The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-11-16
a nUoE swlxDEr.
A wichita Man Relieved of $1,000 at
Kansas city.
Kansas f,if-- 1.irnar

Kansas City.
Kansas City Times
4 The most sensational case of abunko'
E reported in this section of country 70
several years came TO light in Kansa
CITY yesterday, which will not anI,
5 canse talk here, but st Wichita, Kansas
where one Thomas H. Turner, the vic
. tim, has resided for several years TIL.
case in all its bearings is very highly
colored, and, as the hunko men realized
nearly $1,000 in cash by the operation
1t VIII attract attention everywhere, and
fully rivals in detail the celebrated case
wherein Charles Francis Adams, of Bos.
ton was principal, even if the amount OF
! money secured was less. To fully IN
derstand the case il will be necessary TO
go back to the 9th day Of September, at
which time AIR. Turner started east from
Wichita with draft in his pocket for
$500, drawn by the Kansas State
bank 20 his order. The money was the
business in which Mr. Tur-
ner had been engaged at
Wichita for several years. After leaving
Wichita, Mr. Turner came first to Kan
sas City, and then proceeded to Preston,
| Nd, where he visited relatives, aud
about October IS he started for the west
again, with the New York draft for So.
| 9O0 still in his possession.
Mr.. Turner states that on the night of
October 20, while en- route home via
the Hannibal s. st. Joseph railroad, he
was approached, while seated in the
smoking car, by man about fifty years
of age, who gave the name of ID. III.
| Howard. The train at the time wss at a
point between Macon and Chillicoihe,
and IN few moments Mr. Turner and
Howard were engaged in pleasant con-
| versation, but before 1t had proceeded
| far second man, roughly dressed and
having the appearance of a farmer, took
a seat directly in front and also took
part in what was being said. Almost
| Immediately he informed Turner and
Howard that he was from kentucky,
where he lately sold his farm for IS 900
| and said he had been beaten by monte
men at Chicago out of $500. With this,
| stranger No. pulled out large roll of
bills, stating he had brought the cards
which had fooled him, and "was going
to get even on some other fellow"
Turner told him TO put up his money,
but he refused, and ct this point How
ard, who was sitting by Turner's side,
said he would turn a corner of one of
the cards so Turner could tell it, and
il he Crurnerl bet the stranger he could
win, and ended by asking If he had
and Turner pulled out his draft
for $4,000 and handed it to
Howard for inspection, and he in
turn handed it to the stranger. Before
anything about betting had been men
toned second time the stranger got up
and left the car with Turner's draft,
but Howard quieied Turner by
saying he was a man of means
and knew the stranger and woGld
see TO it that the draft was re-
funded. This did not fully satisfy Tur-
ner, however, and accompanied by How |
ard he left the train at Chillicothe, and |
early on the morning of October 21st, |
sent two kilograms, one to the bank at
Wichita and one to the bank in New |
York, ordering payment stopped on the |
draft. Howard took the kilograms, |
pretending to be very sorry for Tur-
ner and claiming that all would be |
right in few days, and in the mean
time he paid all bills. After remaining !
at Chlllicothe two days Howard told |
Turner he had received telegram from |
the stranger, telling. him TO come to
Quincy and get the draft, and by first
train the men went to that point and put
up at the Windsor hotel. The stranger
was not to be found, however, and by
one excuse and the other Howard de-
tanned Turner eight days at Quincy and
then told him he had better 90 at once
To New York and stop payment of the
draft in person, and 10 see that this was
done he bought ticket to New York
from Quincy and saw Turner take the
train for the east. When Turner reach
ed New York and called at the bank he
discovered that the draft had been paid
four days before, it having been for
warded for collection from Kansas City
by the Citizens National bank OF this
place. Turner said if his name was at
tached to the draft it was a forgery, as
he had never signed il, and when he
handed it 10 Howard for inspection il
was simply to show him that he had
plenty of money. The bank officer told
Turner he had been swindled by The
man Howard, who first introduced him.
self and pretended to be his
friend and the would be farmer. and that
in all probability while Howard detain-
ed him at Quincy the confederate went to
Kansas City and had the money on the
draft collected through the Citizens
bank. at last Turner realized that he
had been swindled by bunko men and
sadly turned his face towards Kansas
City, arriving here several days ago.
Upon his return he went at once to the
Citizens bank and found that the draft
had been deposited for collection by
Messrs. Bishop g Christie, bearing the |
Endorsement first of Thomas II. Turner,
then T. Fl. Strong and Bishop & Christie |
in the order named. Turner Informed |
the bank officers that his name to the |
draft was forgery and that the robbers |
got hold of it by means of the kilograms |
he wrote at Chillicothe and gave TO the |
man Howard, but which meyer were |
sent He also sees now how nice he was |
taken in and robbed by the two men,
one of whom detained him at Quincy /
until the draft had heen cashed in New |
York and the money returned TO Kansas |
City, Mr.. Turner left Kansas
city of Wichita yesterday, and it is I'M
derstood Is to bring suit at once for the
recovery of his money. Who he will
make defendant is not known. He can't /
very well sue the bank, and he can't get /
hold of the men who swindled him, and
it looks very much as If he would have
to whistle long time before he recov-
cred anything.
A Times representative called upon
Mr.. Christie at his well known place of
business on west Sixth street last even
ing for some information regarding the
case, and was frankly told all that was
known. MIR. Christie states that man
with whom he has done business sew
eral years called upon him about Octo-
Der 90 and asked him to deposit the
draft signed by Turner and Strong in the
bank where be did business for collec-
ton. This was done, Mr.. Christie
signing the firm name of Bishop 6
Christie to the draft, and in due time il
was cashed in New York and the money
placed TO the credit of the firm here
aid paid TO the man who brought the
draft to Mr.. Christie. Mr.. Christie
states that BIr. Turner did sign the draft,
and signed il in the presence of witness
es, and that the amount of money il
called for was lost at cards. These facts
he has learned since the draft was paid,
as Immediately upon the arrival of Mr. |
Turner the bank officers went TO Mr. |
Christie and he Unidentified them against |
all loss, and then proceeded to ascertain |
the true facts in the case regarding the |
draft.
He knows nothing about the state |
ment of Mr.. Turner to the effect that he |
was detained at Chillicnthe and Quincy |
and then sent to New York, but says If |
Mr. Turner brings SUIT the man who |
brought him the draft will be forthcom- |
ing and will prove that Turner did sign |
the paper, first having lost the money |
while gambling. 1t is not known just
what steps Turner proposes to take, but
the facts above stated will create a huge
sensation at Wichita and throughout
Kansas where he is well known.
------------------
a Vote of Thanks
The Congregational association which
adjourned yesterday, passed the follow
ing vote of thanks: