The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-29
BUTTE NEWS.
IN THE b|DWELL METHOD
Oscar Atkins Scheme to Get
Rich Suddenly.
HIS CAREER WAS BRIEF
He Had Two Successful Days at Forgery
and Was Then Brought Up With
Sharp Turn-Is Worth
less Fellow.
HIS CAREER WAS BRIEF

Oscar Akin must have been reading
the life of the Bidwell brothers, at all
events he started in Saturday to get
rich after their method, forgery. His
career in this line was brief. however,
and he was brought up with short
turn after two successful days at the
business. His system of operating was
to forge the name of the firm of Lynch
& Bachelor to checks and get unsus-
pecting persons to cash them, which
he had no difficulty in doing, for the
name of the firm was we'll known as a
responsible one, and he had been long
time in the community and was quite
well known. In all, as far as has been
learned, he got three bogus checks
cashed, on which he realized an ag-
gregate of 1852.
The forgeries were all discovered
about the same time yesterday morn
ing and those who had been defraud-
ed called on Chief of Police Mulholland
about the same time. Detective Muir
ply was called in and 1T was not long
before the forger was in the tolls. In
their investigation the officers found
that on Sunday Akin presented a check
for S7S, drawn on the Silver Bow Ma
tional bank in favor of r. o. Atkins
and signed by Lynch & Bachelor to
Henry Albertson, who cashed it readily
ed another drawn on the same bank for
$S7 in favor of r. o. Achons to r. w.
Sampson, manager of the Silver Bow
brewery. which was also cashed. They
also found that on Monday Akin called
at the Butte Brewery and asked Bar
tender C. F. Arnold to cash a check
for $S7 drawn on the First National
bank in favor of F. 0. Buster and sign
ed by Lynch & Bachelor. Arnold asked
Akin if he was the person in whose
favor the check was drawn, and he
said he was. but the person drawing
it had got his name wrong. Arnold
told him to wait a moment and he
would call up Lynch & Bachelor, and
If the signature was correct he would
cash the check. Akin replied that he
need not trouble himself, that he would
step outside and get a man to identify
him. He went out and did not come
back, but went directly out toward
Meaderville, and found Henry Munt-
ger. proprietor of the Butte Brewery,
at Union hall and induced him to cash
The bogus checks took the regular
the check.
course and We're sent to the various
banks where those who cashed them
banked, where they were honored, and
eventually reached the banks on which
they drawn. where they were pronounce
ed forgeries and, of course, returned
The defrauded were not long seek
Ing out Chief Mulhollond and Detective
Murphy, and the chief started out to
find Akin. He had been drinking
heavily and they had no difficulty in
tracing him. They traced him to the
Avon lodging house, where he had
gone in and. entering the room of one
Of the dodgers, had gone to bed with
his clothes and boots on. He was
sound asleep when found and was
somewhat obstreperous when told he
was under arrest, making a great show
of innocence, but he was snatched out
of bed and taken to Jail. When search
ed all he had in his possession was 5
cents and another bogus check, all
made out ready to be cashed. He was
booked for forgery and taken to the
county jail.
Akin has been in the community for
some years, but is a worthless fellow
and appears to have had no occupa-
ton for some time, depending on his
wife to support him by taking in wash
Ing, on account of which divorce pro-
ceedings are now pending in the dis
trict court