Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1901-11-14
WICHITA CO. sHALH VERY RICH

WICHITA co. SHfAksE VERY RICH.
A Smooth SwindIeP Made @. w.
Brown Think So and Thereby
Hanss Tale.
Story of smooth CRATER from
the Oakley Graphic: George Wash
ington Brown is the name of a we'll
to-do farmer and cattle man of ma
ture years who resides several miles
north of Coronado in Wichita coun-
ty. On the week before last he
marketed a load of cattle in Kansas
City. His wife, who accompanied
him to Kansas City, proceeded to
Ohio to visit relatives. On his re-
turn via the Missouri Pacific he was
accosted by smooth stranger who
represented that he was the possess
or of secret process by which gold
could be extracted from Trego |
county shale. The stranger gave
the name of Wilcox and announced
that the shale of Logan and Wichita
counties was far superior to that of
Ellis county. Mr.. Brown readily
agreed with him, as the proposition
was one of his own pet theories.
The stranger and his wife, or wo-
man who pretended to occupy that
relation, got off at Ness City, but he
had in the meantime arranged to go
to Wichita county to see Browns
gold fields. In few days he turn
ed up, and he and Brown went out
prospecting. The results were SIM
ply marvellous, and Mr.. Brown was
presented with small nugget worth
about IS cents from the first half
pound of shale analysed. They
were both delighted with their find
and lost no time in coming to Rus
sell Springs and filing upon several
quarters of government land before
Judge Camp. They then went to
Denver to purchase mining outfit,
which consisted of chemicals"
and for which Brown had to make a |
trip from Denver to Leoti to get
more money, and the outfit, which
has turned out to be worth about
sI.4o. was shipped to Winona by
express. Brown paid all the bills.
Acting on the advice of Mr.. Wilcox
CD he also gave it out that they
were going to put in 20, 900 head of
sheep in the south part of Logan
coenty. Brown wentto Wa-Keeney
on some business connected with
his filing on Monday morning, and
on Monday evening wired Wilcox to
come down on the train. Wilcox
did not come, so Brown came to
Winona Tuesday morning. 1t did
not take him long to find out that
his partner had been suddenly called
away. He then began to make in
quiries, and afterwards explanations.
Upon taking an inventory he found
that he was out just S536.so, and
that he had the sum of SIoI remain
| ing from the sale of his cattle. He
is also in possession of the gold
nugget, which he had mounted upon
pin when in Denver.
He has taken no action as yet
looking to the apprehension of the
clever swindler. Wilcox is a man
of perhaps IS or 40 years of age.
He has a smooth face, and if his
beard grows for several days, very
black, stubby beard, regular featur-
es, dark eyes and hair, about five
feet or inches tall, and weighs
about 100 pounds. When last seen
he wore a square cut, blue serge
suit, and laundered colored shirt
with white collar.-Mail and Breeze.
Twenty-one county treasurers of
the state assembled in Topeka We'd
nesday in their annual meeting.
There is one topic of general inter-
est to the holders of these Offices in
Kansas this year and that is the
probable manner in which the bien-
nial election law will effect them.
This matter was taken up and a
committee of three of which Captain
H. M. Phillips was chairman, was
appointed to confer with J. D. Nc
Farland on the eligibility of second
term officers to serve during the ex-
ira year occasioned by passage of
the new election law. At the night
meeting the election of officers was
held. The officers of the past year,
who presided at this session, are J..
NJ. Clark of Brown county, presl-
dent, and Miss K. E. Johnson of
of Norton, secretary and treasurer.
Mail and Breeze.