Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1886-09-11

A Topeka Rogue Commits Bigany and
EInbezzIeuneut


EmbezzIemeut.
TOPEEA, KAN, August SI.-Mr. and
Mrs. i. Aartneau since last fail have
been keeping a hotel and lodging house
at the corner Of Fourth and Jefferson
streets. Mr.. and Mrs. Aartineau had a fam
lily, among the members OF which was q
beautiful II year cid daughter. A IS has been
before said, the worthy couple conducted a
boar ding house. and their domestic affairs
ran along smoothly until last April.
About the hrst day Of that month young
man of hne, prepcssessing appearance drop
ped in at the boarding house and asked the
price of board. A satisfactory rsDlv being
given he at once engaged board, giving the
name OF Frank y. Byron
Shortly after this he obtained work a
Taft & Curdy's dry goods establishment on
Kansas avenue as g clerk and for a time
was satisfied to sell silks and ribbons TO
TOpeka's fair girls. But this was not long
to be so. The beauty of the young lady re-
fsrrsd to above, Miss Florence Cooley. who
is a step dauguteE Of Ar. MartIneau. at once
captured the heart Of the giddy Byron-at
least ne claimed 50. He paid her all those
little attentions which so caPtivats the ten
der sex and at length proposed to her and
was accepted.
The day of the wedding was finally set on
July 8. Rev. Richard Eilerby, Of the Epis-
copal church OF this city united the couple
in marriage.
About six or seven weeks prior to this
Messrs. Taft 81 Curdy had promoted Mr..
bOokkeepeF, giving him full charge Of their
cash and accounts.
On July Z, two days after his marriage,
Mr.. Byron went to his p-fathar-in-laW,
Mr. Martineau5 and requested that he 60 on
his bond for good behavior to Msssrs. Taft
q Curdy in the sum Of $4,000. Mr.. Martin
eau was at first inclined not TO accede to
this rather remarkable request but finally
did so. He supposed that 1t vas mere
matter of form. He signed the bond.
Nothing more was thought Of the matter
until July 8, the bond being given on the 9TH
instant.
On July 9, Mr.. Byron and his bluahing
bride left for the east with the best wishes
Of all their friends.
On the morning Of July 10, Mr.. Taft put
in an appearance at the Vermont house and
asked for Mr.. Byron.
he was informed that the gentleman ac-
companisd by his wife, had departed for the
east on a bridal tour.
This somewhat aroused the suspicious Of
MaTtineau, and he at once started out to in
vesugete and learn what he could Of his new
son in-laW. His frst revelation was indeed
enough to stRgger him.
The night before Byron left he gave his
father-in-laW a check on the Bank of Topeka
for $500, simply, as he said, as a guarantee.
Mr.. Martineau at once went to the bank to
ascertain il the check was good. He was
soon to learn that it was not worth the
paper il was written upon. Byron had not
cent in the bank. But this
dences which Martneau was about TO have
brought before him of the dupiCity and vii
lainy Of his new sOn-in-laW.
He soon learned that he had violated the
confidence imposed in him by his employ
srs and bondsmen, and had embezzled from
them 500. As he was directly responsible
for this money he at once placed the infOr-
nation in the hands of officers. Marshal
Sherman sent kilograms to Chicago and
other cities, but without avail.
1t developed the fact that when he mar
ried Florence Cooley he committed bigamy,
for he had another wife living at the time
from whom he was not divorced. 1t also
demonstrated the fact that he was a slick
seOundrel. He had succeeded in thorough
ly dsCsiVing a fair, pure, girl a loving
mother and father and q cautious, CONSERVE
tive business man.
It seems that Byron is a French Canadian
and that his parents live in Ontario. He had
thoroughly established a reputation IN the
Canadian possessions before he came here
as a slick thief and rascal without a peer.
He is wanted in Quebec and in other places
in the province for embeZzlement.