The Oskaloosa herald., 1901-07-11
A SMOOTH GANG.
Police Round Up a Gang of
Clever Crooks.

The Oskaloosa police have rounded
up gang ofclever crooks. The game
worked by them is the passing of
Mexican bills and coins which are
worth in this county but about half
of their face value. The workers go
into place where there is rush.
They will make a nominal purchase
and present five dollar Mexican
bill in payment. The bill is invariably
laid down back up and should the
clerk be rushed or inexperienced the
bill will be mistaken for five dollar
William" of the United States al
most invariably.
The game was successfully worked
at the north side drug store and at
Lem Swearingen's saloon whore five
dollar bills were passed and change
received for the same. The police
were notified and description of the
man who did the work was obtained.
The officers had little difficulty in
locating the fellow. He acknowledged
that he had passed the bill and gave
the further information that he had
secured it in crap game with a
fellow at the fair ground. He said
the man had plenty more of the same
kind of money. He claimed to be in
nocent of any wrong intention and
if the police would release him he
would do all he could to locate the
man of whom he had received the
coin. Officers Moore and Seibert
went to the grounds and were not
long in finding the party said to have
paid the money in game. He was
arrested and searched and in his
possession were found nine Mexican
five dollar notes and $3.50 Mexican
money. He also has two ten dollar
bills of American money besides
some small change. The man who
was first arrested gave his name as
Harry Allen and the one with the
roll of bills gave the name of F. R.
Robinson. Allen was released and
was to appear against Robin son at
his trial.
Allen claimed to the officers that
he had met Robinson for the first
time in the crap anne where the So
bill showed up and that he did not
know him beyond the acquain lance
gained in the game. The man gave a
bond for his appearance as a witness
against Robinson and was released.
Officer Jake Seibert had been work
ing on the case and was not entirely
satisfied that the man Allen was
telling straight story. He went to
work on the case again. He sue
ceeded in getting bit Conformation
from a young man about twenty
years of age who gives the name OF
L. O. Mann, No. 1884 Forestview
avenue, South Chicago. This boy in,
formed Mr.. Seibert that the man
Allen was an accomplish of the pris-
oner Robinson and that there was
also a woman in the case. She had
gone to Mexico after big roll of the
money and that it was the intention
to food this part of the country with
the stuff and then get to California
Mann asserted that Allen, had come
to him and told him that he had tC
appear in the case against Robinson
but was DESTROYS of getting a certain
grip out of the city. If he, Mann
would take the grip to Marshalltowr
and wait there with it until the case
was over he would give him seventy
five dollars.
The police managed to get posses
sion of the grip and to get more in
formation out of the boy. Allen wa
arrested and locked up. The griE
contained among other things bal
of Mexican silver to the amount o
SAT- In dollar and half dollar coins.
The prisoners may be found guilty
of passing the foreign money. In thu
light of state statutes the act is {
very trivial offense and is punishable
by only fine OF Ave dollars. WheI
the money is passed there is no repre-
sentation that 1t is other than wha
it actually is, and il the person give
the holder any amount for the bill
there is no crime In the act. Their
is no fraud or false pretense and thu
only sentence against the offender
is the five dollar tine for each attemp
made to pass the foreign money.
That the gang should be stopped il
their work is certain, but it appear
that there is nothing in the state Law
that will reach them.
| The young man was not held bu
was permitted to go on his way thi
morning. The boy is sort of I
Jockey and race track follower.
The case was set for hearing Wed
nesday, July 10, before the mayor
but there has been change of venu,
asked for and will be granted.
Summer complaint is unusually preya
-. 4 Il ~. II