Mexico weekly ledger., 1899-05-18
y. BUTLER ROBERTS, OF THIs
COUNTY, is IN JAIL FOR
FORGERY.
WAS MEMBER OF COMPANY |.
The Ex-soldier Boy Presented Bogus
Check for Five Hundred Dollars
At tina Savings Bank Had
Been in the Asylum.


pany L, 5th Missouri, was arrested
Friday by Marshai Lane on the
charge OF having forged James @.
Orewford's name to a $500 check. He
is also charged with having cashed
forged check on the same man about
a week ago; the money was secured
on this one. When Mr.. Crawford
learned that q S75 check had been paid
at the Savings bank in this city he
notified the cashier that the check was
forgery and thereby put the bank
officials upon their guard.
When ex-Soldier Roberts stepped
up to the cashler's window at the
Savings bank Friday morning Cashier
Locke came up to wait on him. A
check for $500, made payable TO a.
man named Smith and with James q
0rawford's name signed to It, was
presented. Mr.. Locke asked Mr..
Roberts to wait a few moments and
sent for the marshal While waiting
for that official Roberts admitted that
he had forged the check himself. AZ
model be had used a e5 check drawn
BY Mr.. Crawford and payable to him
(Roberts). This check was drawn to
Roberts order upon the request OF
John Roberts, his brother, trusted
workman on Mr.. Orawford's farm,
u miles north OF Mexico.
When Marshal Lane arrived at the
bank he put Roberts under arrest and
placed him In the city jail and left
there. Fifteen minutes later Roberts
had succeeded in getting out OF the
jail and after going to west Mexico
gave himself up to Marshal Lane and
was again put In jail.
At O'Clock that afternoon q State
warrant was issued by Prosecuting
Attorney Rodgers and Constable
Muir, after getting a commitment,
placed Roberts In the county jail to
await the action OF the Grand Jury
In June.
While the commitment was being
drawn out Roberta denied that he had
anything to do with the forging or
cashing Of the $75 check; OF the
$500 check which he attempted to
cash this morning he said; HAnother
mhn drew up thatcheck.p p IN answer
to the question II he knew it was
forged, be said that he had a good
idea that it was; afterward he ad-
mitted that he knew that it was
forged and he was to have received q
good portion for his trouble In CASH
ing it. Roberts refused to divulge the
name of the man whom he claims
drew up the check. He said: "He ia
a married man and I'll take the pun
ishment; I'll plead guilty of attempt-
ing to cash the check" Roberts said
that he sent Jack Morris to the bank
this morning for blank check and
that he (Roberts) gave it to the man
whom he said drew II up. Roberts
then stopped in his story to tell q
funny story and laugh. He takes 1t
very calmly.
The Prosecuting Attorney is in pos
session of three checks--the good
check for e5, which Roberts had en-
dorsed, the s75 forged check, which
was paid, and the $500 forged check,
which was refused. The hand writ
ing on the two forged checks compares
we'll with Roberts endorsement on
the good check. When seen Mr..
Locke says that he thinks that be paid
the money on the s75 check and that
it is his impression that he paid it to
Roberts.
e. B. Roberts Is son of Sylvester
Roberts, twelve miles north of Mex
leo. About one year ago Roberts
left Mexico with Company L. His
service while In was honorable. After
the regiment had reached Lexington,
KY, and on September 2, Roberts
contracted . very severe case of
measles. He was not able to leave
the hospital until after the regiment
had been furloughed at Kansas City.
He was confined In the Fulton asylum
for the insane at the time Of the mus-
tering- out of Company L. Later he was
discharged as cured but has been act
ing strangely since his discharge.
1t is thought that Roberts will not
eriua hatl