New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1885-07-29
Bold Robbery and Forgery.

Bold Robbery and Forgery.
Last Friday toward noon the good
people of New Ulm were startled with
the announcement that notes to the
amount of $4,000 had been stolen in
the town of Cottonwood, from the prem.
ises Of Henry Pfsterer, about six miles
from New Ulm. and that subsequently,
the Brown County Bank had been
swindled out of a large sum of money
by the thief, who represented himself
as MIR. Pfsterer and the owner of the
notes. The particulars of the robbery
and the subsequent forgery, as near as
a REVIEW reporter was able to obtain
them, are about as follows:
About fourteen days ago man ap-
peared at the Brown County Bank and
asked the loan of some money, stating
that he had some good papers which he
would place in the bank as collateral.
On Monday of last week the same man,
this time accompanied by woman, a.
gain appeared at the bank and renewed
his request for loan. The pair repre-
sented themselves to be Henry Pisterer
and Mrs.Dorothea Pfisterer, of the town
of Cottonwood, and had in their posses.
sion notes, drawn in their favor, to the
value of $4,000, which they offered as
collateral.
The makers of the notes being good,
reliable men, and the man telling
straight forward story, the officers of
the bank took it for granted that ev.
erything was as represented and gave
him the money, $1,000, taking therefor
his note, which was also signed by the
woman. The notes above referred to
were endorsed by the man and woman
10 correspond with the face of the notes
and left with the bank as collateral, the
man being very careful to take there
for an itemized receipt. The man was
very deliberate in his transaction and
showed no excitement whatever.
And now as to the theft of the notes.
On Tuesday morning of last week Mr..
Henry Pfsterer had occasion to come
to town. He went to the bureau to get
his pocket book. but the key, habitual-
ly left in the drawer, was gone and the
drawer locked. Nothing strange was
thought Of this, however, and Mr.. Pfiste-
rer came to town without the pocket
book. On Friday morning he again
had occasion to come to town, and this
time must needs have money. A search
was again made for the key to the bu-
reau drawer, but unsuccessfullv, and
the drawer was broken open and the
theft discovered. Mr.. Pisterer and his
brother-in-law, Mr.. NJ. Lipp, at once
came to the city and reported the theft
to sheriff Schmidt. An investigation
was instituted and the stolen notes dis
covered at ,heBrownCounty Bank, which
was the first intimation the officers of
the bank had that they mad been "lak-
en- i'm by 4 sharper. Upon receiving
q description of the man that had pre-
sented the notes at the bank, Mr.. Pts
terer at once concluded that peddler
named August Braun, alias Bosch, was
the thief, and that the woman who re-
presented herself as Mrs. P6sterer was
none other than Annie, August's wife.
Pfsterer says that Braun worked for
him during last harvest, and that a.
bout the time he first applied at the
Brown County Bank for loan he was
at Pfsterer's house, and no doubt i'm
proved the absence of the family IN the
hay field by taking q memorandum of
the notes. Having concocted scheme
to realize on them, he no doubt went
out early Monday morning and, secret
ed in the brush close by, awaited the
departure of the family into the field,
when he quietly walked into the house
and helped himself to the notes, q |
watch valued at $50 and pocket book
containing some small change. Mr..
Pfsterer is quite confident that the
theft was committed on the same day |
that the notes were presented at the
bank, as he placed his watch and pock
ct book in the bureau drawer that
morning. A visit to Braun's place of
residence in this city revealed the fact
that the birds had taken flight, the
house being locked up and contents re-
moved. At the depot:it was learned
that the pair had left the city on the
Monday evening train, ticketed to Chi
cago; also that they had with them
three large emigrant keesters.
And now Mr.. Ross, the cashier of the
Brown County Bank, began to put in