLOBE gave the first
intimation of MI. 3. Chambers, auctioneer,
failure, and supposed flight. Subsequent
events not only confirmed the GLOBES re-
marks about his hegira and bad s'bust," but
daily added to the appearances of the per-
petration of a we'll schemed fraud.
From time to time the outcroppings
of the case have been
stripped and presented in full nakedness as
| a very we'll planned and executed game of
| fraud. Well executed, had not a GLOBE de-
| tectives sagacity unearthed some of the
goods fraudulently conveyed away and secret
ed. It will be remembered that the state
ment was made that Chambers had made
very large purchases in August; then again
in October he ordered more. When his
| fight was discovered with the attendat eject
eras, only beggarly amount of remnant
stock was in store to satisfy the innumerable
claims of his victimized creditors.
HOW CHAMBERS DISPOSED OF HIS GOODS.
What had become of all his goods? He
had not sold them; what then had he done
the matter in general way, as
soon got on the track of sundry packages
consigned to Red Wing. An account was
given at the time Of the discovery. This IN
formation was wisely made of avail by MI.
j. N. Rogers, of this city, who had sundry
| c1airno aCaipct Cha y,,hc Raaoocirrr hot
if Chambers had sent away one lot of goods
with cryptogranmic mark, that
he might dispatch others, Mr..
Rogers proceeded to investigate. He thor
oughly inspected and scrutinized he railroad
freight books here, and did not alone confine
his examination to this place, but visited
Minneapolis also.
MAN WITH MANY ALIASES.
His search proved very bonanza to him.
Here and in the adjunct, he found sundry
consignments as follows: w. Henry to w.
Henry; T. Smith to T. Smith;
j. Gsunt to j. Gaunt; ]. Dunn to J. Dunn;
J. Cross to J. Cross.
Theseshipments were all billed for points
on the ST. Paul & Sioux City railroad. The
strikingly peculiar teaturetwas the fact that
the various packages we're billed by Mr..
Smith to himself, etc. Another look at the
handwriting of the several consignments
showed they bore striking SINH
larity. The first was brought to
this city and compared with
known chirography of Chambers Identi-
cally the same! Mr.. Rogers lost no time in
further rejecting about it., but reached the
conclusion at once that Chambers, Smith ct
al, were one and the same: that it would be
| tho fhjr,cy fr oftL
sundry cases sent out West He inaugura-
ted measures to effect this, by at once teIe-
graphing to his clients IN Chicago, among
whom was Clapp Bros. & Co.
GO WEST, YOUNG MAN, co WEST.
Mr.. Rogers believed that the whole let
would be concentrated at Omaha, and so
stated. Ciapp Bros. & Co. Immediately dis
patched MIR. Thomas Davies to Omaha as
their confidential agent to watch the pro-
gress of events. The following telegraph
tells the success attending the Davies mis-
| sion:
OMAHA, Neb, Jan 1st.
J. n. Rogers, Attorney, st. Paul, MIMI
Have baggcd the game. You must start at
once. Mum. THos DAVIES.
Mr.. Rogers ''started at once,'' unlike a
former great traveller of this city, he left
unaccompanied by a private detective
Can it be that from this
omission, his westward journey was
SO successful? For successful it was, to a
degree even beyond his anticipation.
Arriving in Omaha in duo time, Mr.
Rogers learned that MIR. Dawes had sue
ceeded in finding, and had 'eln s'spotted,"
nineteen cases Of goods ostensibly consigned
as stated above. They had been coming in
by detail from various points and places
along the line OF the Sioux City road.
AN OMAHA CONCENTRATION AND DISPERSION.
Chambers worked in this way. He mark
ed the goods as above stated and sent them to
Worthington, Mankato, Medalia, Sioux City
and Omaha. The shipments were made in
the early part of November, and the lob was
not finished until November 10th. Having
thus prepared his route, Chambers took up
his line of march, when he event into the
country and picked up his sun1ry
consignments under his several aliases
as he went west. He got them ali together
IN Omaha. So far, SO safe. Yet he felt I'M
easlness and adopted new plan to conceal
his tracks. He reshipped the whole lot I'M
der new alias to town in central Iowa;
then he brought the merchandise, ETC.. back
to Omaha, and stored his plumber in the
warehouse of Boyce & Co. He
gave out that they would not
be called for in six months, and
paid storage in advance for two months.
All this, Mr.. Davies had learned in his
research.
He further ascertained beyond a doubt
that Chambers was in Omaha on Christmas
day.
LARGE SIZE BONANZA.
MIR Rogers being put i'll possession of all
the facts, made arrangements and effected
the legal seizure Of the suspected
lot of goods. Boyce & Co.'s warehouse
was visited, and the goods taken
| IN possession. There were nineteen cases in
all; twelve cases marked Ahardware'' and
SIX marked merchandise and clothing. The
cases were opened, and stuffed around and
about the many articles were numerous bill
heads, posters, hand bills, ETC., of 'sM. e.
Chambers, auctioneer, etc., St. Paul.
Lit is needless to say that both were pleased
with 1.-THE fnd.' And this pleasure was
augmented when the stock was inventoried
An expert appraisement of the bonanza esti
mated the worth at $4,000.
The hardware turned out to be valuable
plated ware, and the clothing mostly consist
ed of costly lot of beaver furs. The whole
lot of goods were plastered with the neces-
sary attachments, and the goods being re-
packed were shipped to Chicago.
Mr.. Rogers having thus completely Sc
CARED his clients felt he had accomplished
his mission, and started for home, arriving
here yesterday afternoon. His trip West has
resulted in the highest degree of satisfaction.
Notice.
The annual meeting of the Minnesota State
Forestry association will be held at the State
capitol, on Tuesday, the 18th inst, at 1870 P.