The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-03-15
Iowa on a Train, an Intercepted
Letter and a Case In
Court
w. q. Sutton Gets Into Trou-
BILE With the United States
Government.
While He 10 Hunting Bonds tho Other
Fellow 10 Paying Alterations ia
sho Woman.

ptAteA laws Oh uor ACCOUNT anu announcer
man is apparently willing TO marry her in
spite Of her career. The government of
the United States has gone to great expense
to prosecute q criminal case on her &C
count. And yet she is not q Venus. The
story runs thus:
Away back in Springfield, in tho state of
Missouri, there lived a little lady known as
Mrs. Ida Curling. She was petite, plump.
and we'll educated. When she was Miss
Ida Brown she was no doubt quite a pretty
girl. But the cares and anxiety of
a mother and the arduous duty OF ad-
ministering to the appetite of a
blacksmith husband, had somewhat eradi-
GATED the beauties OF girlhood, while leav-
ing behind the attractive features of ma.
tured womanhood. Blacksmith Curling
and his wife did not agree always or mat
tors of q domestic nature. Last summer
they separated. Steps were taken toward
procuring a divorce by the lady in the case.
She wanted to resume the name of Ida
!. Brown. Taking her 1O-year-old daughter
with her, she started for Tacoma. Had
she never done so. this story had never
been written.
On the train she met w. b. Sutton. He
Is a young gentleman of medium height,
WILL u . ucdus u upIlu CUulDlEXION ana AM
attractive name He ia a brakeman in
the employ OF the Northern Pacific railroad
aud was we'll thought OF by the officials.
This is evidenced by the fact that, though
he was employed on a freight train. he was
temporarily transferred to a passenger
Brown was travelling west on.
The great English author, Charles
Dickens, in his Little Dorrit. puts into the
mouth of one of his characters words to
this effect: I'm our path through life we
are constantly meeting those whom it is set
to do to us, and wha' it is set for us to do
to them, will all be done.'' 1t looks as il
the words of the great writer had been in
tended to forecast the future of w. r. SUIT
ton. of the Northern Pacific railroad.
Otherwise no would never have been in his
present unfortunate position. He is
charged with the grievous otfense Of having
receipted for and opened a registered letter
addressed to Ida Brown, written by another
man. Without going into the details of
the intermediate stages, it came about
thus:
lhe lady and the fascinating brakeman
She went on to Tacoma and later on to
Portland. He followed, having been as
signed to a job on that part of the road.
house. that of what is popularity known as
"a widow lady" to distinguish her perhaps
from what has never yet been discovered
a widow gentleman. Sutton did all that is
generally supposed a man in his position
should do; he paid the expenses and oc-
quite a. while. Meantime a former ad-
mirer, James b. Cook, a barber by profess
sion, had followed her west. Heawent to
Tacoma. There he learned she had gone
to Portland. He wrote to her. No
suit. Then he instituted inquiries
and found there was another man in the
case. He suspected that his letters were
being tempered with. So his next letter
was registered. Before it arrived in Port
land the lady had flown. She had tired of
her %quondam admirer and had gone back
to Springfield while Sutton was out on the
road. When he returned he found one of
the regular blanks. of the registry division
of the postoffice notifying him that a letter
was awaiting Miss Brown at the postofice.
from Ida Brown to the effect that he was
to be given the letter. This was just what
Cook was waiting for. He had been in the
secret service of the government and knew
a thing or two. He put the case into the
hands of the authorities. 1t was turned
who has charge Of this department.,
and who is one Of the brightest men en-
gagged in this branch Of tie government ser.
vice. Inspector Watkins located Sutton
and arrested him on the train at Elliston.
He was placed in charge of United States
his preliminary hearing was set to take
place before Commissioner Kinsley, at his
office.
Sutton was there. So was Cook, who had
come from Butte, where he ID now loca ed,
So was the woman in the case. She had
hearing, however, was postponed from
afternoon until night. In the intervening
time both lovers had some serious talk with
Miss Brown. Cook, who is a small man,
was not so pressing in his attentions as SUIT
ton. The latter, who had by this time
SO worked on the feelings of the lady that
she was really sorry for him and deter
mined to help him ont of his scrape. He
had also been informed that the woman
was married. a fact which he was not
previously aware of. When told of it he
she had been married but was now free, or
would be as soon as the decree OF divorce
went into effect, which would be in about a
month.
The hearing came of at night. MIR.
Ohm M: Mcdonald represented the govern
District Attorney Weed. G. G. Newman
appeared for sutton. After Cook had
testified to the facts as already stated about
tue letter. Miss Brown was put on the
stdno. linen she acted just like q
m She tried to shield the man.
She testified that Sutton had fire.
quently gotten her mail from the
postoftice, and read her letters. She
thought under the circumstance he was
justified In signing for her registered Letter,
and hls action in that matter met with her
approval. Still it was not by her authority,
though it was by her consent. that he aid
SO,
Sutton was examined in his own behalf.
He testified that Miss Brown had told him
she was looking for money from her
mother. When the registered letter cam Q
he thought it was the one she was looking
for and thought if 30 he would p it and
forward its contents with some clothes
which she had left in the hurry of her de-
parture, He felt justified i'll doing this on
account of their friendly relations. When
cross-questioned he said he had written
the order for the letter in n fem
mime hand 80 as TO be able to
get it without any trouble. He had
no intention ~ pryirg into her secrets and
thought he was justified in doing as he did.
Lawyer Newman moved to dismiss the
case on the ground that the government
had failed to establish a case, ms it was ap-
parent Sutton had the privilege of examin-
ing Miss Browns mail. 1t was a lovers
affair and one of them had got left and was
the baby net and asking the gov
eminent to take his part. He suggested
that the prisoner and tho woman get mar
ried and the whole aifnir end in a love
feast.
.Commissioner Kingsley said IL was a very
plain matter OF law that any person who
takes AnOther's letter with tho intention tn