The Butte inter mountain., 1902-08-13
GENIAL ELK WHO WAS VICTIM OF
THE FAMOUS CANE sWINDLE is
WORRIED BY CASE.
FEDERAL LAWYERS SAY
He Is IN NO DANGER
Game Was Widely Worked and Govern
rnent Officials Are Among the Suckers
Made Postmaster General Payne
Cane and Gave Him a Pain When He
Found He Had Been Taken In.

- NasS the CHiteu otateS government
decides to prosecute the man or men who
nave been using the mails for fraudulent
purposes III connection with the Con
vet-made cane scheme, viii those who
have innocently assisted in the pcrpetra-
ton OF the fraud be held liable?
This question is likely to worry Harry
OGorman. the genial and much loved
Elk who presides over the Heilbronner
cigar cases. Harry is not consciously
guilty OF fraud, but was made one of the
victims through his well-known kind
heartedness and desire to do the Sanari-
tan act for the fallen and unfortunate.
AS stated i'll The Inter Mountain yes
tefday Harry was made one OF the vic
tiihs of the Convict who sent to him
cane with an Eln label on the upper
portion, and who signed hinself mo.
$500"
The name of Harry O'Gorman is known
wherever Eiks are known and he was
wholly unsuspicious when the Elk cane
came to him with the statement that the
maker had spent year devising i, while
in the Canon City, Colo, pententary.
His sympathies were at once enlisted and
he started a rattle scheme Immediately
among his brother Elks in order to help
swell tHc TClleI Iulu LOT Tie convict
who said he had got into prison through
having trouble with a Lhinaman and was
trying to raise money for new trial.
Cannot Hold O'Gorman.
Fortunately, when the exposure came
in The Inter Mountain, the cane had not
yet been disposed of and for this rca-
son it is not likely that the authorities.
even if they so desired. could hold the
warm-hearted Elk as an accessory
There is now no doubt OF the scheme
being big fraud. According to re-
ports from the East a number OF the
federal officers have been victimized by
the convict and it appears as if the
entire corps OF convicts in the Canon
City prison must be making canes out
of newspapers.
Postmaster General Henry c. Payne
was one OF the victims of the Convict"
and his predecessor. Charles Emory
Smith also received letters similar to
those sent to Harry O'Gorman, which
demonstrates that the scheme is an old
one, successfully worked.
Postmaster General Payne sent SIS to
the convict. who gave his name as "Ralph
Emery" Mr. Smith also purchased one
of the canes and placed it in the museum,
with copies of the letters from the Canon
City prison.
Mr.. Smiths cane was made OF cancelled
postage stamps and was one OF the Gu
riosities in the museum, beolg viewed in
its glass case by thousands who believed
that some poor lone convict had spent
a dreary year making the stick.
Complained to Authorities.
A Washington business man was another
of the victims of the fraud and it is
through his complaint to the assistant
attorney for the postol1ice department
that the federal authorities have been
called upon to act.
William L. Cochran, chief OF the in
spector division, has been directed to
investigate the case and there will un-
doubtedly be further developments.
In the opinion OF well-known federal
attorneys in Butte, Harry O'Gorman is
in no way liable as an accessory to the
fraud, the stand being taken that he is
also victim in company with the two
postmaster generals and the prominent
business men of the East.
AS a matter of fact, the cane now held
by the Butte Elk is increased in value
through the swindle, which is HxeN to
make this particular trophy a famous bit
of property in the days to come