The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1905-07-14

about Hamilton's past life, the portion
of 1t which was compressed into inc
two weeks in each May which, since
his marriage at least, he inVaiiaoiS
spent away from Grovedale.
AS his investigations progressed
Bruce grew more and more excitedi
and It is not too much to say that ne
was completely mystified as Well FOE
il was in the most questionable streets
and among the most dishonest haunts'
that he found the surest traces OF MS
presence. He had his photograph, ma
had the assistance of other detectives
and as the search went on, IL was
proved that Vane Hamilton, or MIS-
double, was the frequenter of places
which the honest people OF Grovedaie
would have shuddered to contemplate
even in imagination.
Bruce went West again, for he was
in hopes to discover that Hamilton,
had retraced his course to the States.
If involved in dishonest schemes in
western towns now, as Bruce felt con-
WINGED that he had been in the past,
he was likely, he thought, to return
any day, for prudence is not common
ly the characteristic of rogue.
First Bruce went to Valparaiso, a.
new but exceedingly enterprising town
in Kansas, where he fancied tidings'
were to be found of Hamiltons opera
tions.
He was right. 1t appeared that a.
trio of INSCRIPTIONS men had in sew
eral instances set up a bank in new
and growing towns and operated sue
cessfully until they had victimized the.
moneyed men, when they had closed
scenes of their operations were thou
sands of miles apart, and their names
were assumed, they escaped detection,
strange as it may appear, until they
came to Valparaiso. This was early ii
the year 1887.
But two men came at first. Their
names were given as Scoville and
Brown. A private bank was opened
and operations begun, but for some
reason the business men of the little
city were shy of them. Suddenly a
new member joined Scoville and
Brown, as joint owner of the bank.
This was in May, as Bruce easily dis
covered He gave his name as Ashley,
and was genial, handsome man who
won his way TO public favor at once,
as the others had not succeeded in
doing. His wife was with him,
woman with emerald-tinted hair.
Bruce, as l have said, went to Val
paraiso and to the residence of one Of
the principal business men, who had
been deeply victimized by the bogus
bank. For under cover of Ashley's
pleasant fellowship and his wife's
grace and beauty the good people soon
had cause to abuse their own credul-
ity. Bruce got the account from Mr..
Hayes himself, who was only too glad
to relate it when it might be of use in
tracking the swindlers.
I'VE fought shy of them at first"
said Mr.. Hayes, 'but when Ashley
came it changed everything. You
never would suspect him of being
scamp-never. Such an open, honest
countenance, and that wife of his was
a little beauty, if her hair was green!"
WAS she really his wife, do you
Think"
"He introduced her as such, and she
appeared to worship him. They took
a handsome furnished house on Main
street and went to keeping house.
They gave big party, and we all
went. Such a crush! Well, after that
all was plain sailing for the new bank.
You can't mistrust man. after you
have eaten his bread. We can't here
in the West. Deposits began to pour
in on them. All of the solid men
banked there. Well, the upshot was
in ten days after Ashley came we.
found we had been swindled, our notes.
sold or deposited in other banks as
collateral security for cash paid to.
Scoville, Brown and Ashley, and in at
least dozen instances the figures had
been altered so that the scamps got
ten times the actual value of the notes.
1t was a gigantic swindle," and Mr..
Hayes got up and paced the apartment
nervously.
(To be continued)