The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-01-14
BATTLE SCARED HERO PASSES
BOGUS CHECK.
KING FOR THE COAST
Philippine Veteran Plays Decidedly
Scurvy Trick On Several
Confiding Ones.

All of the usual methods of com
munication were brought into use yes
teray by the sheriff's office in an en-
deavor to obtain information as to the
whereabouts of M. Van Camp, who is
wanted" for forgery.
Besides having raised a sum OF mon.
ey on bogus paper, the missin, IN
is also accused of having approp lat
ed vIlious articles of value belong
ing &C others, men who befriended
him. j.. C.. McCune, proprietor of the
depot lunch counter, is the victim OF
Van Camps alleged forgery and as
he figures it, is "out" about $55 in
cash. Another man is minus a vaiu-
able buffalo robe and still another
a shotgun.
Has Military Record.
Van Camp had been about the city
well known to a number of persons.
He served in the Philippines and was
twice wounded, once in the leg and
once in the arm. While here he was
not known to do much of anything
and gave it out that he was expect
ing money from the government, sew
eral hundred dollars, he said, for ar
rearage of pay, or pension, as others
seem to have understood it. Among
those with whom he had established
friendly relations was Mr.. McCune,
as he boarded with him. Consequent
ly when he presented a check last
Saturday evening p%urporting to have
been issued in favor of himself and
signed by E. K. Reynolds, whom he
represented as a well known horse
man, Mr.. McCune promptly honored
it The check was for $65, but Van
Camp did not want it all in money.
He accepted $55 in cash and took
meal tickets for the balance.
The check was drawn on the First
National bank, and as Mr.. McCune is
acquainted with j. E. Reynolds, whom
he believed had issued it, he gave no
further thought to the matter until
yesterday morning when he present.
ed the check at the bank and was
told that it vas a forgery. He then
notified the sheriff and inquiry for
Van Camp was instituted. It was
learned that he had left the city Sun
day morning, driving a team and bug
gy belonging to Lon Heath and had
taken a western direction.
Left Team at Laurel.
Laurel was M of the places COM
municated with and information was
received that Van Camp had appeared
there with the team, which he left at
a livery stable, and had then boarded
a westbound passenger train. The
station agent wired that Van Camp
had secured a permit from him to
ride on No. 81, a freight, and bought
a ticket for Livingston, but before the
freight could arrive the passenger
had shown up and at variance with
it's usual order had stopped and Van
Camp had left on it. He took the
robe and other bedding, which he had
in the buggy, and also carried what
appeared to be a gun wrapped in a
blanket.
Owing to the ~lateness of the hour
when the sheriff was notified it was
thought that the missing nan had had
time to get beyond the borders Of the
state. unless he laid over at Living
ston for the purpose of trying to sell
the robe and gun and get more money.
The team that he drove was one
that Mr.. Heath had intended to turn
out TO pasture sometime ago, out at
the request of Van Camp he permitted
him to have the use of it, Van Camp
saying he would pay for keeping the
animals. Since his departure it has
that he failed to pay the
liyeryman at whose barn the horses
were kept and a considerable bill is
due him for boarding them.
Since the alleged forgery has been
reported it ome to light that Van
Camp attempted to pass a check, pre-
sumably forged, on Yegen Bros. Sat
urday night, but failed, as the firm
refused to cash it.
Bring your shoe repairing to Post