Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-10-12
CHARGED With FORGERY
A Pompous Foreigner Passes
Large Checks on Hell
ena Gamblers
Arrested Yesterday in Butte
and Destined for Helena
This Morning.

From Thursdays Daily. e
There arrived in this city yesterday
morning from Helena q rather pompoua
man Of sturdy build. fine attire, long curly
hair and of unmistakable foreign origin.
The mar was driven to the McDermott
hotel, where he asked for and was assigned
to oneof the best rooms in the house.
His OF manner was noticed by
the clerk, but "a night out with the boys''
was thought to be accountable for that.
He registered az "N. L. Lonick, N. D.,
New York.
The stranger walked down to the heart
Of town and In the course Of the forenoon
wandered into the Crystal gambling house
ON the corner Of Main and Park streets.
He inquired for T. M. Lowry the resident
partner Of the firm, and learned that the
gentleman wal out OF the city on a hunting
trip.. Then he asked for and introduced
himself to Chef Small the manager Of the
place. To him he presented a letter to Mr..
Lowry from "Beck" Hamilton, the Helena
partner OF the firm. Mr.. Small read the
letter-one of the Introductory and conf
dence inspiring kind-and welcomed the
stranger. At the same time that Mr.. Lonick
was ~discoursing fuently and in his
grandiloquent name about matters and
things in general, Mr.. Snall's eye fell upon
: a telegram to Lowry. 1t had been placed
in the frame of the back-bar mirror. The
dispatch was opened by Mr.. Small and
1901 thereafter there was An imperceptible
GOODNESS between the host and b estranger,
all because the message, which was from
Mr.. Hamilton, warned Mr.. Lowry against
Lonick, declaring that individual to be a
fraud. Il became evident therefrom that
the stranger would try some OF his fraudu.
lent work, whatever it might be. Uncon-
scious OF what was in store for him, Lonick
sat in at one Of the faro games and made
what, to an ordinary man, would
have been "a very good win
ning-about 500 or 30. While
the well dressed German was deeply en-
gagged in avoiding the claws OF the striped
feline, Deputy Sheriff Nichols entered the
place, whispered a few words to the man
ager and then informed Loniek that he
was under arrest. The latter was greatly
agitated but made no resistance and az
companied his captor. With the deputy
was Under Sheriff Walker of Helena. The
trio went to the county Jail and one OF the
party remained there.
The cause OF Lonick's arrest was a tele-
gram from Under Sheriff Walker to Sheriff
Lloyd, reading az follows:
ARREST N. l.. Lonick; fine dressed, dark
curly hair, blonde dropping mustache; 8
feet 8 inches; It's pounds; representing
German syndicate; speaks broken English
and German; OF New York; also newspaper
correspondent; wore black silk tile, black
dress suit, Prince Albert coat, silver cane;
forgery; warrant issued"
The crime of which Lonick is accused is
forgery, as the telegram stated. Last Mon.
day, as near al could be learned, he landed
in Helena. At the hotel at which he
stopped he represented himself as the agent
OF q German syndicate that had $12, 000,-
600 to loan on American securities and
properties. His appearance and language
tended to verify his statement. Elsewhere
in Helena he called himself a travelling cor
respondent Of che New York Herald. Last
Monday night he happened into John
Hardwick's Exchange" and played faro.
He lost. That he might continue the play
be cashed for him. The check bore
what purported to be the certifica-
ton of the cashier of the bank upon
which it was drawn-the Second National
OF New York City. Its apparent genuine
ness induced Mr.. Hardwick to cash it.
How much OF the $3.50 Lonick blew in
against the game does not appear. Any
way, Lonick went the same night to Nc
Laughlin's club room and again played
faro, this time, too, with poor success.
When his ready cash had disappeared he
van,oakol NJ pnslt0n n,a ~ kha .orkI
ners, to cash q check for him, and that
partner permitted him to play with no
limit except his conscience and the ceiling,
until about $1,000 was IN The check,
which had served as q protection for
Hamilton, was for 81, 500, and, like the
one giveu to Hardwick, was drawn on the
Second National of New York and certified
by the cashier, to all appearances. Lonick
quit the game after he 'lose" the
thousand.
When Hamilton banked his winnings |
yesterday morning at the First National
OF Helena the check was in the
doodle" The cashier Of the bank was
afraid that, the money having bsen lost in
a gambling game, Lonick would stop the
payment OF the check and involve both |
Hamilton and the bank in annoyance. l
Hamilton was not afraid. BE endorsed
the paper n was gwen credit for the face
OF it. But the cashier was uneasy, and
wired the Second National Bank Of New
York city. telling the amount and number
OF the check, the name OF the payer and
and that What purported to be the
Of the cashier adorned the
collateral. The reply was short il not
sweet, and to the effect that the paper was
in every sense spurious and the names were
This is why Mr.. Lonick slept last night
the jail OF Silver Bow county, why Under
Sheriff Walker will take him to Helena in
the morning, and why there is marked op-
pusite Lonick's signature on the McDer.
mott register, IN. E." which being inter.
oreted meaneth mo entertainment"
pHONRTyC SpETITNa