The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-03

The disappearance of Edward Gam
bel, proprietor of the Diamond Rule
shoe store, 269 East Seventh street,
Monday, started police investigation
which has brought to light some pecu-
lar transactions on the part of the
shoe dealer, which, so it is alleged,
leave several confiding business friends
minus sums of money ranging from $1a
to 500 and aggregating am amount as
yet unknown.
John Thornquist, proprietor of a
saloon at Seventh and Sibley streets,
cashed 800 worth of Gamblers checks,
and Fred Turner, another saloon keep
er at 149 East Seventh street, cashed
$40 check, besides lending Gambel $50,
and Samuel Marks, a Seventh street
secondhand dealer, is also out $50
through complications arising from
Gambel's alleged business methods,
While f. Kuhn cashed a 1872 check.
Gambel has been in business in this
city since last March. There were no
pretentious fixtures about his store. but
he carried large stock of goods and
placarded the outside of the place with
signs, advertising a mark down sale
and did quite business. In the course
of events John Thornquist cashed a
number of checks for Gambel and
found each time that the checks were
duly honored at the German-American
bank
Saturday Gambel, the police say, in
preparing to leave the city, left his
store in charge of Oliver Parrant, a
young clerk, and began distributina
about worthless checks. He got $4a
from Mr.. Turner and also worked off
a $32 check on F. Kuhn, a jeweler at
274 East Seventh street. in payment for
a watch. Saloonkeeper Thornquist also
took a SIS check. Mr.. Turner says Gam.
bel made pretense of buying out his
saloon and seemed so sincere that he
received a loan of $40 on this basis.
Those to whom Gambel gave checks
say that he requested them to present
them to him at his store yesterday,
and promised to then take them up.
When the checks came in yesterday
the trouble began. Parrant the clerk,
knew nothing Of Gamblers where
abouts and refused to cash the checks
Then Mr.. Kuhn presented his check at
the bank and found Gambel had no
funds on deposit. He forthwith sent
his wife to the shoe store, and she
purchased bill of shoes, rendering the
check in payment. Parrant sent the
check across the street to Saloonkeeper
Thornquist, and the liquor dealer cash
ed it. Then came the Turner check
ard this was also sent over and cashed
by ThornQuist.
By this time the state Of affairs had
been reported to the police, and an in
vestigation was begun. During the in
vestigation Thornquist returned with
the Turner check, and 1t was made
plain to Clerk Parrant that he might
get into trouble, and so he made the
amount good. At this stage of the pro-
ceedings, it is alleged, some $S8 worth
of the shoe stock was disposed of to
the secondhand dealer Marks. After
the goods had been taken to Marks
place, but before the money had been
paid, Manager Fisher, of the ST. Paul
Rubber company, appeared on the
scene with a deputy sheriff. Seeing an
errand boy delivering the money from
Marks to Parrant, the sheriff decided
to levy on the goods and went to
Marks place, where the secondhand
dealer was deprived of the purchase
he had made. Following this proceed
ing, Parrant was arrested on the charge
of swindling, but was discharged upon
motion of the county attorney when
the situation was made clear to Judge
Hine in the police court.