The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-28
MCGUIRE A SMOOTH ONE
He Bilks Great Falls Merchan ts
Gut of Many Dollars.
CLEVERLY FORGED CHECKS
Already the Returns Show That He Is
Winner to the Extent OF S4OO,
and the End Is
Not Yet.

Great Falls, Feb. 27.-Charles Nc
CURE, who has been working in town
ever since last June, did not do a thing
to some of the merchants on Saturday
night. He merely did them SO hard
that they are out between $500 and $500.
and perhaps more, as it is thing that
man does not care to talk very much
about. He has been working for the
Great Falls Iron works, at the Office
during the day time, and mornings and
evenings he did chores around the res
idence of l.. S. Woodbury. He was a
young man of about % years, quiet in
his behavior and apparently sober and
Industrious. He was trying to make
his way in the world, he said. At odd
times, such as the lunch hour he was
in charge of the goods Of Jesse Col
lum, who runs a watch repairing es-
Establishment in the office of the iron
works and Collum thought he was all
right In fact every one thought he
was.all right, as the burst of confidence
on Saturday night clearly proves.
He had probably studied the matter
out very carefully and the results OF
his studies were embodied in a num-
Der of neatly written checks drawn
on the accounts of III. E. Benner and
L. S. Woodbury., both of them well
known business men and connected
with the iron works. Then he strolled
about town patronizing the town. The
full list was not out this evening, but
1t Is reported that he passed check
on Weinberger, the Third street south
pawnbroker; another on Strain Broth
ers; one on Nate Wertheim; one on
the New York Cash Bazaar; another on
Nathan, and, as stated, the returns are
not complete.
That was not ALL Collum says to-
night that a gold watch, valued at $3.50,
and belonging to customer in the
country, is missing, and that he has
no doubt but that Mcclure can very
easily locate it.
The checks were made out on the
First National bank blanks from the
book of the iron works. and their issu-
ahce was not known until this after
noon, when they began to come into
the bank He was very careful in
making them out and varied his hand
writing at the proper time, so that
while they are undoubtedly forgeries,
they have fairly plausible appear
| ance, which is strengthened by the use
of the office check punch. He was in
the habit of sleeping at the Woodbury.
pace, ana When he QIu not snow uD
as usual yesterday afternoon, Mr..
Woodbury. became alarmed for his
safety, as he had left all of his clothes
at the ROOM but he did not suspect any
wrong doing.
| Chief Guerin has notified all cities and
| towns in the state of the deed, and it
| is probable that Mcguire will not long
| be at liberty, although he has nearly
| So hours of a start.
A forgery play like this is hardly
| surprising, as the town has not been
sold on this particular game for quite
a long time, and there were examples
of 1t recently in both Teton and Fer
gus counties Strangely enough, it is
usually made in the dull season of the
| year and it's success is perhaps to be
| attributed to the fact that merchants
welcome a good sale at that time and
take chances which ordinarily they
| would refuse