St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-06-06
jim BALDWIN WANTED.
A TRAKELi+C MAH KH0 PASSED
FORCED CHECKS
IN HIS BEST FRIENDS.

Among Those Who Were Caught
on the Spurious Paper Are
George Merritt, j. c. Josylin
and Charles Jacoby-Baldwin
Has left the City, and They
Are DESTROYS Of Seeing Him.
j. B. Baldwin, a well-knOwn travel
ing man of this city, is missing, and
number of his friends would like to
know where he has hidden himself.
There is story in connection with his
disappearance that is interesting, yet
extremely sad, for it shows how good
fellow" has gone wrong through drink
and gambling. For number of years
Jim" Baldwin has represented various
liquor and tobacco houses, and has al
ways been considered splendid sales
man. He was known about town as
'hot boy aud a man who always
spent his money"
Last Tuesday. May 80, he presented
himself at George Merritt's saloon, at
253 Hennepin avenue, and asked Mr..
Merritt TO cash a check for him. Mr..
Merritt was one of his best friends, and
had no heSitancy in giving him the
money OH the check. He saw the man
had been drinking, so he advised him to
take only part of the money and came
in the next day and get the rest of it.
Early the next morning he came III and
got the remainder OF the money. The
check was for Sl4 90. drawn OH the Irish
American bank and signed by +. G.
Commerford.
This Commerford is book agent
and has an Office in the Cullen block"
said Baldwin in reply to question by
| Merritt.
Some time during the next day after
passing the check lie clme into the sa-
loon and begged the bartender to see to
it that the check was not presented at
| the bank. Commerford had no money
in the bank, he said, or rather he had
/ Overdrawn his account, and II Merritt
| would keep the check away from the
bank for short time he would get the
| money ana take 1t up himself. MIR.
| Merritt, however. took the check to the
| bank, together with other collateral
| which he wished to deposit, and was
! told that 1T was no good. COmmerford
| was not known at the bank, and had
never been il drpoSitor.
A little inquiry revealed the fact that
| Co.nmertord was myth and that the
check was forgery. IL developed also
| that several business men aside from
Mr.. Merritt had checks signed by the
| same mythical book agent. Among
them were j. Z. Josylin, the cigar dealer
at the corner OF NicOllet avenue and
| Third street, and Charles Jacoby, the
cigar dealer, whose place of business Is
next door 10 that Josylin. The former
had check tor s94O and MIR. Jacubv
! enc for $1,000. The checks were the
same as the one taken by Merritt. 1t
was decided by the three gentlemen
that Baldwin had forged the checks
and passed them on his friends.
When Baldwin came into Merritl's
place later in the day he was accused
by The proprietor of having forged the
check. He did not deny 1t. but stated
that lie would see that the matter was
fixed up. That evening he sought out
a friend and told him of what be had
done and that he intended to run away.
| The friend advised him 10 stay and
promised to see him the next morning
and give him enough money to take up
the checks. Baldwin replied;
'rll come around if don't decide to
skip out. Merritt and the others have
it in for me and l guess the only thing
can do is to get out"
The next morning he failed to come
| around, having left the city on the same
night he was discussing the matter
with his friend. Neither OF the three
victimiZed meh cared to prosecute the
matter, so they agreed to wait until
they heard from Baldwin. Saturday
Mr.. JOsylin received letter from him
dated Duluth, IN which he said: For
God S sake don't do anything about this
matter until l come to minneapolis Mon
| day. L will come down and straightel
the matter all up; so if there is war
| rant sworn out for me nave it dropped"
1t was decided to wait until Monday:
| but when that day arrived Baldwin did
net. He has failed to put in all appear.
! ance up to date, and will be prosecuted
| if he can be found. 1t is likely war
| rants will he sworn out for his arrest
! today.
Baldwin has wife and a daughter
| living in fiat at the corner of Chicago
| avenue and Tenth street. He has also
two sisters in the city who are school
teachers. Drink and gambling are said
to be the causes of his downfall. 10 the
friend referred to he stated that he had
lost at gambling and could get no more
hoHSy. liz Hiduc w uiS Huillu LuaI ue
could pass the cheeks and win enough
to pay them up before it was discovered
what he had done. Several years ago
he was the agent for Conrad, the cigar
manufacturer. He turned up $500
| short, and escaped prosecution because
his family raised the money to make up
the defalcation. At various times dur
ing the past few years he has been en-
ployed as salesman for j. c. Oswald, the
wholesale liquor dealer. and S. G.
Palmer, the fruit dealer He has a
brother, Otto Baldwin, who is well
known in Duluth as an attorney.