The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-09-04
BRIDEGROOM A FoReER.
Queer Case of q Contractor From
PaWnee, Oklahoma.

Hutchinson. Kan. Sept. 3.-Further de-
tails of the Sylvia forgery case and the
events leading up TO it have been learned
during the past few days and Sheriff
Long now knows for a certainty the iden-
tity OF the young man who signed the
name Of Harold Pierce to a bogus check
last week and made . miraculous escape
from Santa Fe train runng forty miles
a nhour, by jumping from a window. The
forgcr's name is Rudolph Chl and he is
a man of property and good standing in
Oklahoma. according to Sheriff Long.
Uhl was married to a charming girl.
of splendid family at Pawnee. O. T, only
two weeks before the Sylvia trouble and
the two were on their wedding trip bound
for California. Thl is a contracting stone
mason and had Just completed a big job
at Guthrie and had his profits in his
pocket. He had s2oo or $500 in money
BESIDES a draft when he left Pawnee.
Ills wife's brother saw the rol! of bills
he had when his newly made brother-in-
law was paying a bill and vouches for
this statement. He made some remark
to the new bridegroom about carrying his
money 50 carelessly and Uhl remarked
that he could be robbed of that and still
be all right. as he had a draft he could
cash. Nevertheless he put the money
away more carefully and with the bride
started on a wedding trip
The pair visited relatives in Kingman
during the cattlemen's convention ard
Uhl was devoted TO his bride After
spending a week there the couple came TO
Hutchinson. They We're here only a lit
tie while and went TO Sylvia. Uhl telling
his wife that there was a wreck on the
read and they would have to stop there
for awhile. 1t was here that he cashed
the forged check. admitting to his wife
that he did so because he was out Of
money. The arresting officer found no
money on him excepting the proceeds
of the check Since he had left Pawnee
his roll of bills had disappeared and the
draft which he claimed to have had.
What had become of it he did not ex-
plain to his wife or the officers and his
wife was unable TO throw any light upon
the matter.
The strange feature of the case is that
Uhl should have resorted to forgery
merely because he was out Of money. He
could have borrowed any sum needed 10
complete his wedding journey 10 Cali
fcrnia. He has been the chum OF
brother OF the girl he married for years,
and might have appealed TO him. He has
always borne the very best reputation.
and had nothing but a few dollars 10 gain
and everything 10 lose by such q venture.
and he must have been under some great
mental strain 20 resort to such a methed
OF getting ready money.
Another thing that his relatives can
give no explanation for is how he got rid
OF so much money SO quickly lie had no
bad habits. did not gamble, had net been
separated from LIS bride since their mar
riase for longcr than Two hours az a time.
snd apparently there had been no oppor-
tunity for him 70 get separated from 50
much money. But by his own confession
he had lost i in some way. and in 3 man
ner apparently that made him shrink
from letting his wife know his true situ-
alton. and which prevented him from ap-
pealing 70 her brother who fo- many
years had been RS chuH. The case is the
most remarkable fr this respect with
which She-ia Long hiss had - deal
strange feature Of Tire affair is that
the yeung wife INN 1edin1e.y won the es-
teem Of TIE people ~ Sylvia. whom Ter
husband had victirnized. They believed in
her from the start. and when she said she
had relatives II Kingman. and told who
they were. thcy made uc purse and sent
hd- there. 50 great IS their sympathy
for her thar L IS very probable that i
UhI would come ous of hiding he would be
able 20 escape very l.gh,ls ou her account .
The check is for lcss Than SCI. and foT a
cosnuaEative.y tviairs sum he coala sat
.sfy the financial obligations attached u
ths forgery. and il IS more than liEcly
that the case worlt nos Pc vigorously
pushed. In any eveat TIE people Il
Sylvia have only the s5a5uest feelings
toward the young wife. v.o comes fro-a
q most excellent family. IS tse iceal or F
cers hc7e vel i.noE. and who IS crushed