Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-04-05
IT NAY Be A FIND.
Sheriff Suits Brought a Man From
Indiana This Morning.
MAY Be WANTED At EDDYvlLLE


ing of Mortgased Property-May
be Smooth. Stranger who
Tried to do the Banks
-.
From Tuesdays Daily.
1t may be that Sheriff SHUTS has a
much wanted man in the person OF j.
he brought to this city this morning
from Kentland, Ind, on the charge of
disposing of a mortgaged team TO
Charles Rinier, a young farmer north
of the city. About January Is it will
be remembered that man giving the
name of c. w. Wilson appeared in Ed
dyville and used his best endeavors to
get +. M. Epperson to cash check for
a large amount The check was on a
kentland Qndiana) bank, and was IA
ken by Mr.. Epperson for collection, no
money being advanced. In due course
OF time the check was returned, mark
ed not paid for want of funds, but in
the meantime Mr.. Wilson had skipped
out. He worked his scheme in this
way:
He went TO the home of Mrs. John
Steele and represented that he was an
old friend OF her husband, ard
hearing that there was a mort
gage of $1,000 upon her homestead
desired TO pay it off on account
of friendship for her husband.
He made several purchases Of Eddyville
business houses for Mrs. Steele and in
one case asked for some blank checks
which were given him. These he IS
supposed to still have in his possession.
Having worked the matter of paying
off the mortgage up to what the swim
dler thought the right point, he made
his grand play and had Mrs. Steele
come to town and accompany him to
the bank. He made out a draft on the
Discount aud Deposit bank of Kent
land, Ind, for $2,650, and stated that
he wished certificate of deposit in the
name of Mrs. Steele for $4,000, and that
he wanted $3.50 in cash to make some
immediate improvements on the farm.
Mr.. Epperson informed him that the
bank did not cash that kind of paper,
but that he would take it for collection
and could get returns in the course of
three or four days, which would be 4
matter of small inconvenience as the
weather was too cold to do any inn
proving. at least for a few days. Here
the smooth, slick gentleman made his
smooth play. He seemed perfectly
satisfied with the arrangement, and de-
parted and has not been seen since
The draft was promptly returned
from the bank at Kentland, Endorsed
that they had no knowledge of any
such 4 man. :, day or two later Mr..
Eppersun received a letter from ex-
Sheriff lambertson, of Monroe county,
who is now a guard at the penitentiary
at Fort Madison, Informing him that
C. w. Wilson was a. fraud, and that he
had been released from that institution
but q few weeks before, after serving
four years sentence for similar
operations to the one he tried to work
at Eddyville.
When the officials at Kentland were
told of the story, it is said that they
were satisfied that this defendant is
| the man that worked the Eddyville
scheme. 1t is said that he was prac.
ticing the same kind of tactics in
Kentland; that he was boarding with
a widow woman, and the authorities
there. were of the opinion that he was
preparing to work scheme of the
same kind as was worked at Eddyville.
1t is said thar when confronted with
the Eddyville matter, the defendant
denied all knowledge of it and said
that he did not deal in bogus paper
Clyde Mosby, of Eddyville, was in the
city today and saw the prisoner at the
jail, but could not identify him. Mr.
Mosby said that his impression is tina,
this defendant is too small man to
answer to the description of the man
who tried to work the Eddyville bank
yet" said Mr.. Nosby, Il may be mis-
| taken, because never saw him buu
once
| Brown, or johnson, is seems, has
still another alias. This morning be
requested Sheriff SHUTS to address q
letter to his wife and gave him slip
of paper with the name of Mrs. A. T.
Mcbride, Royal Center, Indiana, on
lit. 1t is said that heshas made admis-
sions to the sheriff that satisfied him
that the defendant is the man wanted
here on the mortgaged property
charge at any rate.
| A jury was secured this afternoon
in the case of the State Of Iowa VS.
Geo. d. Rand, charged with the lar
ceny of horse and buggy belonging
to Ed Daggett & Sons. 1t Will be re.
membered that Rand took the outfit
to Eddyville, where it is charged he
ATTEMPTED to dispose Of it for $45. lie
was arrested by Constable Mosby, o1
Eddyville, and returned to Ottumwa
where his Indictment subsequently fol
lowed. Rand is also the man who
broke Jail in company with y mar
named Masterson, the latter being still
at large. Rand was re-captured neal
Agency and returned to Jail. 1t is
thought that Rand right name is Ma
lone, he, it is said, having received let.
| tiers from a sister addressed to him
under that name. Rand declares that
he was intoxicated at the time he had
the outfit and had no intention OF sell
ing it. Scott & Ayres are attorney
for the defendant, and County Attor
ney A. w. Enoch is prosecuting.
/ Three women were freed yesterday
from the tllralldom of married life by
Judge Fee. Annie Ryan was legally
separated from her husband, John ny
an, on the grounds of desertion, ans