The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1896-01-17
e.. N. CLAIR X g..
NJ
The Real Estate Wan Skius the
Country. Leaving Behind Him
Large Number OF Creditors
and Some Very Pecuiiur:.
I1ansaCtiOns.

Considerable excitement was created
when it was learned that the real estate
and abstract books and Office of George
NJ Clark had been attached for claims
Among tho first to file claim was the
Merchants bank tor a protested draft,
which we understand has since been
pro ected This was followed by
claim of Mrs. l.. NJ. Gibson, for 5000,
F. E. PhlIeo for S6os, and I. 3. Devices
and other parties S4l5. Other claims
have since been coming to light,
amounting in the aggreS Sate.to thons-
ands OF dollars ard the. county has levied
upon Clark's households goods for back
taxes for number of years But the
worst feature Of the affair was brought
10 light when James M Brown Il Co..
Of New York, the firm for whom Clark
had been acting as loan agent sent
communication to the Roberts county
treasurer inquiring when certain war;
rants, numbered 510S .9-10-11, amount
ing to about $4,000, would be paid The
treasurer notified Brown a. Co. that no
such warrants had been issued by the
county, and the firm sent on the war
rants 10 Clark TO look the matter up and
see what was wrong, Before the ar
rival of the letters here Cla rk had gone
and the warrants were received by Mr.
Knapp, who was in charge OF the alb
stract books and were forwarded as per
letter to the Roberts county authorities
An examination OF the warrants easily
showed them to be forged. Signatures
seal and writing on the fraudulent pa
! per heing easily distinguished from a
genuine warrant. Even the date of the
warrants not being in harmony with the
time at which the commissioners held
their session. the warrants being dated
Dec. G., 1895 and the numbers OF the war
rants beiLg ln excess OF any tina: were
issued, orders having been issued only
TO the number 200. One other striking
feature ct the fraudulant paper was the
fact that the presented for payment
registry on the back, made by rubber
stamp, was altogether unlike the Roberts
county stamp, but was fac simile o. the
Grant county stamp. with the 'sGran,
county. 5. d. following the word ",reas-
urer' left off The Roberts county
authorities had miss ed page OF blanks
from the back part Of the warrant book
some time ago, and it was undoubtedly
these that we're filled out and sent on to
Brown 4 Co., and which thev purchased
The startling disclosures already made
give rise to suspicious that as Clark's
affairs nre further Investigated a woful
exhibition OF crookedLess may be ex-
posed. Time alone can tel! whether
these surmises will prove correct
Clark was the owner OF the only set OF
abstract books Of the county, and with
his loan and land business was general y
supposed 10 be doing a legiti mate and
profitable business, and it was to the
tact tina, his abstract books would have
/
books been destroyed at the time Of the
court house fire, that very strong sus-
picion was entertained by many that he
was IN some way connected with that
incendiary fire, and these suspicious it is
needless to say are not lessened by re-
cent disclosures. Clark left a day or two
before the attachments we're filed, osten-
sibly to take a position as travelling
agent for Brown g. Co, but since his
departure nothing has been heard from
him and nobody seems to know his
whereabouts. His wife and child went
east day or two before he left, and ii
WAS stated that she was to live in St.
Paul with friends while ,her husband
was on the road
Go to Erlandson 81 johnson for
Coon Skin coats. Will be sold regard