The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-25
GO0DHUF SHERIFF
GETS HIS PRISONER
Brings Man From Boston Who
Is Charged With Defraud-
ing Goodhue Farmers.

Frank M. Wilson, the Red Wing at
torney, was at the state capitol yester-
day consulting the law books in the
state library with view to defend
ing Henry Roemer, alias Fred Will
liams, Minnesota man recently ar
rested at Boston and returned to Red
Wing to answer to a charge of obtain
Ing $1,000 by means of issuing check
on bank where he had no funds.
Roemer has not yet been indicted, but
the grand jury Of Goodhue county is
expected to return an indictment
against him at it's next sitting. He
is in custody at Red Wing awaiting in
dictment and trial.
Roemer was arrested several weeks
ago, but 1t was only a few days since
that Sheriff Lundquist went to Boston
armed with requisition papers for his
prisoners return to Red Wing to an
swer to the complaint against him
there. The prisoner was not without
money and influence, and put up a
stubborn fight against returning to
Minnesota.
Fought Against Extradition.
His counsel appealed to the supreme
court of Massachusetts for a writ of
habeas corpus, Gov. Bates having
previously honored the requisition of
Gov. Van SAINT. Chief Justice Loring
heard the application, decided that the
papers were regular and ordered the
dismissal of the application. The pris-
oner's lawyers then went to the United
States court for a similar writ and
claimed that the prisoner was being
Illegally removed from the state, but
the federal court refused to interfere,
and the prisoner was remanded to the
custody of the Minnesota sheriff. The
sher1H then prepared to leave for the
West with his man, but it came to the
knowledge of his attorneys that efforts
would be made to take his prisoner
from him by writ of habeas corpus at
Albany, Rochester, Syracuse or Buff
falo, if he should be taken West on
the Boston & Albany railroad. Roemer
was therefore taken from his cell in
the Boston StatehouSe and hurried to
the wharf of the Philadelphia liner
Indiana. At the dock he saw the trap
he was being placed in and put up a
vigorous fight.
I'm being kidnapped" he yelled
Justify, but the officers hustled him
down the gangplank and aboard the
steamer, where he was hurried to a
stateroom. The Red Wing sheriff took
the train with his man at Philadelphia
for home and had evaded touching soil
in New York state, where the prison
er's friends lay in wait with legal
processes which might have resulted
in giving him his liberty.
Offense Charged Against Him.
The Minnesota authorities have been
looking for Roemer for almost four
years. In 1900 Roemer, who was in
partnership with another man, con-
Quoted commission business in Good
hue county. They startled the farmers
by offering prices which their COM
petitors could not meet, and before
they had been long in business the
selling produce to them at fancy
prices.
The plan of operation was for one of
the partners to do the buying, but
when settlement was demanded the
partner would say he could not settle
without seeing the other partner. In
this manner the farmers were put off
for weeks, but continued to bring in
the produce, believing the firm to be
good. When the two men had cleaned
up all they could from the produce they
left the city suddenly and were not
heard from again until Roemer was
where he is said to have been engaged
In a similar business. His partner has
not as yet been arrested, but is suppos-
ed to be in New York.
There is said to be but little doubt
as to the identity of the man under
arrest, and the fight made by his
friends to prevent extradition confirms
the belief that he is the man who de-
frauded the Minnesota farmers.