, 1891-03-03
TWO WEEKS IN JAIL.
The Weeks Brothers Arrested by
United States Officers.
They Offer Pianos for the Small
Sum of $40.
A fraudulent Lottery Scheme
hipped In the Bud.

Two smooth young crooks were arrested
in the cheyenne postofice Yesterday by
United States Marshal Rankin and
Deputy Carr for frsudulently using the
United States mails.
The arrest was made in compliance with
a telegram from Postofice Inspector Law
renee of Denver, who informed the officers
that the men were wanted and would ap-
ply for mail under the name OF Weeks"
When the two inquired at the general de-
livery yesterday for mail they were given
a slip advising them that there was mail
for them in the registry department. As
they went back to the registry window the
officers, who were near at hand, we're no.
titled and made the arrest.
The men, who gave their names as J.
]. aud H. II. Weeks, were placed 10 jail
aud are held to await the arrival OF In
spector Lawrence who is expected from
Denver this morning.
The scheme the men have been work
ing is an exceedingly clever one and has
been verv successful in Denver, Pueblo
and other Colorado points. The prelim-
mary work onlv has been done IN Chey-
enne. and the harvest, which no doubt
would have been a rich one, has been
bliRhted b, the action of the officers.
The men worked for the Pierce Patent
Piano company of Omaha. They visited
the homes of people In the towns il
which they intended operating and asked
for the full name aud address of the head
of each family. They said the Pierce
Patent Piano company made a frst-class
piano and wished for the purpose of ad-
veitising the instrument to give away at
least three pianos in a city the size Of
Cheyenne. To determine who should be
the fortunate recipients of their generosity
they proposed giving each family 10 the
city a card on which was a number.
When all were supplied a drawing would
be held at the companY's Office and the
three persons holding the lucky prize
plumbers would receive cash a mag
%niioent piano. No charge was made
for the ticket, all that was wanted being
the address and name of the holder. In
this city a large number of names have
been collected and last week 800 addressed
envelopes were sent BY express to the
home office in Omaha. The remainder
Of the plan as worked In others places
would no doubt have been carried out had
1t not been for yesterdays arrest. The
envelopes would have been mailed at
Omaha. When received here each person
receiving one would find that it contained
a%notice that his number had been one Of
the lucky ones and had drawn a piano.
A document purporting to be a Union
Pacific shipping receipt for one piano
would be enclosed, also a note saying that
the piano would be shipped from the
Omaha freight Office as soon as $40
charges for drsyage and packing were re-
ceived. Ten dollars is a small price for a
piano and $40 notes would have showered
copiously into the treasury OF the Pierce
Patent Piano company. At least they
did from Pueblo and Denver. and in such
quantities that the mails were burdened
with registered letters for the piano
company until the suspicious of the post
Office inspectors were aroused aud the
scheme discovered.
The men arrested say they are brothers;
that they we're innocent Of any wrong do
ing, being merely hired by the month to
collect addresses. write them on envelopes
which they were to send to Omaha, not
knowing what they. contained. They
we're hired bv an Omaha and Denver
man. The name of the Denver man is
Weeks, another brother; that of the
Omaha nan they have forgotten.
The story told by the two men Is very
lame and there ia do doubt but a strong
case will be established against them. The
penalty Is severe and the Weeks brothers
can look forward to an extended residence
in the ne~nitentiarv