Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-04
GREAT INVENTOR INVENTOR
of Obtaining Money
Under False PretenSeS.
BOOKKEEPING SYSTEM
That Would RevOluti0nize the World
and Excite the Envy of
Other Planets.

A warrant charging a mai calling HIM
slef Hamilton Matheson with obtaining
money under false pretenses was issued
last evening by Justice Harrington at the
| request of County Attorney Connolly.
! Back of the accusation against the al
| legged offender there is rather an inter-
esting story.
About three months ago Matheson cul-
tivated the acquaintance of a South Ari-
IONA street groceryman, n since then
has f1im-flammed him out of two sums
of money and came within the width of
a hair Of working him for a larger
amount than both the sums combined.
The groceryman is not familiar with the
curves of the sharper, and as Matheson
was a good talker and appeared to be a
real nice young man, he soon placed un-
bounded faith in what the rascal said.
Matheson made the store his loafing place
and finally, when he thought the time for
business had arrived, told the merchant
of an arrangement he had invented for
keeping books. With the new system
even a child with it's eyes closed could
keep track of every sale and purchase,
and at the end of a day, week, month or
year. render an ccoun of stock on hand,
the liabilities and assets with lightning
rapidity, while partaking of it's bottled
nursing lunch. 1t was, in fact, such a
great invention that the population of
the entire world would be electrified and
the shimmering planets of space would
blink tenfold harder out of pure envy
when they heard of it. But in order to
~-~,~ 90 ~-1 I - yvo-l ~ ~,
application for a patent, it would be nee
essary for Mr.. Matheson, inventor, to
have S., and that. too, right away. The
groceryman gave him the money and the
papers We're sent away: so Matheson, in
ventor, said. But the new device was
such a scorcher that he found it quite
necessary to LAY $22 more, and have it
right away, as he was losing time in the
introduction of the great device. Mr..
Matheson, inventor. intended to go right
to work. as he knew that if those who
worked over book accounts Is hours a day
80 days a month and put in "a on the re-
naming day in order to furnish employ
ment for the bill collector on the first.
could get hold of his system. drudgery
for them would be a has BEEN" and flu
ture existence a joy forever. The 500 was
promptly planked down, but instead of
'going right to work" in the introduction
of the great system of bookkeeping, Mr..
Matheson, inventor. purchased an ele-
CANT jag with the money and in due time
returned for more cash. On the third
play he wanted an even $340. as it would
take that much, he said. to place the
business just in shape to make the gro
ceryman and himself forsake the field of
activity and enter upon a regime of real
life-a life enjoyed only by that class of
men who sit beneath the foliage of inn
mense palms in their suburban villas,
smoke 50-cent cigars, drink Oriental
wines and chuck golden coins at the
chirping birds. But the groceryman had
heard of Matheson and his jag and be-
came suspicious. He accused the great
invento Of being a high pressure fakir
and demanded the return of the $21. but
Mr.. Matheson. inventor, was a little short
of change. The groceryman then had a
warrant issued for the great inventors
arrest. but just as it was about to be
served a friend Of the fakir, who had
evidently been working the game in an
other part of the city, came along and
agreed to make the amount good. AS the
groceryman did not care to plunge into
notoriety over the matter, he requested
that the warrant be Above to remain in
status quo. as lawyers sometimes say,
pending a settlement.
Last evening the inventor and his
friend showed up at the store. and the
groceryman promptly collared the for
mer. He then sent his wife after Con-
stable Tim Harrington. While the wo-
man was absent more compromise talk
was INDUCED in. and when the officer ar
rived it had reached a point at which the
inventors friend was to go out and dig
up the $27. The officer asked for his man.
but the groceryman believing the friend
would return with the money, did not
believer him UP. While the constable
was talking to the groceryman the great
inventor slipped out and since then nei-
Their he nor his friend. the man that MAX
eth all things right, have been seen.
Matheson also tried to work other per-
sons, but not on the same great invention.
Among them was ]. L. Ledford, who
kepes a saloon at the corner of Arizona
and Aluminium streets. He represented
to Ledford that he had a patent assay
arrangement that would draw gold or sill
yer from a pump handle, a brickbat or
any other old thing. but Ledford had once
been held up by masked men and told
MathesOn it was not gold or silver for
which he was looking, but greenbacks, a
reduction in his saloon license and some-
thing that would prevent the explosion Of
cartridges in a highwayman's gun
The groceryman M his wife once had
such great confidence in Matheson, the
inventor, that they left him at their home
with the children while they attended a
theatrical performance but the store