The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-12-22
Such Thought to Be Two Men
Jailed This Afternoon.
MAYBE SHORT CHANGE MEN.
One is Said to Be an Ex convict, Well
Known in Circles of Crime;
Detective Bresnan's Birds.
From Wednesdays Daily.

From Wednesdays Daily.
Detective NJ. ID. Bresnan of the Oma-
ha road arrived i'll the city this fore
noon to look into the matter of the
short change game Saturday evening,
which was worked upon one Henry Her
rick, who lost 50 by it. While walking
along the street he saw two men whom
he knew, Charles Pierce of Omaha and
James NcNlorris of Sioux City. He got
the assistance of the police force, and
ChiegDonahue this afternoon and took the
two men into custody on suspicion of
being the men who worked the game up
on Herrick.
Several days ago G. NJ. McAIorris, a
brother of James McMorris, located in
the city and opened turkey raffling en-
terprise in one of the saloons, without
license, although he had applied for
one and been refused. His brother
came to the city as his helper, but he
claims not to have known Pierce more
than to have seen him take chances at
his rattle. This rattle, by the way, is
worked by means of a paddle wheel, the
one getting the lucky number securing
Il turkey.
G. b. McMorris was requested to ac-
company the other two to the city hall,
but was subsequently allowed to 90,
the authorities being convinced that he
had nothing to do with the short
change game. He states that he will
leave the city. He was in the city dur
ing ore of the carnivals, running Il stand
at the Saulpaugh corner, afterwards
moving further south.
Detective Bresnan states that Pierce is
an old offender and has been working
along the Omaha and Chicago & North
western roads for seventeen years, off
and on. He says that Pierce makes a
business of working the short change
game, and that he has been in several
the Ontario prison, but was released
before he had served very long because
of cancer of the stomach.
Mr.. Bresnan states that he has known
Pierce for twenty years, and got him
and partner named Asa Phelps in
dicted for swindling and assault with a
deadly weapon in st. Paul in 1897
Phelps got eighteen months, but the in
dictments still hang over Phelps. The
men got $l4 from "a Scandinavian in
Minneapolis by means of the short
change game, and in order to make his
escape from the train Pierce drew a
gun on the officers of the road. He has
been in Joplin prison, and elsewhere,
and is wanted in several places, so Mr..
Bresnan says.
Pierce says that he came to the city
with James McMorris to work for c.
b. McAIorris in the turkey rattle. He
denies any knowledge of the short
change game, and says his home is in
Omaha. He saws that his business is
to make fairs and work the innocents
When searched at the police station,
Pierce had nine $40 bills and some
small change, and McMorris had roll OF
bills. They were placed in cells on
separate floors, and Mr.. Bresnan state:
that he will make a complaint this af-
ternoon against both men, charging
them with swindling.
The officers do not know where Her
rick's home is, but will try to locate
him, so that he can be used as a wit
mes.
The officers look upon the capture
-