Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-11-01
Believed That Fugitive Banker
Will Soon Be Captured
Shortage Grows Larger
HAD A CRAZE FOR MINsTRELsY
1t Is Thought at Least $4,000 Of tho
Shortage, Now Estimated at $780,
600 Instead of $4,000, Was Sunk In
the Cleveland Amusement Company
Wife Died of Broken Heart.
Special to Times Republican

Special to Times Republican,
Des Moines, Nov. l. Investigation
which has been made into the affairs
Of the West Liberty and Dixon banks
shows that Banker Arnold Beuthein
has probably sunk as high as $4,000
instead of $4,000, as at first reported.
; Yesterday telegram was received
from Chicago, stating that Beuthein
| had been seen there, and Davenport
and Des Moines authorities believe
that the fugitive is soon to be cap
tured.
Beuthein rests under four indict-
ments in Scott county, and the indict-
ments cover about one-fourth of his
alleged shortage and defalcation. 1t
has been discovered that the banker
backed the Cleveland Amusement
Company, a theatrical attraction pat
termed after the famous Cleveland min
strels.
Craze for Minstrelsy.
1t is now certain that his craze for
minstrelsy drove the young banker to
invest heavily in a concern which sob
er Judgment would undoubtedly have
prompted him to stay away from. The
Cleveland Minstrel Company has been
playing at the old stand Of the Pan
Drama of the Battle OF Gettysburg on
Wabash avenue, Chicago, for several
hoe 1nC M
ey heavily for year. The Iowa bank
err. said to be enamored of one of the
leading women, has acted as "angel'
for the company. 1t Is thought that at
least $50, 900 of his shortage was dump
ed into the Cleveland Amusement Com
pany.
Beuthein's daughter, Eva, aged 3, has
been taken away from New Liberty,
and is now with relatives in Freepoft.
Detectives, believing that the father
will make an effort to see her. are
shadowing the girl.
Beuthein has been a fugitive from
justice for month. His father, Will
lam Beuthein, stands charged with
forgery, presumably because of the
sons perfidy, and the aged mother has
given $4,000 in cash, about all she pos
sesses. as bond for the appearance
of Beuthein in court this week. That
he will not appear seems to be the be-
lief of officers and neighbors alike.
Mrs. Beuthein has already forfeited
SIS, 900 on one charge. When the first
trial for forgery was brought up,
Beuthein was not present, and it was
reported that he had skipped to South
America.
Ignored His Escapades.
Altho the people of Beuthein's town,
New Liberty, know that the banker
was backing minstrel company, they
had great confidence in him. He was
heavy drinker. and upon several oc-
casions smashed the windows out Of
the town saloons, but these little af-
fairs did not shake the confidence
which people held in him. The deposits
exceeded 100000 when the bank was
closed, and probably not 81 will be
paid.
Dixon, like New Liberty, is Dutch
settlement in Scott county, known as
the Germany of Iowa" Beuthein was
vice president and a large stakeholder
in the Dixon bank. He is alleged to
have given paper from the Dixon bank
to make his accounts at the New Lib
erty bank look right to the state bank
examiner. Dixon had only private
bank. not subject to state inspection.
Wife Died Broken Hearted.
Mrs. Arnold Beuthein lies in a mag
nif1cent vault at the cemetery in Ur-
bana, and knowing ones at New Lib
erty say that she died because of her
husbands conduct. The beautiful belle
Of Urbana whom Arnold Beuthein
welded after he had completed a
course at Illinois university, held her
head very high in New Liberty for
time. The couple lived in handsome
home. One night Eva, the daughter,
delved into her fathers coat, and took
from it package Of letters The let
tiers were handed to Mrs. Beuthein.
One letter was from the Chicago wo-
man. She demanded more money and
also insisted that Beuthein come at
once to see her. A scene followed the
finding of the letter. Mrs. Beuthein
took to her bed, and the doctors say
that a broken heart caused her death
only month and half ago.
At best not more than 100000 can
be realized from all the securities
which the Beuthein family can scrape
up. Even if the relatives were able to
pay every penny, the officials of the
state banking department say it would
be impossible now to drop the prosecu-
tion