St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-26
A GRAIN sWINDLER CAUGHT.
A Telegraph Operator i'm DURANGO
for Forging Bills ofLading.

An intruder in male attire enioved the
sanctity of cell of the women's apartment
at the police station last night
and quietly rested on the plank
mattress with which the cell
is furnished. The person was J. c. Lowry,
Incorporating and otherwise agreeable
young man who up to six weeks ago has
been in the employ of the Omaha railway in
this city. At that time he concluded that
his share of this aworld's goods was not
coming quick enough aud conceived plan
of fastening it's approach. He accordingly
assumed the guise of a grain Spectator,
and under the fictitious name of
j. F. Barclay wrote to E. P. Bacon & Co.,
Milwaukee, stating that he had some nine
or more cars Of wheat at Luverne which he
wished to dispose of and asking for prices,
etc. A reply addressed to the above was re-
ceived, and he again wrote to Bacon & Co.,
saying that everything was satisfactory
and he would ship the grain in a few days.
A few days later the firm received another
letter from him with bills of lading for nine
cars of wheat enclosed in it. The bills
were signed by E. L. Chase, station agent
at Luverne. Another short wait and the
firm received another letter. asking for a
remittance of $500 on the consignment.
The firm
BECAME SLIGHTLY SUSPICIOUS
at this as there were no signs OF the wheat,
and they wired the agent at Luyerne to
know who j. F. Barclay was. AS no in
formation about him was given they wrote
to Barclay to send references.
Concluding that the scheme was getting
too interesting for him Barclay, OF rather
Lowry, suddenly disappeared. The facts
however were reported and the case placed
in the hands of Detective John O'Connor,
Lowry were identical, and that
the would-be swindler had been
none other than the quiet telegraph oper-
ator OF the Omaha railway at the Chestnut
street station. Where he disappeared to
was unknown until Saturday, when he
showed up in another crooked matter at
AmbOy, near Blue Earth City. This time,
however, he was ''pinched'' before
f, he had time to get away,
although working somewhat similar
scheme On the same firm. The only differ
ence was that he himself was known as
D. H. Dean. He then succeeded in pro-
curing S78S.11 on consignment and
leaving for Winnebago City. He was
however, not captured until ne got in Iowa.
When the deputy sheriff of Kossuth county
went IOf MIN ne agreed TO return. tie az
rived in Mankato Saturday night and was
escorted to ST. Paul yesterday.
When seen by a GLOBE reporter Lowry
refused to have anything to say. He does
not deny the crime, but is unwilling to say
why he did it. He is a young man proba-
bly, 25 years old, unmarried and without
friends or relatives in the West. He is
rather gOod-looking man, with quiet grey
eyes, dark hair and a red, round smooth
face. He is
AN EXPERT OPERATOR.
and fine penman. The gentlemen with
whom he worked all speak highly of him
and are puzzled to know why he committed
any misdemeanor, as he has been unusually
steady in his habits. During the few
months he has been in ST. Paul he
has occupied room on the corner
of Seventh and Chestnut streets
He has been in the employ of the Omaha
railway for some time having at one time
or another been stationed at several points
on the road. He will be arraigned in the
municipal court this morning, and will
probably waive examination. If he has to
go to Saltwater for his crime he says hs
wants to get there as soon as possible.