The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1897-12-16
FOOLED THE CON MEN
TWO SMOOTH RASCALS CAUGHT
AT THEIR OWN GAME
REV. RoBLEE CALLS THE TURN
Men Lured to the District Attorneys Of
flee and Given Good Fright After
Which They Make Good Their
Escape.

The large number of crooks and
swindlers who have been making Ke-
nosha their headquarters for some time
past will probably now seek fresh
fields and pastures new.
The reason for this much deserved
exodus was the strange fix in which
two of their class found themselves
shortly after noon today. The men
struck the city this morning and from
their looks and methods CT action are
about as smooth swindlers as one could
usually run across. When they reached
the city they made a list of the minis
tiers in the town and started out to
make their board and keep in truly
original manner, They went first to
the NEWS Office and enQuired for the
minister of the Swedish Lutheran
church and when they were informed
as to the whereabouts of this gentle
man they lett the Office and forthwith
the fun began. 1t is supposed that the
Swedish minister lived too far away,
for short time later they went to the
residence of Rev l. W. Corey, of the
Baptist church, and representing
themselves as Baptists they strung off
long story of trials and hardships,
claiming that they had just been liber-
ated from the state prison at Waupun
and asking the minister to assist them
in some way until they could find a
x>F Win
minister took compassion on them and
gave them % cents, but when they
went away he thought he noticed a
merry little twinkle in their eyes; so he
followed them and was not surprised
when they went into the first saloon
they struck and came out smoking and
laughing over their good luck. The
minister retired in disgust, but the
men who had given their names as
Fred E. Hawkins and Chas. Harris,
thought they had found a good thing
and concluded to push it along. They
finished smoking their cigars and then
went to the manse for conversation
with Rev. Roblee. Now this minister
these schemes worked, and when they
told them that they were COngrega-
tionalists and wanted bel , he seemed
to be deeply interested in their misfor-
tunes and promised to give them a
letter to the clerk of the church, who
had in charge a fund for just such cases
as this The men we're delighted and
waited anxiously for the letter, which
was as follows:
A E. Buckmaster, church clerk
Dear Brother:-These are the two
young men l was telling you about.
Do what you can for them.
Fl. S. RoBLEE.
The minister gave the men the
letter and told them that he would
see the clerk and tell him about
the case and when the con men
left it was the minister who
had the merry twinkle in bis
this time. AS soon as the men were
gone he hunted up the district attorney
and Rev. Corey, and assuring them
selves that the men were swindlers
they concluded to have fun and laid
their plans accordingly.
Rev. Roblee had told the men to call
on the clerk" shortly after dinner,
and at l o'clock the minister and Mr..
Buckmaster and the News reporter
awaited their arrival. Not suspecting
that the minister was too smooth for
them, the men came into the trap in
fine shape and Mr.. Roblee went into
a neighboring Office to await results.
The men presented the minister's
letter and declared that all their ances-
tors back several generations had been
devout Congregationalists, and ended
their harrangue by asking for aid.
Here was the attorneys chance and he
turned the game on them by asking
them about the quarter they had Sc
cured from Rev. Corey and about their
| INQUIRIES for the Swedish ministers.
Assuming the role of injured innocence
the men declared that it was a mistake
and that neither would be guilty of
stulting his honesty by defrauding the
minister of one of the churches. At
this point the reporter and Rev. Roblee
came out of the inner Office, and things
were getting pretty warm the men
Immediately started to go, saying that
they thanked Mr.. Buckmaster, but not
for his courtesy. AS soon as they were
out of the Office they took the shortest
route for the city limits. The police
were at once notified, and if they are
seen in the city their arrest is certain.
In the meantime Rev. Roblee is receiV-
ing the congratulations of his friends
| for his clever detective work.
|