The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1901-1901, 1901-08-17
CREDIT FOR
LOCAL COPS
They Captured Davis Who Is
Badly Wanted
THE CASCADE OFFICERS
Were Too Slow-Davis Returns Tonight
Without Requisition.
Be Held Here.
THE CASCADE OFFICERS

According to the Great Falls Tri-
bune, the capture of ]. G. Davis, who
operated in this city under the name
of Smith, was a good piece of work on
the part of the officials of Cascade
county, but to anyone familiar with
the facts of the case it is hard to see
just where any glory belongs to the
officers of that county.
After Davis, or Smith, had worked
in Great Falls and left the town, leav-
ing behind a number of worthless
checks, he came ulrect to this city,
where, if the Olncers had been warn
ed to be on the lookout for him, ne
could have been nabbed, before doing
any crooked work. According to the
Tribune the Great Falls officials had
warned the authorities here to keep
a sharp lookout for him, when as a
matter of fact, no such warning had
been received.
Sheriff H. E. Benner of Cascade
county arrived IN the city last night
to take Davis back to Great Falls, but
it is probable he will have to return
empty handed as the criminal will
lave to stand trial for his little work
in this city. AS the penalty for crimes
of this kind ranges from one to II
years IN the penitentiary, 1t will prob
ably be some time before Mr.. Smith
will have another opportunity to pass
any more checks.
When Davis, or Smith, arrived in
this city no warning had been receiv-
ed to be on the lookout for him and
that he is captured is owing to the
good work of the officers here. He
claimed that he was an old friend OF
Mrs. L. E. Thompson and that his
wife was her daughter, when as mat
ter of fact, Mrs. Thompson had never
seen him before and had only met his
wife once. When Mrs. Thompson was
told that the couple were using her
name she grew wrathy and ordered
them to leave. After Davis had pass
ed the SOS check on Conlon's he in
vited Mrs Thompson and another
lady to dinner with himself and wife,
and in payment cashed the $25 Chez.
he received from the K. M. company.
On returning from the restaurant he
asked Mrs. Thompson to cash a $35
cheek for him, which she refused to
do
That Davis was captured so easily,
is owing to the early morning fire on
the west side. Mr.. Webster on the ar
rival of No. 3, read in the Great Falls
paper an account of how the mer-
chants of that city had been victimizeu
by smooth talking Stranger. The
similarity of the manner in which the
work was done in Great Falls and the
method used in buying the goods and
getting the checks cashed in COnlon's
struck him, and he became suspicious
that all was not right. At the fire
~Do"S o'oV - Ill, lac AuOl 1/OulC
klenck and others from the store and
told his suspicious. Officer Tom
Hannah was summoned and the check
was examined and declared to be
forgery. Mrs. Thompson was awak-
ened and being able to give good de-
scription of the couple, the conductor
of No. 3. on which they had left Kalis-
pell for Spokane, was notified to be
on the lookout for them and on arriv-
al in that city to have them arrested.
The chief of police at Spokane was
notified to arrest them on arrival of
tue train, which was done.
Undersheriff Mccarthy will return
tonight with the prisoner who agreed
to return without requisition papers.
The credit for the capture is due en-
tirely to the local authorities and in
nowise belongs to the sheriff's office
of Cascade county as the Tribune
tries to make out.
Boys Bicycle Stockings zoe pair,
at the Notion Store.