Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1899-03-24
RETURN OF BOOKER.
Missing President Of the Grand Forks
National Bank Returns for Trial
in U. S. Court.
Has Been in Mexico Since His Depart
ure From Grand Forks, and Re-
turned From There.
His Return Voluntary, and He Has
Gone to Fargo to'Appear Before
Judge Amidon.
Again Arrested on the Complaint Of
MI. Remington, One Of the
Bondsmen.
Booker is Back.
from Saturdays Daily.l-

from Saturdays Daily.]
Lewis E. Booker, former state treas
urer, and president of the Grand Forks
National bank, whose disappearance
from the state two years ago, a short
time before the trial of the indictment
returned against him by the United
States grand jury in this city created
considerable surprise, has returned
to stand trial for the %otfenses alleged
against him. Mr.. Booker arrived on the
train from the west yesterday afternoon.
He has been in Mexico, and came north
over the western route and came in from
the west. His return was voluntary and
he made his way from the train to
the presence of his bondsmen and pre-
sented himself, stating that he was
ready for trial for the offenses alleged
against him. He left for Fargo on the
train again last night and will surrender
himself to the custody of the United
States court-the Bismarck term being
left open for the purpose.
Booker was indicted at the term of
the court in this city in March, 1897. He
appeared in the city in response to the
Indictment, and gave bonds for appear
nee at Grand Forks for trial upon the
charges alleged against him. The
amount of his bond was 5000 and the
bondsmen were Fred Falley, Charles
Kupitz, P. c., Remington, I. P. Baker
and Joseph Hare. After this time he
went to British Columbia, where he
had some mining property, and returned
from there a few days before the case
against him was to be tried at the term
of U. S. at Grand Forks, on the
charge of making false returns to the
comptroller of the currency. On the
night before the trial, he left Grand
Forks. ostensibly for st. Paul to engage
the services of an attorney to act in his
defense and since that time, he has not
been seen in the state, mol has his where
abouts been known, until he presented
himself in the city yesterday.
Mr.. Booker has been in Mexico the
entire time since he left North Dakota
a year andlive months ago. 1t has been
reported that he was for a time in
British Columbia and was seen by a
government official at one time in Spo-
kane, WASH, but this Mr.. Booker states
is not the fact as he has not been there.
When ne returned to Grand Forks from
British Columbia shortly before the case
came up at the term of court in Grand
Forks, he says he had good reason to
believe that his case would not be called
for trial at that term, and he was utterly
unprepared for a trial as we're his attor-
neys. When he reached there he was
informed that the case would be moved
for trial the following day. Under the
circumstances he concluded that to go
to trial at that time would be extremely
unfavorable to him. He took the train
at Grand Forks, ostensibly to go to Min
neapolis, and at Minneapolis stepped
aboard a south bound train and but for
changes of cars did not stop until he
had reached Ell Paso, Texas. Here he
crossed the line into Mexico, his head
quarters having been about $50
miles from Ell Paso. For the first six
weeks he was there he put in his time
learning the Spanish language with a
view to fitting himself for business en-
gagements in that country. He has a
SOB .in-laW who is one of the general
officials of a railroad in course of con
struction to Ell Paso. and he secured
after a time a %surfacing contract, which
he carried through successfully, and in
which he protited fairly. He was also
interested in cattle purchases, and in
the several business ventures in which
he has engaged since leaving he has
prospered. He was joined by his wife
six weeks after he left Grand Forks and
he has been living in Mexico since,
although he has been several times in
Ell Paso.
Mr.. Booker talks interestingly about
Mexico, and believes that for the man
without much money, who is seeking to
better his condition through business
ventures, it affords better opportunities
than the United States. He has en-
joyed excellent health since locating
there, and may return after the case
against him has been disposed of,
although he has made no definite plans
for the future pending the disposition of
the case in court here. He has been in
correspondence for some weeks relative
to returning to- answer the case, and in
tended to be here during the recent term
of the United States court, but found it
impossible to get here, and an arrange
ment was made whereby the term was
H(d&I''1@x