, 1889-03-26
AVERY SMOOTH SOLDIER
Private Grant of Fort Laramie a
Bold SWindIer.
He EmuIates Eminent Eastern Ex-
chequer Eradicators
Hits the Trail With the Cold Coin
of C0nfiding Comrades.
Special Dispatch to the Leader.

Special Dispatch to the Leader.
Fort LARAMIE. March ga mem
Der of a batch of recruits reaching this
post fifteen months ago was a progresses
ing young man who gave the name Of
James Grant. He was a native of Vir-
ginia, but enlisted at the Baltimore, Nd,
recruiting station.
Being a man of superior intelligence
and gentlemanly address, Grant gained
the admiration and respect of all with
whom he came in contact. lie had
scarcely been here a month when he was
promoted to corporal on the recommends
ton of an officer who had known him as a
schoolmate in Virginia. Gaining the
confidence of Chas. Rosking, a Jew, who
had by tour years of economy and extra
duty" amassed about 500, he induced
the thrifty Hebrew to engage in a general
mercantile and banking business on a
small scale with Rosking's capital, ~loaning
money to the soldiers at 20 per cent inter
est from one payday to the next and keep
in stock and sell anything from a pipe to a
suit of clothes.
In time the Shylocks induced comrades
and others, by the promise OF 10 per cent
interest per month, to deposit with them.
and many of the saving ones who had
laid aside a few hundred were induced to
take their money out of banks and other
investments and deposit with the Grant
& RoskinG banking house.
Everything apparently moved serenely;
obligations were met, interest paid IN de
posts and the business developed into
immense proportions. Mr.. Hunton, the
post trader, did not interfere with the
mercantile business, but rather reioiced at
Grant's success as he had some acquaint-
ance with the mans people in Vir-
ginia.
After the soldiers at last salary day
had paid to Grant the money previously
borrowed, he declined to place more loans,
although his partner believed hat he
had again loaned the usual sum of about
81, 200.
On the morning of the oath Corporal
Grant was reported absent" and it was
soon learned that he had decamped. A
party was sent to Dutch Henry Ritter
ling's road ranch to see if Grant was
there, but Henry informed the party that
Grant had been there the previous even
ing and borrowed a pony, saying he
wanted to ride him to the post In order
to reach their in time for tattoo in the
early morning, promising to return with
the pony after tattoo.
Grant hit the trail for Hartville, where
he hired a citizen to return his mount.
he was seen near Lusk this morning.
kilograms have been sent advising his
arrest, both as a deserter and a swlndlers
The worst victim of his thievish proceed
ure is his partner, Chas. Rosklng. but his
irredeemable cussedness was made mani
fest in ~absconding with money borrowed
from an old schoolmate. Another victim
was a sober, economical soldier who had
saved 5000; another $3.50, and so on down
to IS, ~aggregating at least s I,5O0. 1t
was a bold, high-handed swindle from
first to last, and the party who may cap
ture him will no doubt be well rewarded.
Grant is apparently about 2S years old.
of medium height and size, large grayish
blue eyes, high, full forehead partly bald,
heavy eyebrows, scar on chin, dark brown
hair, fair complexion. He had a heavy
dark brown mustache when he deserted,
and is probably now dressed in citizens
clothes. Notwithstanding his good looks
and pleasant address there is something
in the expression of his eyes and contour
of countenance which show an absence of
trankness and honesty.