The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-02-14
PASSING 1T CAUSES "CORDUROT
JACK" TROUBLE.
SERIOUS ENDING OF SPREE
Owl Saloon Advances Money On Pa
per That Bank P~ionounces
Forgery.
From Wednesdays Daily Gazette.

From Wednesdays Daily Gazette.
Jack Morris, better known as Cor.
duroy Jack is in the county Jail on
Inc charge of having uttered forged
Paper.
The prisoner was arrestea yesterday
morning by Street Commissioner
keene on complaint of Mr.. Reynolds,
assistant cashier of the First National
bank, to whom the alleged forged
check was presented by the victim
of Morris, should it prove that there
has been a victim.
Morris has been employed by Ru-
dolph Mott, the Lake Basin sheepman,
and arrived in the city Monday even
ing, coming down on the Bridger train.
He signalled his advent by an imme-
date liberal patronage of the various
drink emporiums and speedily spent
what money he had, said to have been
about $50 or $35 The accumulation of
a Jag in proportionate ratio was the
second result of his liberality, but gen.
erous as his load seemed to be, he
had confidence in his capacity to carry
more and made various efforts to add
to it on the credit system. In this he
was not very successful although
drought no fault of his own. The bar
tenders refused to be seduced by his
Establishments.
Caught the Owl.
Among the places he %patronized was
the Owl saloon in North Twenty
seventh street and it was here that he
passed the alleged forged check. At
ter repeated attempts to get '.just
n more" and not succeeding he left
the place. but soon returned and pre-
sented a check to the bartender for
$50. made payable to himself on the
First National bank and bearing what
purported to be the signature of Mr..
Mott. He did not ask for the full
amount. saying he wanted only $40.
This was given him and early yester-
day morning returned and received S.
more, after which he disappeared and
was see no more.
AS soon as the bank opened for bus !
mess yesterday morning the check
was presented to Mr.. Reynolds, who at
once pronounced it a clumsy attempt
at forgery and refused to honor it. A
description Of the man who had passed
it was given to Mr.. Reynolds and he
went out after an officer. Not finding
a policeman. he notified Mr.. Keene
n the latter soon found Morris in a
saloon on the south side and arrested
him and turned him over to the sher-
if, who locked him up,
Makes No Statement.
AS far as can be learned the prison
er made no statement when arrested
n 1t is not known whether he COM
mltted the alleged forgery or employ
ed some n else to do the work. The
check is written in green ink, some
thing unusual, as ink of that color is
not IN common use, and it is believed
by some that Norris had the paper in
his possession before he came to town
The endorsement is in black ink and
1t Toes not take a very great stretch
OF the imagination to perceive a mark
ed similarity between the endorsement
n the writing in the body of the
check, although a very apparent eff
fore was made to make them dissim-
liar.
A letter found in the possession Of
the prisoner when searched at the
Jail makes it possible that his name
is not Morris. The letter was ad-
dressed to Maurice RObenit" and
evidence Of having been carried
In the pocket for some time,