Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-08-16
CHANGE
MANS CAUGHT
WORKED HIS GRAFT IN RETREAT
SALOON AND FALLS INTO
HANDS OF POLICE.
HAS BEEN OPERATING
IN JEFFERSON COUNTY.
Fined $40 for Carrying Gun-Fairy
Story About Wolves and Game
Police Court Doings. =

Walter Garrison was the principal fig
ure in the police court this morning.
Walter arrived in town yesterday and
soon commenced looking about for a
chance to do a little business. He found
his opportunity at the Retreat saloon, on
East Mercury street, where he success
fully short changed" the bartender with
a $40 bill, following the old trick and
rellaole method known as the triple ten
der. He cleaned up $40 on this transact
ton and ambled out to make another try,
when the saloon keeper, made the as
founding discovery thar ne had been GUN
coed. The arrest Of the enterprising short
changer soon followed and when searched
at the police station a gun was found in
his pocket. He appeared this morning to
answer to the charge Of carrying conceal
ed weapons and asked the privilege OF
making a statement which was granted.
honor commenced Garrison, II
just arrived IN town yesterday from SpO-
kane, bringing sixteen head Of horses
along. 1t is true that I had a pistol, and
! also carry a rifle. My explanation Of
that is that, travelling by train overland,
with some stock, a little money and my
wife and children to protect, 1 found it
advisable to lave shooting irons. Again, I
killed twenty-five wolves on the way and
the bounty made this profitable, helping
to a my expenses. And again, I killed
a deer. which supplied me with meat. OF
course, | had the shooting irons, but it
was for the purpose set out. While
pleading guilty, Of necessity, I demand
that no false motives be imputed to me-"
You say you came here from Spok-
ane?" asked the clerk.
Yes, sir, direct" replied Walter.
How far is it?"
II followed the Northern Pacific track
all the way, and judge the distance to be
1850 miles"
What towns did you go through"
Il passed through Deer Lodge and Mis-
soula."
"Are there any other towns on the
line?"
II dom recall any names, my memory
is very poor"
How long did it take you to make the
trip?"
About four months" .....
Chief Lavell here look a hand in the
examination and asked Garrison If he
had not been in Boulder, Basin and JET
ferson, working his short change enter
prise.
Never was in any Of the places. I new
err heard of them" was the answer.
IT will offer this letter." said the chief.
and the following from w. D. Talbot, Of
Jefferson City, dated August IA. was read
by the clerk:
There is an outfit headed toward your
city hat you may take ar interest in. He
is what you would call a short change
operator, and his plan is as follows: He
enters a place of business and as was the
case here, called for a. sack of oats, ETC.,
! amounting to $3.50 and rendered a $40 bill.
He was given his change, a SO and IS
piece Inc So. 20 in silver. The so went
into one pocket, the IS piece and the sill
yer in the other and his hand then came
in contact with a couple of silver dol
the change n should have given It, He
then adds the silver together and places
the IS bill with 1t and says you may need
the change, give me a SO bill, and when
the SO was laid on the counter and be-
fore the clerk had picked up the change,
he shoves the $40 back and a " Just
keep this $40 in change and give me a
$780, which was DONE. He Is rather cute
at first glance. I found upon checking up
that I was $40 short. and telegraphed the
sheriff at Boulder, who caught him at Ba-
sin and made him dig up. He is a man
about 5 feet 10, with dark eyes and will
weigh 160 pounds or less, rather muddy
complexion and is driving a bay horse to
a spring wagon, with a woman and child
following in a buggy"
The reading of the letter staggered Gar
rison, because the description fitted him
exactly and he account of his method
described the game he worked at the sa-
loon here precisely. He soon recovered