The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1899-11-03
H. D. BAKER RUSHED BUSl-
NESS YESTERDAY.
Made Big Deposits of Checks and Pass.
ed Around Checks Freely, But They
Were Not Honored.. Telegram From an
Eastern Bank Says He is Fraud and
Asks For His Arrest-His Stay Was
Brief.

From Tuesdays Daily.
Harry Baker, Fl. Davis Baker, Harry
E. Davis Baker and III. d. Baker are all
the same party, and several people in
Mankato are wondering just where he
is today He was in Mankato Tues
day and did rushing business while
he was in town He made big de-
posits, rented house, bought a farm.
purchased goods and gave out checks,
and yet none of his transactions have
yet been consummated by the exchange
of actual cash, and the sellers are won
dering whether they eyer will be.
The last name to go on The Saul
paugh register Sunday night was
Harry Baker, Lancaster" He was
assigned to room 6. Yesterday noon he
stepped up to the clerks desk. paid his
bill, took his baggage, asked about the
leaving time of the trains and whether
any mail had come for him, and left the
the hotel. He did not leave the city at
once, but fingered to transact his bust
ness, which was of very important ma
ture.
At few moments after four o'clock
in the afternoon he entered the First
National bank and deposited three per-
sonal checks for collection, signed 81.
D. Baker" and drawn in favor
of himself. The first was for
1,19S "a, and was drawn upon
the State Savings bank, of Ann Arbor,
Mich. The second was for s6776O. and
was drawn on the Farmers q Mechan-
les bank, of jamestown, N. Y. The
third was for So, 900, and was drawn on
the Chautauqua County Trust Co., of
Jamestown, N. Y. j, Fl. Thro
waited upon Mr. Baker and gave him a
deposit slip indicating that these checks
had been left for collection by the bank.
Mr., Baker unbosomed himself to Mr..
Thro to the extent of saying that he had
just purchased 30 acre tract of land of
l.. G. M. Fletcher for 5000 an acre, and
wanted the checks collected as soon as
possible in order that he might make
his payment. He said that he had been
stock buyer and formerly came
through Mankato on some of his trips,
but had not been here during the past
fourteen years. He had wife and two
sons and desired to moye onto the farm
and build nice house. He said that
he had had his eye on the place for
twenty years, but the price had always
been too high for him.
Mr.. Baker paid Mr.. Fletcher visit
during the day and negotiated for the
purchase OF the land referred to, and
a deal was made. He gave Mr..
Fletcher a check for $500, drawn on
the Farmers and Mechanics bank of
Jamestown, N. Y. in part payment
on the land and to bind the bargain,
and took Mr.. Fletcher's receipt for
the amount. This bargain was COM
pleted at about four o'clock, and
Baker must have gone from there di-
rectly to the First National bank.
1t was about six o'clock when Baker
drifted into the store of Geo. E.
Brett, Inc, where he looked at
couple of cloaks and made purchases
to the amount of $50. He gave in
payment for the goods a check for
$50 drawn on the State Savings Bank
of Ann Arbor, Mich. Mr.. Brett took
the check subject to it's genuineness
and kept the goods. He telephoned
to Cashier Cotton, of the Mankato
Savings Bank, and made inquiries
about Baker. Mr.. Cotton could give
no definite information, but advised
Mr.. Brett to telegraph to the Ann
Arbor bank. Mr.. Brett did this and
received reply which said that
Baker was fraud and was wanted
there. 1t asked Mr.. Brett to secure
Bakers arrest. The name signed to
the check given to Mr.. Brett was
"Harry E. Davis Baker"
With all of his other business Baker
had time to rent house. He applied
to the E. G. Herring Land Co., which
has it's Office over A. M Stems clothing
store for house. G. IL Pendergast,
the general agent of the company, wait
ed on him and showed him house on
Walnut street, owned by Mrs. Margaret
Funk A rental price was agreed upon
and Baker handed Mr.. Pendergast
check for SIS to bind the bargain. This
check was drawn in Mr.. Pendergast's
favor and was upon the State Savings
bank of Ann Arbor. Mr.. Pendergast
endorsed it over to Mrs. Funk, and
when. the latter presented it at bank
for payment it was refused. The trans
action with Mr.. Pendergust occurred
between and o'clock.
At about 4:30 o'clock, Baker went in
to Lamm & Landkammer's furniture
store and purchased furniture for
room which he said he had rented
in Mrs Funks house. The
goods footed up to s68, and he sprung
a check for $S2 on Mr.. Landkammer,