The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-12-29
Butte Department.
THERE WERE OTHERS
Quite q Number Of Merchants Oashed
Norman's Paper.
HOBBS is ONE OF HIS NAMES
Another Gang IL Doing a Holiday
Business In the Suburbs With
Old North Carolina
State Bills.
Is that w. s. Nash and Frank

1t seems that w. s. Nash and Frank
Boucher were not the only Butte mer-
chants who were fooled by Clinton
Hobbs. alias William Norman. who
went around In a workingman's suit,
and carrying a dinner pail to buy goods
and get forged checks cashed. One
merchant after another read the morn
ing Standard and then suddenly recol-
lected that they had cashed checks just
like that for the same kind of a man
themselves.
When Hobbs was arraigned in the po-
lice court yesterday there were a num-
Der of merchants present to see IL he
was the same man who came to them
with a similar check, and found that
their suspicious were correct Among
those in addition to Nash and Boucher
who were worked. were Bartlett Bros,
Mrs. Kipp, John Caplice & Co.. Cans
& Klein, Butte Cash Grocery. Henry
Nickel. Silver Bow brewery. Siegel
Clothing company, Kaufman Bros. Chi
cago Clothing Co. ana the Gallogly
Drug company. That Is 10 altogether.
and there are probably others also who
were worked. but IL so they have not
said anything about IL.
Norman used the begrimed face,
dusty clothes and dinner pail on them
all. and the checks were all for such
small amounts that he had no difficulty
until he struck Mr.. Nash. The checks
were all in three amounts, some of
them for $14.35, some for $14.65 and
some for 1855.
Civil suits were begun against Hobbs
yesterday by Nash. Bartlett Bros. and
Mrs Kipp. There is also plan to have
Hobbs cinched on each and every one
of the cases of forgery, in order that
he won't be quite so young when he
gets released from the penitentiary. 1t
is believed that there are two others
who operated with Hobbs. but they
managed to make their escape. Hobbs,
In Judge Turner's court, pleaded not
guilty to forgery, and will be tried on
Jan. g.
There is another gang that is operat-
Ing In Butte that people should be on
their guard against. This gang does |
not resort to highway robbery or for
gerry or larceny. but is none the less to |
be guarded against. 1t operates mostly |
in the suburbs and in dimly lighted |
places. The favorite victims are wo- |
men, The gang has secured a large |
bundle of bills OF S. and $40 denomina- |
tons They are not United States bills. |
nor are they counterfeits of govern
ment money, but they are quite easily
passed for government money. They
are old state bank bills issued in North
Carolina between 1858 and 1861. They
were called in long since. and are of
bills. They are. however. quite similar
to government bills. and for that rea-
son have passed very easily and none
of those disposing of them have been
caught at II. A half dozen of the bills
have come into the hands of the police
The victims had taken them to the
banks or elsewhere to, find that they
were no good. In most cases good mon
ey was given In exchange for the bills.
deducting a 10 or 25-cent purchase. IL
Is difficult to conclude what charge
should be brought against these state
bank operators . 1t is not a case OF
counterfeiting and the United States
will therefore have nothing to do with
II. The state bank bills are sold by a
New York green goods firm at 800 for
$40 OF good money.