The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-11-04
SEVERAL BUSINESS MEN CASH
BOGUS CHECKS.
Claud M. Waggoner, Who Confesses to
Having Passed the Checks, Arrested
Near Alma City After Hot Chase
Several Complaints Issued Against
Him = Hearing Set For Friday
Wants to Settle For His Wrong Doing.

evening by smooth young man
named Claud N. Waggoner. Others
were offered bait but did not bite.
Waggouer's operations were very sue
cessful for a time, but he was soon
apprehended, and is now awaiting his
trial.
Wag goner came to Mankato Aug.
18th and has been in the city ever
since. He has been stopping on the
o. P. Smith place with a family
with whom it is said he
is related. He is tWenty-one
years OF age, and dresses well, is tall,
slender and light complexioned, and
has good address. A week ago he
began to contract small bills at
different stores, saying that he would
pay them soon.
At about 6:25 o'clock Saturday eye
ming, Waggoner called at Robt.
Lamm's drug store and said that he
wanted to make few purchases and
to pay small account which he had
there. The entire bill amounted to
$3.50, and he offered Mr.. Lamm a
check for S11.7O, made payable to HIM
self and purpOrting to be signed by y.
P. Smith. Mr.. Lamm suspected that
the check was not genuine and refds-
ed to receive it. Waggoner said that
he was a stranger in the city and ask
ed where he could get 1t cashed. Mr..
Lamm suggested that he try the
Model Clothing House. Waggoner
went out and did nnOt return until
about 9:20 .. M, just after Mr.. Lamm
had gone home. He then called for
his packages, but did not offer q
check.
Sheriff Bowen stepped into the drug
store few moments after Waggoner
had left the first time, and Mr. Lamm
impaired his suspicious to him. Mr..
Bowen remembered that .. P. Smith
is in Colgate, North Dakota, and that
he has been making his home there
for some time. Mr.. Lamm could not
remember the date Of the check, so
nothing was done at that time.
A week ago, Waggoner had ordered
a fine pair Of shoes at Louis Janda's
store and had spoken Of getting a
pair of ladies' shoes. He called at the
store Saturday evening for them and
said that he had learned the size OF
the ladies' shoes and would take both
pairs. He offered a check for 1920,
drawn on the Mankato n atiOnal Eank,
payable to himself, and purporting to
be signed by o, P. Smith, and proper
ly endorsed on the back. Mr.. Janda
refused to accept the check, fearing
that something was wrong. He also
retained the shoes.
Waggoner then proceeded to the
Model Clothing House, where he pur-
chased an overcoat, paying cash for
it.
Last Tuesday, Waggoner had gone
to o. w. Schmitt's harness store and
purchased a couple of satchels, saying
that he would call for them Saturday
evening and that he would probably
present check from D. P. Smith in
payment, as his wages would be due
then, Waldimer Peterson waited
upon Waggoner in the absence of Mr..
Schmidt, who has been in Chicago for
two weeks He ascertained after
wards that Mr.. Smiths check would
be good, and when Waggoner called
at shortly after six o'clock Saturday
evening and presented the 800 check
which he had offered Mr.. Janda, Mr..
Peterson accepted it and paid the
balance, So so in cash.
Waggoner stepped into Lang q
Goeltzs store at about $50 o'clock and
purchased a pair of carriers, two ties,
three collar buttons, two shirts, a
handkerchief, six collars, a pair Of
gloves and pair Of socks. The bill
amounted to $3.50, and Waggoner
handed Mr.. Lang check for So,
similarly made out to the other
checks MIR. Lang gave him the
balance in change.
DR.. Steel had small bill against
Waggoner and the latter called on
him Saturday evening and handed
him check for S14, made out the
same as the other checks. DR.. Steel
paid the balance in money, and when
he sent the check to the bank this
morning for deposit it was not
accepted. DR.. Steel is out $40 in
change.
1t was about nine o'clock when
Waggoner, accompanied by three
girls, drove up to Benack & Harris
store and presented the check for
S11.70 to Mr.. Benack in payment for
an account. A couple of weeks ago,
Waggoner had hired gun and pur-
chased some cartridges to go hunting,