The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-11-21
FoReER,s FRIENDS COME TO HIS
RELIEF.
WILL SETTLE ALL CLAIMS
Uncle Of Prisoner Arrives from the
East Prepared to Make
Good.
From Thursdays Daily Gazette.

From Thursdays Daily Gazette.
Dependent largely upon the pleas
ure of those whom he victimized is
the success of the efforts now max
ing to restore Phillip ,Doremus Wat
kins to liberty and permit him to re-
join the faithful wife who is waiting
for him at Omaha.
This morning Edwin B. Goodall,a AN
uncle Of the forger, arrived in the
city and shortly afterward took steps
to accomplish the object of his mis-
sion, to secure the release of his
nephew. Mr.. Goodall halls from
Montclair, N. j., and is acting partly
on his own account and in behalf of
the father of Watkins. He had a
conversation with Watkins, whom he
visited at the county Jail, and after
ward also talked with Mr.. Bennig-
hoff, whom Watkins defrauded out of
a considerable sum by inducing him
to cash a spurious check, and sub.
sequently called on Attorney John
ston, whom Watkins retained as his
lawyer at the time of his arrest, some
time last September.
Mr.. Goodall stated that If the mat
ter could be settled with the parties
who had honored the bogus checks
issued by Watkins he stood ready to
make good the various amounts, ag-
gregating between $1,70O and $1,000,
and scattered over a number of states,
from Massachusetts on the east to
California and Oregon on, the west
So far as Mr.. Bennington is con.
cerned the matter can be easily ad.
iusted. but he insists that all other
claims must be paid. To this propo.
sition Mr.. Goodall has given his con
sent, saying that it would be useless
: to compromise with n of his
nephew's victims and not with all, fol
he would be rearrested on. complaint
of the others, or at least some of them
In case all the others agree arrange
ments will probably be made as soor
as possible to reimburse all h have
been taken in by Watkins, but if any
of them refuse to settle it is very
likely that none will be paid.
This afternoon Mr.. Goodall and MI
Johnston arranged to have a confer
ence with County Attorney Hathhorl
in regard to the matter and ascertain
if he is willing to drop the proceed
ings against the prisoner. TO Th'
Gazette Mr.. Hathhorn said today tina
SO far as he was concerned he hat
no objection, in fact he could not yer.
well see what else he could do thai
to consent to a dismissal, for it tn
complaining witness declined to az
pear, any prosecution institutes
against the prisoner would undoubt
eddy fail,
1t is also likely that Mr.. Goodal
will go to Miles City and see Judg'
Loud in regard to the matter and OF
tain his consent that the case shat
not be carried n further.
On his way to Billings Mr.. Goodal
stopped at Omaha and called on tn
wife of his nephew, being anxious t
see what sort of a woman she wa
who would consent to marry a ma
on the short acquaintance she seen
ingly had with his nephew befor
their marriage. The interview ev
IDENTIFY was satisfactory to him, as n
has spoken of her in the highes
terms since his arrival n declare
that as far as he could learn she
all that she should be and m
an eminently respectable family. Sh
is as deeply in love with her husban
as ever and declares that if he is r.
leased she will return to him.
The feeling she e%ntertains for Wa
kins is reciprocated and he also say
that if he manages to get out of n
present predicament he will go
her at once and do anything
further disgrace her or himself.
e. T. CLARK SUICIDES.