Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1899-08-26
A Check-RaiSer Caught.

About 1880 last evening a stranger,
dressed III the garb of laboring man,
appeared at the Bee Hive store and pur-
chased from one of the clerks clothing
amounting to S22, and presented i'll pay
mcnt therefor check for SI75 payable to
t. G. AmCs and drawn by Wren x Green
ough, the well known railroad contract
ors ON the Clearwater extension OF the
n. L. Ry Mr.. Beach, the proprietor,
deducted the amount of the purchase,
returning the balance to the purchaser.
A short time afterwards the same man
dropped into the Lewiston Loan Office to
purchase a watch. lie made selection
OF one that came to $40 and rendered
another check drawn by Wren & Green
ough for $40, payable to J. {. Cattron.
Mr.. Lipman, the proprietor of the loan
office, refused to cash the check unless
the stranger could identify himself,
whercupon he produced a letter from the
drawers of the check. Mr.. Lipman was
doubtful as to its genuineness and in
formed the would be purchaser that he
would keep the watch for him until
morning, at which time If the check was
Q. X. they would complete the deal.
The man left and passed up Main street,
with Mr.. Lipman following.
Meantime Mr. Beach had discovered
that the check he had Cashed was I'M
properly Endorsed, so he was on the look
ont for the stranger, whom lie met and i,
accompanied by Lipman, they repaired
to the Bee Hive store to correct the error.
Lipman Intercepted the stranger, when
he was about to indorse the check under
the name of Ames, by stating that he
thought his name was Cattron. The man
| rppIiaI that was but DlpS was his
partners name.
Iipinan then informed Mr.. Beach of
his dealings over the watch and the
presentation of a check for SIS. Beach,
Lipman aud others, after closely exam
lining the check, discovered that the paper
had undoubtedly been raised from one
t dollar and something to SI75.
The police officers were notified and
soon got track of the man, who hat
/ passed through the Sideboard saloon by
/ the Main street entrance and entered
; gate i'll the rear of the Gem restaurant
p, climbed the stairs and jumped from thu
Il top distance of fourteen feet ant
/ evadcd his pursuers.
d Henry White was dcputized by Mar
, shall Denny and with Clark Morris, wh
sold the clothing, started for Spaldine
- Upon arriving there they put up thei
team and started down the railway trac
a-foot. They met their man III about
ID quarter of a miles walk, who was hittin
e the ties eastwardly at a lively gait. TIL
in check-raiser took letter from his pockt
10 and destroyed it by tearing it into sma
pieces.
10 Upon being searched by Deputy Whit
rs he had SI55 and some cents in a sma
is tobacco sack, supposedly the chang
or given him by Mr.. Beach for the bogl
" check. The destroyed paper was gathe
~ cd up by White and when placed t,
gether was found to be the raised chez
he endeavored to pass upon Lipman f
IN the watch.
al The prisoner told White that it was h
ms first offense and if he had been poste
;s upon the geography of the country
would have been successful i'll making h
IL getaway After being placed behii
IL the bars he informed Marshal Dem
hv that he had grip and roll of blanke
10 in the Central Lodging house; Il
~ blankets he asserted the marshal cou
an have To use for saddle blankets, as
ne thought he would have no further IL
for them.
The clothes he had purchased fro
he the Bee Hive were found i'll the ROOF
nv Several letters addressed to McNei
tIo which is probably his true nan
~ were found in his grip; also erasi
eai chemicals for erasiug ink and enamel I
III smoothing the paper after ensures ha
.Io been made. No doubt the signatures
:, Wren * Greeuough are genuine and t
=" probabilities are that the man worked
oc- day, receiving the check and subsequei
,ay ~ raising the same.
,ill The drawers OF the checks have be
his ~ VIZ, ,'''., "''s.l 'he !,
checks were raised to is ascertaint
.aa Mcneil will have a preliminary heari
before a committing magistrate.