The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-27
BETRAYED By THE WIDOW.
Potter EIuded Detection Until
He Tried to Secure a
Wife.
SWindling Operations of the Rascal
Who Personated Deputy
Postmaster.

CHICAGO, I'LL, April ga. D. Potter,
who represented himself to be the Assist
ant Postmaster at Denver, and whose
arrest at Jackson, Mich, for swindling
various postmasters throughout the coun-
try was given in these dispatches last
night, got along very nicely until he began
to look for wife. In an evil hour he be-
came a patron of a Chicago matrimonial
agency and secured the addresses of sew
eral women who were advertising for hus-
bands. One Of these was Mrs Ida Champ
lin, a restaurant-keeper at Jackson, Mich.
Potter went there week ago and hunted
her up. They talked of matrimony and
after a few theater visits and moonlight
buggy rides the wedding was set for Sun
day next.
In one respect Mr.. Potter was sharp.
He made no attempt to swindle the Post
master at Jackson, but he did something
fully as foolish. He went to the postoffice
boldly and inquired about the woman he
was to marry. Secret Service Agent Chris
tan at once got tip that man closely re-
sembling the much-wanted Deputy Post
master from Denver" was in Jackson, and
he went there. His first visit was to Mrs.
Champlin, and from what she said he
satisfied himself the man was Potter. The
latter had taken a short trip out of town
and was not expected to return until yes
terday When the train arrived Christian
was at the depot with the Chief of Police,
and as Potter stepped off the car he was
arrested. AT first he made a great kick,
but finally admitted his identity and made
no further trouble.
The list of places at which Potter stopped
and made levies of from $40 to $25, begin
ming February until he was caught at
Jackson, is made up solely from COM
plants received by the Chicago postal au-
thorities, and as they are coming in every
hour it is likely that he found more vic
tins than the record shows. The record
is: Pekin, Ottawa, H.; Albion, Lansing,
Wayne, Kalamazoo, Mich; Harrisburg,
Penn; Hagerstown, n. D.: Trenton, n.
J.. Washington Courthouse, Ohio; Ston-
ington, Conn, and Louisville, KY.
For a long time Inspector Stuart was
baff1ed by the rapidity with which Potter
travelled about the country. He had his
description accurately. but could get no
trace of his having bought tickets at any
of the railway stations or scalpers' offices.
When the prisoners pockets were searched
the secret of his extensive and rapid travel
ing was discovered. His wallet was full of
railroad passes, all in his name, but given
on widely varying accounts.
Potter says he is railroad man and
served as conductor on the Denver and
Rio Grande. He answers descriptions of
the Potter who was arrested here last fall
on the charge of defrauding John NJ.
Smythe and other merchants by claiming
to be an Hawaiian Consul. The charge on
which Potter is held is ''impersonating an
officer of the Government with intent to
defraud' The punishment is a fine of
$1,000, imprisonment not exceeding three
years, or both, at the discretion of the
court.
What makes baking powder perfect ?
Purity, leavening strength and whole
someness. These are the qualities of DR..
Pripe'q