Waterbury Democrat., 1901-10-08
BELDEN BOUND OVER.
Thought He Had Struck a Scheme to
 Make Money.

Make Money.
 Louis w. Belden, the reputed agent of the Law and Order league, was be- fore Judge Burpee in the city court this morning charged with blackmail- ing John F. Duncan, who keeps drug store at 24 East Main street. To the surprise of everyone present --e pleaded guilty, and then the impres- sion went around that, in view of the enormity of the crime he was charged with, the man did not realize his situ- alton.
 Mir Duncan was then sworn, and he stated his story briefly, which was to the effect that last Sunday evening Be1den calIed him to his door and ask ed him had he a license. Duncan re- piled that he had, to which Befden answered that he, Duncan, had not. Then Duncan said that if he had not, his registered clerk had, which was the same thing. Belden then said he was 1one of those fellows who were looking up violations of the Sunday law''
 You mean you are an agent of the Law and Order leagueg" asked Dun- can. Belden replied in the affirmative and that he did not wish hIs friends in the city to know of it. so, if Dun- can wished. he could settle with him for S35. This. said Belden, was the lowest amount 'they'' were allowed to settle for. About this time Ber- nard Reilly, a drug clerk, entered the drug store in which the conversation was now taking place. Duncan agreed to settle. and then laid the plan to catch the pretended agent of the Law and Order league. 1t was agreed to meet at the drug store at s o'clock the next morning. Duncan was not there at that time, but met Belden at 10 o'clock at the Franklin house, with the result that has already been pub lished-
 Be1den's story was to the effect that he came to town Saturday evening from Bristol. He met a Mir Haase of that place here and they had lunch to- gether. They agreed to start for home Sunday morning at s o'clock. Later he met friend. Mir Ariel. who lives on Meadow street. They had a drink or two and then they met a man named Henry Sherry, a meat cutter. The cOnSequence was that Belden did not go home Sunday morning. and about S:3O o'clock Sunday evening he found himself with empty pockets He was then standing near Duncan's drug store and it occurred to him to pretend that he had had drink there anu thus obtain a few dollars. He yielded to the temptation. It was his first fall from grace. he said.
 In answer to Judge Burpee's ques- tiOns. Belden said that he did not be- long to the Law and Order league and never did belong to it. He wrote long letter to Mir Ariel. informing him that he had become a member of the Law and Order league. but did not. send it. Though his home was in Tor rington he is employed in the Lock factory in Terryville His left eye still bore evidence of the blows he re- ceived Sunday night when standing near the ccrner of Phoenix avenue and East Main street. After pondering the evidence a few minutes the court bound him over under bond of $l,UOO to the superior court
 Belden is not the guileless, unfor- tunate man he pretended to be in the city court Jean Jacques is his cred itor to the amount of about $4O In the summer of 1900 Belden was in stalled as scorekeeper in the bowling alley at Forest park by Manager GiIlies One day when he was asked to turn in his receipts he replied that he had immediate business in town and would settle up, in the evening. That was the last seen of him until this summer, when he asked for his old place. He was informed he would have to pay what he took away last year. As in the year previous, he said he would return in the evening and do so. Nothing had been heard or him since then until his performance last Sunday
 Before he made his appearance in this city Belden was the advance" for his sister (name at present un- knownl who gives mind reading se- anees in small towns.