The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1904-12-09
John Cook, of Oakley, Vctiml=ed by
Smooth Pair.
From the Saginaw Courier Herald.

City, going under the alias of 7. Il.
Hamilton, and representing himself to
be member of New York law firm
called on John Cook, at Oakley and got
him to drive him to the home of E. d.
Brown, for whom he said he had news
of q handsome legacy that he had just
fallen heir to. Cook, who is an unsus-
pecting man, is the owner of bazaar
and china store and livery stable and
other property in Oakley. Baker sug-
gested to him that Brown, now that he
had money, might be glad tS buy such
a business as Cook owned. Cook, whose
family lives in Owosso, was willing to
sell out, and agreed with Baker to pay
him $3.50 commission if he could make a
sale to Brown. The matter went very
smoothly. Brown was willing pur-
chaser, and a price of 81, 050 was agreed
upon. Monday or Tuesday of last week
the parties went to Owosso and Brown
visited the Citizens Savings bank and
told Cook that the money he had ex-
pected had been received and would be
paid over as soon as the papers were
made out.
There was some delay in making the
papers, and Tuesday, the Goth, Baker
explained to Cook that he had been to
considerable expense; that the deal was
practically closed, and that it would
save him some trouble if the commission
could be settled up. Out of the stock
while it belonged to Cook he had taken
about $40 worth to apply on his COM
mission, and he induced Cook to give
him $61 80 in cash, the balance to be
sent when the matter was closed up.
Then Baker, known as Hamilton, dis
appeared. The deal was not closed
with Brown, Cook became little sus-
picious and told Brown of his doubts.
and Brown was very anxious to assist
him in locating Hamilton.
Saturday Cook reported the matter to
Sheriff Burgess. He saw through the
scheme at once, and told Cook that he
had been victimized, he believed by
Hamilton, or Baker, and Brown. Cook
was reluctant to believe that Brown
had anything to do with it, but was fin
ally convinced. Late Saturday night
warrant was secured for Baker. Sun
day Sheriff Burgess found the facts con-
corning the visit to the Citizens Saw
ings bank at Owosso, which showed
that Brown had not received any pack
age OF money, but had visited the bank
and told story about a $1,000 check
that he expected to receive, and caution
ed the bank people to pay it to no one
except himself or Hamilton. Yester-
day Brown was arrested on warrant
charging him with defrauding Cook
Sunday Sheriff Burgess went to West
Bay City, and found Bakers home, but
Baker was not there. He found some
of the goods taken from the Cook store,
which Mrs. Baker insisted she bought
from man named Hamilton. She was
told that Hamilton and Baker were one
and the same man, and she,was advised
to give up all the goods in her posses
sion that she had got in this way. She
protested that what the sheriff had seen
was all, but when she was told that she
would be arrested unless she produced
the rest Of them, she started upstairs
and the sheriff followed her. She open
ed two trunks that were ready for ship
ment, and the sheriff found considerable
of the chinaware. He found some
goods taken from Cooks store that Cook
did not know about, and in all recover
ed more than half of the missing prop
erty.
1t transpires that Baker and Brown
are brothers-in- law. Though Baker
has made his escape, the sheriff has not
given up capturing him. Brown has
served time for some other offense. He
will be arraigned for examination this
morning
In some part of the deal between
Cook and Brown, an agreement was ar
rived at whereby Brown and Hamilton
gave notes for the purchase price. They
came to different terms on the basis of
short-time notes, practically cash, and
endeavored to get Cook to indorse the
notes, which he returned to them. This
he declined to do, and thereby possibly
saved himself and some innocent pur-
chaser considerable trouble, as it would
have been comparatively easy to have
disposed of the notes with Cooks in
dorsement.
The Youths Companion In 1905.
1t is impossible even to summarize in