Omaha daily bee., 1895-12-14
.BILKED WHOLE COMMUNITIES
Storm Lake. Cherokee, Sibley and Other
Towns Mourn Charming Liar,
TH0MPS0N'S WEAKNESS FOR WIDOWS
between Gettinaa Married, Joining
Church aud BorrowinE Money He
Finds Himself oyerworlScd and
So Takes a Vacation.

So "
CHEROKEE, Ia, Dec. l3.-(Spsctal)-
About a week ago an item appeared in The
Bee from Cherokee, stating that w. A.
Thompson, a resident Of this place, had
left home ostensibly to go to Kimball, S. D..
near which place he claimed to own a farm,
and as no word had been received from him
later than November H., 1t was supposed
that he had deserted his wife, whom he had
vowed to cherish and project, less than two
months before.
Some time during last March w. A.
Thompson appeared at Storm Lake. He has
a manly bearing, a striking appearance and
exceedingly smooth tongue, and he soon
worked into the coed graces of the citizens,
some of whom are now sorry that they have
seen and known him, in amount ranging
from 81 to S25. 1t was at Storm Lake that
he met and wooed Mrs. Mary Marston. a
modest and highly respected widow Of SO
summers. She was a member Of the Chris
tian church. in good standing, and quite pop
ular. Thompson became a regular attendant
of the Christian church, and during the
camp meetings that were held at the Lake
last summer he was converted, and with hot
tears of repentance coursing down his
wrinkled cheeks he knelt at the mercy seat
and asked to be received into the church.
| lie was ltHutTeu the right Hulu VI tllO
ship, and soon became an active member.
None could talk louder or pray longer, and
Thompson soon became a prominent figure
and the good people rejoiced at their for
tune in securing so ardent and sincere a
worker. In the meantime Thompson was
playing two other hands, one to win the
heart and hand of the prepossessing widow,
and the other to borrow as much money as
possible from his newly made friends. and
If reports are. true, he came out winner in
both games.
On the oath of September he shook Storm
Lake real estate from his feet and sought
new fields at Cherokee. The following day
the widow arrived, and that evening. Sep
tembsr 20, she and Thompson were married
in the parlors Of the Cherokee house, where
a Sc board bill remains unpaid. The min
lister who performed the ceremony received
81 for his services, with the promise of 81
more as soon as the draft came, which was
then overdue, and which is still coming, so
far as the minister knows.
HIS BUSINESS VENTURES.
Thompson at once opened a real estate
Office, occupying rooms with z. A. Well
man in the First National bank building,
the rent of which he did not pay. Under the
pretext that he owned property at Sioux
Rapids, in South Dakota. and at Harrington,
Neb., he succeeded in contracting numerous
bills with the local merchants. all of which
have since been checked as N. G., and figured
in with the annual allowance for charitable
purposes. He worked an undetermined
scheme to gain possession of the first house
he lived in at this place by securing the
key ostenslbly to look at the property with a
view Of purchasing 1t, and measuring the
rooms for carpet, providing he liked the
place. He was undoubtedly highly pleased
with the property, for he moved in on first
sight, and did not stop to measure rooms
for carpet until he was comfortably located.
The owner of the property did not know
Thompson had taken possession, for days
FL - Il ,I,y l1. IL Not nt,,v an,
the key. Upon being appraised of the fact
that he had a tenant, the landlord at once
| served notice on Thompson to vacate. The
| smooth deceiver at once negotiated with an
other real estate man, and bought a res
idenca on the inStallment plan, but fail5d
even to make the first payment before he
took his sudden departure, and the wife he
deserted is now compelled to take in washing
and do other hard work in order to pay $40
a month house rent and keep the wolf from
the door.
Mrs. Thompson is receiving letters by the
score from different fields in which her oily
mouthed husband operated prior to hsr ac-
quaintance with him, all Of which are ad-
dressed to him, and are eithsr duns for
board bills or borrowed money, and it Is sur
prising to know how successfully he has
carried out all of his swindl.ng schemes. AT
the Central house at Storm Lake is a board
bill! of s21.5O against him. At Harrington,
| Neb., is another amounting to $12. The land
lord of the Cherokee house at this place would
like to have him remit about Sc, while the
minister who tied the nuptial knot would be
| very thankful for the 81 due him for clerical
services. The bills mentioned are but a msra
item of the whole.
HAS TWO OTHER WIVES.
w. A. Thompson is at the present time a
much wanted man, not on account of his
board bills or delinquent marriage fees, but
b; causa he is twice or thrice a married man.
1t is now claimed that some time ago he
uEpopI and yvaHIa1 a cha rminp widow at Sjh-
Icy, Ia, Mrs. w. A. Scott, deserving her
shortly after. Rumor has it that he was
married once before and that his first wife,
whose whereabouts are not known, is still
alive and has not been divorced from Thomp-
son. II such is the case, the Sibley woman is
Mrs. T. No. 2 and the Cherokee woman No. 8.
Thompson Is also badly wanted at Sioux
Rapids, and If information from that place
can be relied upon, he will be indicted at the
next session of the grand jury for an Illegal
traL saction in a property deal, through false
pretenses and Misrepresentation He also
worked the borrowing graft to quite an ex-
tent at that place.
The day before leaving Cherokee Thompson
borrowed what money he could of his ac-
quaintanc,s, telling them that he had some
commission monsy on a lana deal coming in
a few days, and he would repay them when 1t
came. That night he kissed his wife goodby,
told her to be good to herself while he was
gene and that he would be back in a few
days. That was the last seen of him at
Cherokee, and since November 10, at which
time he left Harrington. Neb., as suddenly as
he left here, his wher abouts have been un-
known.
When asked by the reporter for her opinion
with regard to marriage being a failure, Mrs.
Thompson No. 3 said: 81 most emphatically
think it is, and | shall not venture it again.
My other husband was a drunkard and this
one is a d.vil, so you must know my life has
been miserable" When asked II she would
harbor Thompson should he return to her,
she replied in a very emphatic manner, that
she would not let him ,ent;r the house; that
hereafter she would Paddle her own canoe,
anI.if he dared come near she would scratch
his eyes out" 49,"
Grain Buyers Provoke Litigation.
WEBSTER CITY Ia, Dec. 13.-(Speclal