The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-28
ANACONDA NEWS.
THOSE BOUNTY FRAUDS
County Clerk Martin Explains a
Transaction in This County.
JAMES B0WMAN'S BIG HAUL
MIR. Martin Thinks Fetzer and Bowman
Are One and the Same Person.
County Attorney Trippet Also
Remembers the Case.

reporter of the Standard called
upon NJ. Martin, county clerk and re-
corder, yesterday in reference to the
exposure threatened by ]. B. Fetzer,
now serving sentence in the state
prison for fraud in violating the bounty
law OF the state. an account of which
appeared in the Standard yesterday
morning under Helena date
Fetzer accuses the county clerks of
several counties of the state, among
them, Deer Lodge county, of gross neg
ngence. Mr.. Martin says that Fetzer
evidently refers to the warrants issued
by John b. Fisher. the former county
clerk. TO q man who called himself
James Bowman. This was on Dec 10.
1896 Mr.. Martin distinctly remembers
this incident. Immediately after the
warrant was issued by Mr.. Fisher, Mr..
Martin. then a correspondent of the
standard at Deer Lodge, had an inter-
view with Bowman relating to the
hides. From that conversation he be-
came convinced that Bowman was a
fraud. Mr.. Fisher, the county clerk
had also by this time become uneasy
about-the matter. and the more he
thought about it the more convinced
he became that the man had perpe-
trated fraud upon him. Bowmans
af1davit was in accordance with the
form of the law. The witnesses who
made affidavits were Frank b. Deane
ana Thomas Baker. The two witnesses
are only required to swear that they
are taxpayers, that they are acquaint-
cd with the person presenting the skins
ana that to the best of their belief the
animals were killed within the limits of
the county
Mr.. Martins attention was attracted
to the case by the large number Of
skins presented and he desired to. and
dld, write up the matter for the Stand
t-6n s-l.
the assistance of the county attorney,
but by this time Bowman had left. Mr..
Martin distinctly remembers and as
serts that Mr. Fisher and the county
attorney did everything in their power
To stop the payment of the warrant
and endeavored to have Bowman ar
rested. Mr.. Martin states positively
that Mr.. Fisher acted honestly in the
matter.
The reporter then called upon Mr..
Iflppet, who was county attorney at |
the time Bowman presented the skins |
TO county Clerk Fisher. Mr.. Trippet |
says that shortly after the skins were |
presented by Bowman to Mr.. Fisher to |
be purchased, Mr. Fisher called upon
him and stated that he believed a |
great mistake had been made. How |
long this was after the skins had been
puncneq ne cannot now remember but
ne thinks 1t was just shortly after Bow |
man left town. Mr.. Trippet saws that
a Few minutes after he had a talk with
+ rank Conley and DR.. Holloway. and
rom that conversation it became APP
parent that a fraud had been perna-
trated. Mr.. Trippet and DR.. Holloway
immediately telegraphed the state Off
GERS TO stop a recognition of the war
rant and also telegraphed the county
at Helena to have Bow
nan arrested, but Bowman could
not be found. Mr.. Trippet also wrote
10 every point in the northern part of
the county to ascertain if any such
nan py the name of James Bowman
was known in the neighborhood The
answers to the letters We're all alike
vas known. '
Mr.. Irlppet says that Mr.. Fisher NAV
ave been deceived, but he never acted
ilshonestly in the matter and he was
cry much worked up over the incident.
INQUIRY was Kept up for some time for
5oWman Afterwards it was learned
hat man had been arrested in Rea-
'erhead county charged with an Of
ense In connection with the bounty
dW and he was supposed to be the
anne person who, under the name of
,oWman, had perpetrated the fraud in
his county.
Mr.. Trippet had some correspond- !
nee with the county attorney of Bea-
erhead relating to the matter. but
othing came of it,
Inc standard learns that the pre-
enting of the skins by Bowman in De- !
ember. 1885, is the only case where !
mere was any attempted fraud on the
ounty clerk of this county as since ],
hen the SKINS presented were in small ,
umbers and by well known men and
axpayers of the county None of the
onnty officers know of any case excent 1
ne bowman case, and Bowman is v
ouDtless the man Fetzer. now in the ..
nc t
n OIsa,, T;o~n. 4