Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-10-25
The KANE SWlNDLE.
A Second Man Placed Under Arrest
IN Memphis, Missouri.
THOUGHT IOBE BOGUSNOIARYpUBLIC
is Farmer and Has Lived Near Mem
phis for Seven Years-sonner, Alias
Barton, Who Worked the Deal in OF
tumwa Came From Same Place.

A farmer named Thomas l. Senter,
has been placed under arrest at Mem
pms, Mo-, charged with being an &C
complice of P. c. Bonner, alias Parker,
allas Barton, the man who fieeced John
II. Kane, of Eldon, to the tune of $500
by means of bogus mortgage, and
also the Iowa State Savings bank, of
Fairfield,ou of 81, 50O,an many others
IN the state. Senter Is thought to be
the man who identified Bonner or Bar
ton at Sigourney, thereby inducing G..
u. Johnson, of that place, to acknowl-
edge an instrument necessary in the
completion of the scheme Whereby
Kane was to be induced to part with
his money. He is also thought to be
the bogus notary public who acknow-
lodged another instrument which Bon
ner, alias Barton executed, which was
also necessary in the deal. 1t has de-
yeloped that Bonners real name is
John N. Edwards and that he left
Memphis twenty-three years ago.
Senter has lived on a farm near
Memphis for seven years and is sup
posed to have aided Edwards in his
deals for long time.
The circumstances attending the
Kane deal in short are about as fol-
| lows:
In December, 1898, man came to
c. E. Norton, of this city, alleging that
he was about to trade for a Wapello
county farm and needed money to
stock the place. He desired Mr.. Nor
ton to procure loan for him. These
matters came up in Mr.. Norton's bust
ness every day, and the man appeared
to be substantial farmer, so Mr.. Nor
ton undertook to procure the money.
In the course of time, Mr.. Norton hap
pened to be in Eldon. He saw John
R. Kane, who asked him, it is said, if
he knew where a good loan could be
procured. Mr. Norton related the cir
cumstances to him of the deal the
farmer, who said his name was Barton,
desired. Kane came to Ottumwa, saw
Barton and eventually loaned the
money, taking as security a mortgage
upon the farm, which to all appear
ances was in Barton name. Shortly
prior to this Barton had gone to Sig
Quincy for the purpose of having an
instrument made out necessary in the
deal and was identified by man
named Smith, as being the person he
represented himself to be. Upon
Smiths representations c. G. Johnson,
Of Sigourney, we'll known lawyer, ac-
knOwledged the instrument, which was
placed on record. 1t was also neces-
sary that another instrument be exc
cuted in order to complete the deal.
Mrs. Belle Mccormick, Mr.. Nortons
sister. who is also in the office with
him, and is notary public, was asked
to take the acknowledgement, but re-
fused because she did know the man,
hence could not certify that he was
personally known to her to be the per-
son he represented himself to be.
Nothing dauntel Bonner alias Barton,
went to Morning Sun where the i2stru-
ment was duly acknowledged before a
notary public whose existence it has
since been learned is mythical and is
supposed to have been personated by
the farmer recently arrested near
Memphis under the name of Senter.
| Kane brought suit against Mr.. Nor
ton, who is entirely innocent of aiding
or abetting the crime, and the case is
still on the docket for trial.
The arrest of Bonner, alias Barton,
was accomplished at Greenfield in Sep
TENDER, when it is alleged he was en-
deavoring to work the same sort OF a
| game he worked both here and in Fair
| field He is now in Jail at the latter
place and doubtless will be confronted
with his alleged accomplice when the
case comes on for trial. Senter may
also be indicted on the same charge
that Bonner, alias Barton, is. Neither
party has been indicted in this county,
but as soon as the Fairfield authorities
get thru with them it is thought they
will be.