Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1900-08-08
Not Only Purchaser the Moule Inter-
ests, But Those Of Halbert
and Pirrie.
LEWlSTOWN ATTORNEYS STRUNG
The Fellow Drew Many Checks But
Most Of Them Were Kept
in His Pocketbook.
anaconda Standard


Rossall, the man from Wyoming,
who makes a practice OF buying
ranches and bands OF sheep on an
imaginary fortune. passed through
this city in charge Of Sheriff Dunn, OF
Carbon county, and In now In Red
Lodge. When Rossall was arrested
in Choteau, just as he WINS about to
close a deal with George /. Smith for
about $4,000 worth OF property, he
requested that he be allowed to tele-
phone to the First National bank OF
this city and was taken to the public
telephone in Choteau, where he wait
ed about half an hour, and, %Ofcourse,
neither receiving or expecting an
answer, he was taken to jail, but his
big, fat, red pocketbook and his Car
bon county check book were missing,
nor could any search reveal their hid
ing place.
When Sheriff Dunn wentto Choteau
he was informed of Rossall's wait IN
the telephone office, and after repeat
ed search the books in question were
found c~unningly hid in some sawdust
under one of the desks in a back part
OF the room. Russall was watched
all the time while in the Office, and
how he succeeded In %concealing them
Is a mystery.
An investigation OF the contents OF
the fat. red pocketbook would indi-
cate that Mr.. Rossall contemplated n
visit to Wyoming, Pendleton, Ore,
and other western cities In the near
future, and had prepared himself by
communicating with the banks in
each place as a probable heavy de-
positor.
Evidently while herding sheep for
the Chamberlain Sheep Company ut
Geyser last spring he employed his
spare time in correspondence which
would in the future givehim Il stand
ing financially.
one letter is from the Cheyenne Ma
tional bank, dated Cheyenne, April
IL, 1900, and states that ! per cent. Is
paid on time deposits, and hopes for
future business. The letter is signed
j. IL. LOOMS, cashier, and is address
ell to plain Frank Russell. ON Apri
Is the First National bank OF Pendle
ton. Ore. wrote to f. Russell a long
letter, telling the price of ewes and
lambs after shearing season, and urg
ing Mr.. Russell to come at once; ms
the demand wHs very great, he might
get left fora chance on a sheep deal
which he evidently had in mind. Or
March >, 1900, the First National bani
of Portland wrote n very pleasant
letter regarding prices OF sheep anC
interest paid on deposits. This lettel
was addressed to Frank Eossall, In
stead OF Russell. Evidently there ar,
sellers Of ranches aud sheep ntheI
than those reported, as one Of thu
papers OF the fat, red pockctbook isl
memorandum ol an agreement Will
George Pirrle, of llalbert, Mont, il
which pirrie is to accept the sum q
/ 100000 for certain land, sheep an,
improvements described AMI lcayO
. that section of the country for al
time.
? The Cheyenne bank follows with
: very interesting array oitigures ust,
= Its financial condition, ana on Dec
: II, last, the Bank of Fergus count.
wrote George Alaman THAT was hi
name ut Iinlbcrtl informing him tina
e Mr.. Halbert would supply him wit
the banks draft blanks, and hOpin
to do business with him. George wa
= evidently going to make II draft ia
S5O,0OO for Mr.. Halbert's property.
l. Another memorandum is an agrcu
c ment made between George II. Brat
bury, OF Bercuil, Mont, and Jua
= Aleman, in which the party of Il
u second part agrees to purchase
q number Of posts and some building
= price not stated. \ receipt given /
IA the Carbon county bank for a $3.50
n draft on the Bank of Thermopoli
Wyo., IL another memento OF NJ
1t Rossalls Carbon county meteoric c
ir reer. 4 check book upon the Carb,
ID county bank is another, and q
ii stubs show that there were IL chccI
drawa for an amount aggregatiI
S96, 526.6i, although there is no ~
d dence that any of them have Ice
IN cashed, all of the larger ones bell
among the contents Of the fat, r
O. pocketboOk. The first checks w
IL drawn August 81, 1899, and Hen
Russell got the first five issued, aggI
~ eating Sl32. This was Mt CarbI
he and Russcl probably cashcd the.
to They were signed George Alcmau
L. The next check, No. g, is dated NJ
III. 1889, and Is drawn for $4,000
Ii favor Of L. /. MOule. IL Is sign
TO George Alemana, and did not rea
m Mr.. Moule's hands, being diverted
he to the stomach Of the fat, red peck
n book. This was probably to be I
or
~. ~AcrNDIN