The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-07
j. I'd. PRICE THINKS I'D. lib. BI4ANDIN
SMOOTH AND PERHAPS DIs-s
HONEST.
ST. ANTHONY PARK GROCER
LENDS MONEY, ACCEPTS PAY BY
TAKING A CHECK THAT WAS
WORTHLESS,
GIVING BACK BALANCE IN CASH
Then Accepts u Sioux CITY Draf4 CO..
liz All Again Advancing Coin
for the Difference.

). b. Price, the proprietor of a groa-
cry store at No. 1855 Hampdan avenue
st. Anthony Park, undoubtedly ms
seSses one OF the most cOnfiding ma.
lures with which mortal was ever en-
dcWed. His confidence has cost hin,
just $lO2.54. He may get it back and
then he may not The person who so
rudeIy shocked his confidence is a for
ner customer, B. B. Blandin Now that
ne mas had an awakening, Mr.. Price IS
seeking the arrest Of Blandin, and ap-
plled to the county yesterday for q
warrant Tor this purpose. 1t was too
late Tor the issuance Of the warrant,
but the complaint was drawn UP, and
as the offense charged is a felony. the
Prior avenue police were instructed to
proceed in the matter without a war
rant.
The story Of the alleged swindIiDe
operation is almost pathetic. According
to Mr.PIice he has known Blandin since
last spring, when the latter took I'D
MS residence at the park and began
trading at Prices store. Their BUSH
ness relations were pleasant, and. con-
sequently, when one day last week
Blandin asked Mr. Price for a tempor-
airy loan Of $40, the obliging storekeep-
er handed him a crisp new bill. sitting
all protestatiOns Of thanks with a, kind
ly glance from his mild blue eyes.
Several days later, according to Mr..
Price, Blandin visited the store, apolo-
gized for not having before paid the
loan, and rendered him a check for
$37.4O on the First National Bank of
Minneapolis. The check was made
payable to Blandin and purported to
be drawn by Frank A. Larsen. While
Mr.. Price was looking at the check
BIandin remarked to the effect that it
was too bad that he had allowed the
loan to run as long as he did, but. if
Mi. Price would take his SO out OF
the check everything would be all
right. Mr.. Price did so. He also re-
turned Blandin $27.4O The check was
deposited in the Merriam Park bank,
where Mr.. Price transacted his bust
ness, and two days later came back
marked mo account" Mr. Price was
for brief moment moved by a. tremor
of suspicion, and when he tried to To-
cate Frank A. Larsen in the Mime
apolis directory, failed to find any such
pO1oO ne WSuI 10 bIdnQlnS nome
and appraised him of the situation.
well, 1 declare! That's too bad"
Blandin is said to have remarked, but
I'll see to it that you do not lose any
money by me-"
Forthwith Mr. Blandin made a dive
for his inside pocket, remarking at the
same time that he had just received a
letter from his father ]. B. BIandin, of
Sioux City, To-, advising him that
a nj nT1in r
by draft for 500. Again Mr.. Prices
Wavering faith in his customer re-
turned. While it was returning Blan-
din neglected to show the letter from
his father, but in a few moments he
and Mr. Price were on the way to the
Bank Of Merriam Park, where in the
absence of any printed drafts, one was
drawn up by the cashier in writing on
J. B. Blandin, of Sioux City, To-, for
500. The accommodating grocer then
deducted SAT 40 from the value of the
draft and returned Blandin $50 So
Blandin owed Mr.. Price a grocery bin
Of about $40, and when he began talk
ing about settling this they left the
bank together. Mr.. Prices magnani-
nous spirit got the best Of him. fort
unately, 1t afterwards proved, and he
offered TO call the bill square for S15
The deal was closed and Mr. Price
went home to upbraid himself for ever
QOuptlng his customers intentions.
Tuesday the 500 draft came back from
Sioux City, accompanied by the state
ment that J. 3. Blandin was out OF
the city, and it could not be honored
Then he became suspicious, and at
once started on a hunt for Blandin
Frequent visits to his house for several
days only elected the information from
his wife that he was out of the city
and then Mr.. Price decided to tell his
troubles to a policeman" Chief GOss
referred him to the county attorney,
and Assistant County Attorney ZolI-
man requested the authorities to effect
Blandin'S arrest