The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1901-1901, 1901-08-15
Smith Passes Some Checks
in Payment
RETIRE FOR VARIOUS THINGS
And Is Now Under Arrest in Spokane
Worked the Same Game in
Great Falls,

There are number of people of
this city who are mourning the visit of
smooth stranger who arrived in the
city Monday night AMI at once pro.
ceeded to make himself generally at
home. Monday night on the arrival
of No. a man giving his name as ].
A. Smith. accompanied by woman
whom he introduced as his wife, arriv-
ed in. the city from Great Falls and
going to the home OF Mr. and Mrs.
LAW secured rom etr a week. At
first Mrs. Law would not give them
room as they were strangers and
had no recommendations. but when
Mrs. Smith said she was a daughter
of Mrs. l.. E. Thompson, who runs a
millinery store on Main street, they
were given room.
Mr.. Smith said that he was a race
horse man and that he had made sew.
eral large winnings in Butte where he
had fine string of horses. He said
that he was thinking of bringing some
of his horses to this ci,y and that he
would try and introduce the racing
game in Kalispell He said that Mrs.
Laws son Guy would make fine
jockey and that he would train him
for that purpose. Mr. Smith was a
very smooth talker ani soon succeed
ed in making himself very much at
ease
The girl who told Mrs. Law she
was Mrs. Thompson's daughter was a
comparative stranger 10 the latter.
who had met her but once when she
was at Billings some time ago. While
at Billings Mrs. Thompson met this
Mrs. Smith, or Anna Recker, as she
was known there. who asked her If
she could give her position in her
store. A short time aga Mrs. Thomp-
son wrote to her saying that there
was position waiting for her and
asked her to come To Kalispell at
once.
Tuesday morning the Recker girl
walked into the store accompanied
by Smith and said that she didn't
have to work as she was married. She
introduced Smith as her husband and
said that they were married a few
days ago. Mrs. Thompson was sus-
picious Of the couple aud would have
nothing to do with them. When she
heard that Smith was introducing his
wife as her daughter she denied it and
told Smith not to come around her
place.
Yesterday afternoon while the cou-
pie were in the sitting room at her
store, Mrs. Thompson had occasion
to leave the room an when she re.
turned she noticed her pocket book
had been tampered with and that SO
was missing. At first she decided to
have them arrested. brt when they
said that they were golng to Spokane
last night she though. it would be
best to overlook the matter.
In the meantime Smith had visited
several places arounl town and
claimed that he was an old time friend
of Mrs. Thompson ami that his wife
was her daughter. After the banks
closed yesterday evening he went into
Conlon's and after purchasing goods
to the amount of SIS gave a check
made out to J. A. Davis on the Cas-
cade Bank of Great Falls and signed
by Joe Harschberger. cashier. AS he
was accompanied by Mrs. Thomp-
sons son and claimed that he was an
old friend of hers, no suspicion was
aroused and the check was taken.
AS it happened there was not
enough change at hand and a personal
check was given to make good the
deficiency About six O'clock together
with Mrs. Smith, he invited Mrs.
Thompson and friend to dinner at
the Model Cafe and in payment for the
meal rendered the check he had re-
ceived from Conlon's ard had no difi-
Guilty in getting the money.
Smith also tried to PASS a check for
$35 on Mrs. Thompson but she was
suspicious and declined 1t. When ON
the arrival of No. 3 they left for Spo-
kane it was supposed the last had
been heard of them. Webster. the
clerk who had waited on Smith In
Conlon's. saw in the Great Falls Tri-