The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-03-01
ANOTHER CHARGE VS. GRANT
He Is Now Accused of BEING a Bold
F0rger BY the Citizens
Bank.
A Deed of Record Bearing Sew
eral Forged Sigma
lures.

The strong arm of the law is slowly
but surely getting its clutch on U. S.
Grant, who was last week held to the
Grand Jury charged with stealing
wheat from the granary of OIL. Smith.
1t is the old story of criminal with a
heavy weight of guilt on his mind,
giving him no rest day or night, and
finally taking some one into his conf
dence, dropping slight hint here
and there, (which arouses the suspicion
of the friend, aud at last justice Sc
cures its victim. Such is the case with
Grant,who is charged with the offense
of forgery in the first degree. The
evidence was unravelled, little by lit
tle,unti] there is not shadow of doubt
but that Grant is the guilty party.
Late in January, 1893, James G..
Duffield applied to the Citizens Bank
for loan and gave them mortgage
for 5000, which was to be held as col
lateral security until he could get a
mortgage signed by his wife, on the
land, which he claimed he owned ,hav-
ing two deeds, which made perfect
chain of title to him. The record
showed the land in the name of Alzina
Wylly,. on one of the deeds to John
Black by Mrs Wylly, and the other
one from Black to Duffeld, each being
for $4,000. The mortgage was execut-
ed in favor of the Citizens Bank for
1000 and everything appeared per-
fectly straight. The Bank appointed
D. L. Bigham to examine the land,
but he was delayed for few days on
account of the bad condition of the
country roads at that time. Dufield
appeared very anxious to obtain the
money. and at this time CA. Francois
8 Co. garnisheed the Bank for bill
which Dufield owed them. This caused
him to leave for parts unknown. In
the meantime it was learned that John
Ellis, of Lamberton, claimed to have a
contract on the land and he began
suit in the district court to obtain the
deed from the Bank proving that the
deeds were forged. The suit was
brought before Judge Webber at New
Ulm and Ellis won. Since then he has
lost the contract, which was claimed
was given him by Alzina Wylly
When the Bank learned of the con-
tract held by Ellis investigation was
at once instituted by Assistant Cashier
Turrell, who suspected that the mort
gage they held was forged. 1t was
evident that Duffeld had two or three
accomplices and he was mot suspect
ed of forging the deeds. Later de-
velopments showed that Duffeld and
Grant went to Morton where they ap-
peared before Justice McNevin and
requested him to make out deed to
piece of land lying in the southern
part of Redwood county, claiming he
was authorized by his mother, Mrs
Wylly, of Minneapo,is,to sell the land
to Duf6eld. The deed was made out
by Justice McNevin signed by Grant,
representing himself as John Black
The signature was witnessed by Jos,
Smith, of Morton. A week ago
Wednesday evening while Grant was
in the custody of Deputy Sheriff
Barnes Justice McNevin and Joseph
Smith, the witness, drove over to this
city for the especial purpose of identi-
flying the forger. The minute they saw
Grant they swore he was the person
who appeared before them as John
Black, thus giving the strongest proof
that he was the guilty one who signed
. fictitious name of some unknown
person. The Bank next endeavored
! to obtain some writing Of Grants to