The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-11-05
lis AFTER BIG GAME.
HE DEALS ONLY WITH LAWYERS
AND BANKERS.
He MAY BE COMING TO BUTTE
Pinkerton's National Detective Agency
Sends Warning to Financial Houses
and Attorneys Here-Kansas
People Beaten.

Banking houses and many of the at
torneys in Butte this morning received
from Pinkertons National Detective
agency circulars explaining the opera
tions and giving a personal description
of an alleged swindler who may be head
ed towards Butte.
The operations Of the individual in
Kansas We're Of sufficient Importance to
engage the attention of the detective
agency which represents the American
Bankers association. The smooth man
who is giving the officers so much trouble
travels under several aliases, his real
name seeming to be Edwin H. Royce.
Royce apparently has an eye to the
irony of fate in his dealings with people
whom he desires to beat. for he makes 1t
his special purpose to dupe lawyers and
bankers.
Not After Farmers.
No Posey county farmers attract the
attention Of Edwin. He passes them by
with swift naughty air and HES him
self to the Office of an attorney. where
he lays down plan that will allow him
to get away few dollars to the good
after he has cashed his idea at bank.
Royce is described as about IS years Of
age. nearly feet high and of light COM
plexion. In the days when he had not
checked up his brains carefully enough
to discover that he could make living
without working for it. he was a mer-
chant.
AS yet no statement concerning
Royce's temperament is at hand. 1t Is
not known whether he would like a great
altitude or not. but as he seems to have
a wonderful fondness for money 1t is sus
pected that he may be coming towards
Butte with a new brand Of hot air.
Text Of the Circular.
lawyers from melting away under the
warm current of the stranger and letting
go of their money the detective agency
has sent out circular and this is the
way it reads, in part:
Acting for the American Bankers
association, we take this means of warn
ing you of the operations of one Edwin
H. Royce, alias Horace G. Winders, alias
George F. Tappen, who has swind1ed
banks and attorneys in several Of the
western states. The following brief ac-
count Of his operations at Topeka, Kas.,
will illustrate his method:
Calling upon a prominent firm of at
torneys, August "a, he introduced himself
as Edwin H. Royce, stated that he was
in partnership with his brother George
| H. Royce. at Pardee, Kas., where they
jointly owned general merchandise
store, horses, wagons, cattle, ETC., and
added that, as they did not get along
we'll together he desired the attorneys
to negotiate the sale of his interest to
his brother for which he was willing to
accept $500.
Calls Upon Attorneys.
"The attorneys wrote to Pardee the
same day, and Royce. as George H.
Royce, secured the letter and called upon
reputable firm Of attorneys, at Atch-
ison, to whom he explained that he was
about to purchase his brothers interest
in their joint business for $500.
"He said that his brother had agreed
by telephone to accept certified check
on the National bank Of St. Joseph for
5000 and a note for 5000 for the balance.
These he presented. and requested that
they be forwarded to his brothers attor-
neys at Topeka, with contract and bill
Of sale for the signature Of Edwin H.
Royce. This was done and when, August
%, he appeared at Topeka as Edwin H.
Royce, he found the papers awaiting
| him.
"After protesting some dissatisfaction
that the note did not call for any inter-
est he decided to accept the settlement.
At his solicitation the attorneys agreed
| to hold the note for safe keeping and in
troduced him at a nearby bank where
he cashed the check. When the check
returned protested. Royce had disap-
| peared."