The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-06-06
Mr., WEST IN Tolls
Man Accused of SwindIing
Old Soldiers Caught
He HAD A BIG GRAFT
Was Lavish in Promises and
Shy in Performances

Harry Goldsbery Of Kingman, passed
through this city last evening with a
man under Arrest whom some of the old
soldiers at Kingman viii be glad TO see.
The old boys In blue have a desire TO land
this particular individual in the peniten-
tiary for obtaining money from them
under circumstances that they think was
not honest.
The man under arrest was known at
Kingman last spring as William West
and some of the old soldiers at AIulvane
claim that they knew the same individual
as Steve Leatherby. Whatever his
name Mr.. GoIdsbury claims he has got
the individual wanted at Kingman and
at Mulvane He was arrested at FAN
River in this state, where he was playing
the same game on the old soldiers that
he played at lKingman and AIulvane.
William E. West came to Cheney last
spring and represented that he was from
Mankato, Minnesota, ard that he had
just sold a farm near that place for 3d.
900 and had left the money in the bank
at Mankato. He was also the owner of a
large number OF fine wool sheep and he
which to Craze his sheep. There was
an old soldier or two at Cheney who had
known William z. West in the army
This gave West standing and he con
tracted several farms, some Of which
were over the line in Kingman county.
There was nothing about Mr.. West that
ought to have aroused suspicion. He
would borrow small amounts of money
from the people Of whom he contracted
land to be repaid when his money arrived
from Mankato. He also had a pleasant
habit of promising TO make presents to
the families of the men Of whom he Dor
rowed small amounts. He promised sew
eral new dresses and suits Of clothes and
several parrots that were famous lin
gusts. They could talk all the languages
to suit the persons to whom he intended
to give them
He came to Wichita one day with one
Of his victims 70 meet his family and
several carloads Of sheep that he ex-
pected to arrive here from Minnesota.
They went to the Santa Fe depot where
Mr. West was taken i'll. His Cheney
friend went out TO hunt for a physician
and when he returned his friend, West,
could not be found. That wasa few DAYS
before Easter Sunday There were broad
hints of foul play at the time but it was
afterwards found that West took the
next train for Mulvane where he repeated
his story about the sale Of the farm.
1t was rather singular that man
would attempt the same game in two
towns so close together, but he made it
win. Strange as It may seem when he
went to Mulvane and said his name was
Steve Leatherby, an old soldier at that
place knew Steve like a book. Steve re-
minded him of so many circumstances
Of their service in the same regiment that
the A1ulvane man remembered him dis
tinctly, but now he is wondering how
he did it.
The contracting of the farms and the
promising of presents among which the
parrots were conspicuous was repeated
at Mulvane. Nobody seemed to doubt
the integrity of Steve Leatherby It was
only another evidence of the fact that
honest people are less likely to suspect
double dealing in others. One day Mr.
Leatherby told his Mulvane friends that
he was coming TO Wichita 10 meet his
family and that cargo Of fine sheep That
night large number of Old soldiers were
at the depot at Mulvane to meet their
new found friend and his family, but
from that day TO this they never heard
a word from Steve Leatherby.
Probably when William 2. West, whose
real name is unknown is arraigned in
the Kingman county district court he will
be called upon to explain all about his
valuable farm IN Mankato, Minnesota.
When it comes TO that how the old sol
diers in Kingman would be surprised if
it turned out that he really had the farm.
It might even surprise Mr.. West himself,
If it turned out that wat.