New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1897-11-10
Chase
SWindIe.
How the Clever Grocery Salesman Worked
the Bankers and Farmers.
His Swindling Transactions Will Foot Or
Several Hundred Dollars.


Chase, whose arrest is now being sought
for by the authorities, says the swindle
will amount to hundreds Of dollars and
will strike farmers not only in Renville,
but Redwood and Yellow Medicine
counties as we'll.
The swindle was first brought to light
by Cashier Orth of the Bank of Morton.
Chase, who had been taking orders
for groceries from the farmers along the
st. Louis road all summer, called at
the Bank of Morton and wanted to sell
some notes, ranging in various amounts
from SO to SIS, against well-known
farmers in Birch Coulie, Norfolk, Beav-
er Falls and Henryville. Orth examined
the notes, and, being familiar with many
of the signatures and having bought
notes from Chase during the summer,
agreed TO take them. He made an offer
nearly equal to the face value of the pa
per, all of which, by the way, called for
payment on the 1st of January with ten
per cent interest. After considerable
hesitation on the part of Chase, who
seemed to want face value, deal was
made, Chase became the possessor of
several bundled dollars in cash, and the
Bank of Morton holder of notes that
were soon to prove fraudulent.
AS soon as the deal was contaminated,
Chase hired a team to drive to Bril- Is
land, but after leaving the town he
changed his mind and directed the driv-
er to take him to Fairfax.
Shortly after his departure Banker
Orth happened to meet one or two of
the supposed makers of the notes upon
the streets of Morton and called their
attention to the fact that he held their
paper for certain amounts. They ex-
pressed surprise and insisted that they
had never given such notes. This made
Ortiz suspicious and he at once, in COM
pany with the marshal, started in pur-
suit, going first to Bird Island, as he
had been informed at the livery stable
that Chase had done, thence to Hector
and back to Morton, without finding his
man.
Chase in the meantime had reached
Fairfax, hired another team and drove
to Gibbon, taking the precaution at the
livery stable to say that he was bound
for Hector. At Gibbon he hired anoth-
er team and made for Winthrop. Nor
ton parties chased him from town to
town but abandoned pursuit at Winthrop
after an all nights ride Had there
been night operators at the different
towns Chase would probably have been
driven down. AS 1t was he managed to
elude the chase and is now most likely
out of danger. When in Morton
Chase had draft for $500, issued by the
Bank of Echo in payment for uotes SOLD
under the same circumstances that he
sold those at Morton. This draft was
cashed by the Citizens Bank of this city
the day after Chase's escape from Nor.
ton. 1t is thought at the latter place
that Chase met his partner, Swenson, al
Winthrop, gave him the draft and thai
he had it cashed. The Bank of Morton
is doing all it can to capture Chase, ano
some of the farmers whose names appear
on the notes are willing 10 contribute
for the apprehension of the very smooth
swindler. "'. ......
| The signatures to the notes were OBJ
tanned by the use of. carbon paper, al
ordinary note being concealed under the
order for groceries, so that the farmer
signed both at once. Thus far each ma
ker, says the Enterprise, admits the gen
uineness of the signature, but all insist
that they never signed notes--merely
orders for groceries.
| Cashier Orth states that his former
business with Swenson and Chase was o.
a very satisfactory nature and he ha6
every reason to anticipate the same re
suits IN this case. eve did our yer,
BEST" he says, ssto catch the fellow, bu
he had his plans all made and we had t
make ours as we went along.'
At Gibbon Chase tried to sell Banker
Nelson some notes, likewise aggregatine
several hundred dollars, but failed, Mel
son noticing that one of them was signed
by party Who had large bank account
and who would not be apt to give note
for groceries. Nelson was also asked
to cash large draft for Chase butsre-
fused to do so.
At Winthrop Chase hired a team fol
st. Peter, paying the driver 81 and tell
| ing him that if lie did NOT get him there
L ~ SO