Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1898-10-26
THEY'RE AFTER HIM.
Police are Looking for Major
Kecner.

Randolph Mason" and Then, 1t is
Alleged Acted Upon the Story of the
Cattle DeaIer--ROger 0'Mara Employ
ed TO Hunt Down the Alleged Swim.
dler.
Superintendent Of Detectives Rog-
er O'Mara is working on a strange
case. He is looking for Major J. L.
Keener, for whose arrest there is re-
ward of $500 says the Pittsburg Lea,
der.
1t is an odd story, this tale of
how Keener conceived the inspiration
to swindle. A few years ago volume
called 1.-THE Strange Schemes of Ran
dolph Mason" appeared. 1t was a
series of possible legal cases. A Wheel
ing lawyer, an alumnus of the West
Virginia university, is the author of
the book. He has made Of Randolph
Mason d man profoundly learned in
the law, but devoid of all conscien-
tious scruples. Mason makes it his
business to show people how to COM
nit crime and avoid discovery, and
how, through the techniealities of
law, to steer clear of the courts. One
of the stories was that of West Vir-
ginia cattle king, who has gone into
partnership with another man. They
had bought large number of cattle
and had given the firms note for them.
The money belonging to the firm was
III bank, and the swindler had the
right to sign the firms name to get
it. He went to Philadelphia with
the cattle and got the currency for
them. Coming back to his native
state at an unusual time, he had all
the money in the bank paid over to
him. He coolly pocketed the money
and told the angry creditors that he
had merely committed breach Of trust
and had not committed false pretense,
the one being not crime under West
Virginia laws and the other being
felony. He was freed on trial
Major J. L. Keener, of Morgantown
has been cattle dealer for years, as
his father before him was Some
months ago he became involved so
that he was bankrupt, but the infer
nation was kept from every one.
Then, it is alleged he Matched the
plan to carry out the story in the nov
ell which he had read.
The plan involved joining the church
to still further ingratiate himself
with every one. He began to buy and
ship cattle in larger lots than before,
and made money. However, the slow
accumulation of wealth by the legiti-
mate gain of fair dealing did not APP
peal to him, and he went in for lar
ger game.
Within the last month he bought
nearly one thousand head of the f.
nest cattle there was in West Virgin
la and adjoining states. In nearly every
case notes were given for them and
the purchaser gave good security with
interest. Many farmers preferred this
to the cash in hand. Money was Dor
rowed out of the banks in large blocks
and every one who would sell horses
or cattle or lend his money was
pressed into service to swell the bust
ness.
The cattle and the major went to
Philadelphia. The money was paid
over to the cattleman, who, in every
case called for currency and did not
want paper of any description. The
plumber was put in satchel. 1t
amounted to possibly $4,000, but no
one knows exactly how much it was
The next thing heard from him was
a card to his creditors telling them
that he had lost the money and could
not pay them cent. They went for
his property, but it had been decided
away months before and they were
out
The furOre created was tremendous
Nearly every business man in Morgan
town and all the cattle raisers of the
county were caught for greater or less
amounts. They attached the property
and will contest the validity of the
sales in the courts.
Keeners creditors raised a purse
and employed Roger O'Mara to run
the keen major to earth. Every cir
cumstance solely upon the plan set
down in 'The Strange Adventures of
Randolph Mason" and while the
lawyers in the case claim that they
will be able to convict Keener when
they get him, others believe that he
has only committed a breach of trust
and that under the law of West Vir-
ginia he cannot be punished.
Superintendent O'Mara said yester-
day that he did not doubt the theory
that Keener has acted on the sugges-
tion contained in the book referred to.
tHTha mower of stlpppStion y said he