Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-11-04

INTER MOUNTAIN: Blu
Lizotte he stopped walking long enough
to sit down and tell over his story to a
newspaper man who transcribes it here.
This Aroostook gentleman is the Town
|Clerk, or was a year or two ago of an
IAroostook country town.
ter >S3T; s,' New Wy Yo,f ;is;i SS6S 'nc1d : ,5' a
dollar bill which he said was counterfeit.
He and his friends We're making them in
New York. and he said that this bill had
been in circulation, and that l would have
no trouble in passing it. He warned me
not to answer his letter. In a few weeks
he wrote again and this time he sent me
a five-dol1ar bill. which he said was also a
wrong one. | passed both of them at
the bank, and found no trouble. Acting
upon the advice of the New York man 1
talked the matter quietly over with three
OF my neighbors. and after a while they
decided to send me to New York after
some OF the money.
THE folks up there We're giving 81. 900
for 500, and we raised 81. 800 in cash to
buy a lot of it with. l was to go to New
York to a certain hotel. and occupy a GER
tain room. At a certain hour a man
would call with a card, and l was to adj
NIT him and take his guidance. l was in
the hotel at the appointed time. and at
the hour exactly the recognizable knock
came at the door.
Il admitted the man and he told me
more of the plan. The money was all like
that which we had received through the
mail. 1t could be passed, and looked all
right, and had been passed, but was not
all right.
He was minute in his explanations.
and gave me a lot of advice. l had never
been in a city before, and was not sharp
enough to keep my mouth shut. We got
into a cab and rode about for an hour, and
then stopped at a restaurant. There We're
two other men. who took me and carried
me away to Jersey City. At 10 O'Clock
that night we found our way into a yard
with a high brick building and a good
big brick wall around it. Here two more
men met us, and the others went away.
They escorted me into a room. where they
explained the system more carefully.
They acknowledged that they were doing
wrong and that they knew it, but it was
their business. and if they were caught 1
should not suffer, but they would
In another room where there We're
four or five men around a table they
showed me the money, about $1O.0 900 I
should think. 1t was all good money. 1t
looked well. was worn BY circulation, and
had all the appearance of good money.
In fact | now think that it was good mon
ey. I was a little scared, though, and
said that | would take only $500 worth of
it. They counted out 81. 600 and handed it
TO me for inspection. 1t was all light.
Then | handed it to them, but they held
out the tin box for it, and I put it in, and !
they sealed the box up before. my eyes
and handed IL 70 me again. AS / was go
ing out Of the door my courage again
rose and | went back and said. Darn it
all, | guess | might as well take ii all. I |
have Sl,4OO to invest In it, AT that they |
grew excited and said, of course. YOU
want to invest it ALL and fool like / did. |
Ihey took the box and put the money into |
IT right before my eyes and again hand
ed it to me and l went out with two OF
them. l was conscious of a good trade
and was happy. | Rugged that darned old
TN boX for dear life and was as happy as
If | had sold a pair of steers for double
1t was a wonder.
The two men told me that now there
was danger that | might get caught and
that the thing was for me to buy a ticket !
to Bangor at once. They went with me to
restaurant and we ate supper, and then
out and got one drink of beer around
and they went with me to the depot.
didn't know just where | was. but one
man bought a ticket for me and gave it to !
1t was from Jersey City to Bangor |
Maine, and I took it and got aboard, still |
hugsing the o. On my way through |
that | had a brother-in-law in |
and thought l would stop
off there and get a look at him and at my
money at the same time.
II went to a hotel in Lawrence and hir-
ed a room. | was hungry and tired. and
needed a shave and wash. but the first
thing | did was to sit down on the bed
and undo the w%rapppings of my heavy tin |
box. | found that it was locked and that
l had not the key. They had not given |
me any key and for the first time felt
1t was a little crooked. I burst open the
iron lock of the box and in o lot of tissue |
Wrapplngs was a common red brick with |
tissue paper all around it to keep it from !
rafting.
My heart oozed out my boot heels.
II sat dow on the bed and stared at
the brick, and then l rushed out to tele-
graph to New York to set the police at |
work. 1t was a wicked old sensation for |
me. | went back without telegraphing, |
and after a little took the train for home, |
but when | got to Brunswick last night,
| stopped off here to see Mr.. Lizotte, to
try and see If there was anything | could
no. met nm a Few Years ago in Aroos-
TOOK when he was ca campaigning there,
what ] dread most of all is the going
home and facing my neighbors, though"
The man felt very bad. but was not
ready to have his name attached to the
story, and wanted to get home quietly
before it came out. Mr.. Lizotte. of course.
told him that there was nothing to be
done. He left on the morning train for
the east.
THE STAGE.
The stage continues to form the mirror
OF fashion. One need scarcely take ia a