The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-08-10
SLICK MAN AT SHAWNEE
Negotiated Bale or Two Of Checks
With Trustful Merchants.

WIN iFHSNlut mcFCndnNs-
Shawnee, o. T. August s.-The people OF
this city. until a few days ago. had the
faith that would move mountains IN their
fellow man Today Il Is down % low
water mark, and they haven't got enough
Of IL 10 move the pin feather Of a nnosqui-
to's gossiInar wing. The fault lies with
one by the name OF Murray. and the story
is told as follows in the Quill.
For some time past a man named J.
II. Murray has been engaged in the con-
struction OF the cement crossings under
the contractor. II. C. Newcombe. and act
ing. II is reported. as a sort Of boss or
foreman. and assuming. as he did, great
deal OF authority. IL is little wonder that
people regarded him as being somewhat
responsible. and. as the sequel shows,
some people did believe in his honesty and
authority. for Tuesday evening he made
a shashia around town with q little string
OF checks payable TO himself and pur-
porting 10 have been signed ny New
combe The first which was for SIS. Witch
IL is stated ne offered 10 the Lehman
Hardware company. but when that nrm
turned it Down he later unloaded Il on
John Quinby.
HIS next appearance Is reported 70 be
az the dry goods house Of Madden. Jar
rell & Gee. where ne flashed a check SINH
larly drawn and signed for $Se. which
that firm obligingly csshed for him.
These two transactions put him s1o5 10
the good. but Mr.. Murray still had To-
sources in the way Of negotiable pap-r
and late in the evening he stepped into
tering the genial proprietor. Al Brown %
that place. he sprung one OF these same
kind Of checks for $50 stating that he
wanted some cash 70 pay the men work
ing under him in the construction Of
street crossings. and Mr.. Brown. krs wing
that Mr. Newcombe was the contractor.
and recognizing Murray as being in that
gentlemsn's employ and working right
there in front OF his place OF business.
readily plankcd out the City plunks and
put the check which Murray indorsed IN
the cash drawer. and. as he says. thought
no more about Il until the next day when
Mr.. Newcombe came ia him and told him
without being asked for Information that
the check was forgery.
This interested Mr.. Brown 20 the ex-
tent Of causing him 10 sally forth % the
bank. and. sure enough. there he met a
turn down. for the banker told him
that his check was no good there. and
then It dawned upon him that ne was the
victim OF slick forger and that the
knowledge gained had cost him exactly
So. no more, no less.
Up 10 this time the fellows operations
had caused no stir IN financial and bust
ness circles but shortly after the returns
began TO come IN and Mr. Brown found
that there were some more bag holders
and that. notwithstanding his loss. he had
company. and x is a maxim that misery
loves company he was still sore enough
70 make "a kick. and this he registered
variously and without qualification and
all to the effect that what he wanted was
his money back
After repeated visits 70 the banks and
several conferences one Of the parties
'bHked" financially went before a jus
tice Of the peace and swore out a war
rant for Murray. charging plain 'forg-
cry
1t is reported here today that this IL
not Murrays first exploit and that he has
a pal in the Oklahoma county iaU on a
criminal charge. but whether that be true
or not one hing IS certain. and that Il
that the crafty fellow got IN his work IN
good shape and ara quite well with his
short experience IN Shawnee