Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-06
GOT HIS GOOD MONEY.
An Erie County Man Insists He Was
Robbed by the Old Style
GREEN GOODS CONFIDENCE GAME.
Sudden End to a Suit for Damages Against
q Iunatie's Estate.
TIE NEWS OF The COUNTY COURTS

The trial of Q. D. Lowe, charged with de-
vising scheme and artlfce to defraud c.
Swetland by opening correspondence with
him through the postofice, took up the
greater part of yesterday in the United
States District Court
The witnesses In the case and the princi-
pals are mostly from Erie county and in and
about the vicinity of Cory. Clark Swet-
land is farmer living near Lake
Pleasant, and in March, 1891, was
swindled to the extent of $3.50 by,
he alleged, U. B. Lowe. This transaction is
said TO have been accomplished at James
town, y. Y. The testimony of SHETLAND
tells the tale of his trouble better than the
allegations in the Indictment, and it occu-
pied almost the entire day.
The preliminaries of the trial were ar
ranged in the morning. The defendant had
as his counsel ex-senator o. c. Allen, of
Warren. and ex-Congressman S NJ Brain
ard, of Erie District Attorney Lyon and
his assistant, Mr. Williams, conducted the
prosecution.
Swetland's Tale of Troubles.
Swetland was called to the stand in the
afternoon. He lives near Lake Pleasant,
and, as his testimony relates, he met Lowe
on the road 10 Cory during the early part
of March, 1891 Lowe pulled s. bill from
his pocket and told SHETLAND that he was ''in
that kind of business" Lowe said: How
does that suit you? If you want anything to
do with it come to Cory"
II met him in Cory at the depot" said
Swetland, 'and we had a conversation. He
gave me $40 bill as sample of his money,
and said that there was an over-issue of
ciaIs and that it could easily be
had and as easily disposed of.
took tine bill and was told bv Lowe to take
it to any bank and see if it would not be ac-
cepted. He then told me he would furnish
me with $. 700 for $780, l took the bill he
gave me rs a sample, and at three different
banks was told that it was good and that
could get SO in gold for it if wished. l kept
the bill and marked it. After had gone
home showed it to Frank Avery, a friend
of mine. l received prior to this letter
which l knew was from Lowe. l got the
letter at the postoffice." The letter is as
follows:
"CoRRr, March II, 1891
&C. swetland. Lake Pleasant, Erie, Pa:
"Wilson writes me that he was called home
by telegraph: saws he will explain when he
sees me. Think l can help you buy $500 of
goods If you will come to my house Sunday
next. will go with you Bnd help you pur-
chase. Shall be here Sunday. L. $685."
swetIand Lost His Money.
i his letter got aIUer naO Deen TO the
banks with the bill. i met Lowe before L
received it and he said he had written let
ter to me. / told him had not gotten it. 1
then went to the postoffice and it was there.
After other arrangements l started to
jamestown, where L was to meet Lowe and
get the money he spoke OF. had $40 when
left home. At Cory l met him and we
proceeded to jamestown. At a hotel where |
We stopped he registered and told me to say |
my name was :. 5. Smith. When we got to |
the clerks desk he asked. what is your |
nance L replied as he directed and he then |
signed my name lie took me to q room and |
locked the door. Early in the evening he |
admitted a man named Giggins, whom he |
said had the money, and Lowe told me to |
give him my money and Giggins would go |
out and get the goods. L said no, for have |
TO work too hard for nv money. We went |
out and l commenced to drink a little. 1 |
had not taken much and returned with
them to my room. laid down |
on the lounge and fell into a |
doze. 1t was nearly midnight |
when got up; Lowe was in the room with |
Inc, but Giggins had gone. felt in my |
pocket for my money, but it was gone. 1 |
said, Mr.. Lowe, you have robbed me- He |
said, NO, your money is all right, and be |
told me that when got Strengthened up the |
money would be returned. We started home |
together, catching the midnight train. He |
left me ut Cory. and INVENT on out to Lake |
Iathrop and were in together to get the |
s2,0O) $50 OF the $500 we borrowed from Mr.. |
Bisby."
Wouldn't Know Counterfeit Bill.
On cross-examination Swetland denied |
that he had ever been in the green goods |
business himself. He admitted that Lowe
had told him the bill he gave him was not |
counterfeit. This bill he had shown at the
Cory National Bank, the Citizens Bank and
the Union Bank at Union, Pa. The way
he marked the bill was by tearing It; subse-
Quently marking it with red ink. He left it |
Inen with Mr. Sproull. He denied that he
gave it to Sproull In u business transaction, |
The witness also admitted that he never saw
any counterfeit money in the possession of
Lowe, nor had he ever brought suit against |
Mr. Lowe. The attorney for the defense
tried to bring out of the witness that he was
merely trying to blackmail Lowe and by the
present proceedings to secure q large sum
of money from him. The witness denied
this, and also denied that he had ever told
Mrs. Griffiths, q boarding house keeper, that
he would make money out of Mr.. Lowe and
that a letter he had was worth $1,000 He
was also asked:
Didn't you accuse Wilson with being in
conspiracy with Lowe to do you out of
money!
Il did, replied Swetland
The witness did not know whether or not |
Iathrop's name was mentioned by Lowe |
one last ADMISSION was gained from the |
witness before he was permitted to retire
lie sald that he proposed to pass the money
he was to get from Lowe.
Thomas Markle testified that in March |
1881, he was clerk in the hotel 1t jamestown |
where Swetland says he was swindled The |
witness remembered the occurrence of
man telling another man his name was s. s.
Smith as they were about to register The
witness could not positively identity yester- |
day either Lowe or Swetland, but was al
most certain they were the men.
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