The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-08-25
Cleared of the Charge Made BY
William Schmidt.
Ii Turned Out to Be a Case of
Mistaken Identity.
The Real Criminal Has Made
Good His Escape.
From Mondays Daily

From Mondays Daily.
So much evidence accumulated Sat
urday afternoon to the effect that the
person who passed the forged checks
Thursday evening was not Harry Tay-
lor, the young telegraph operator of
Wells, that he was released late in the
afternoon. Chief Donahue became con-
WINGED that the wrong man had been ar
rested, and SO informed County Attor-
ney Wilson. The latter had also form
ed the same opinion from what he was
able to learn of the case, and readily
consented to the discharge of the de-
PENDANT. Judge Comstock had always
had doubts i'll his mind as to whether
the right party had been secured, so
there was no obstacle to the prompt
liberation of the young man.
Mr.. Taylor was brought down from
the Jail at shortly before five O'Clock,
and presented before Judge Comstock.
County Attorney Wilson addressed
the court, saying that he had investi-
gated the case and had come to the con-
clusion that the wrong man had been
arrested. 1t had been a case of mis-
taken identity. The police had acted in
good faith. and it seemed that there was
a great resemblance between the de-
PENDANT and the real criminal. Since
his arrest other evidence had been
found, and the speaker had become sat
isfed that Taylor was not the man
wanted and he asked the court to have
the case against him dismissed.
Judge Comstock said that there was
no doubt but that the complaining wit
ness and the authorities had acted III
good faith, but they had been honestly
mistaken
Mr.. Taylor said that he had no doubt
of this, but he blamed the men who
had come forward to corroborate
Schmidt's Identification, for the purpose
of trying to help him out.
The court then discharged Mr.. Taylor
and the latter took his departure in
happy frame of mind.
Just being taken into the court room
to receive his discharge, Mr.. Taylor was
questioned and scrutinized by H. E.
Hance and C. X. Otto, and after some
hesitation they both said that he was
not the man who had visited their
stores Thursday evening and attempted
to get a check cashed.
Taylor's attorney. NJ. w. Brewster,
came to Mankato Saturday afternoon
but was not in court at the time of his
clients discharge. He was feeling elat-
ed over the matter, however. Both re-
turned to Wells in the evening.
The arrest of Mr.. Taylor was very
unfortunate occurrence and was one
that fortunately does not happen often
i'll Mankato. 1t was done at the re-
quest of William Schmidt, who identi-
ned that young man as the person who
had, passed forged check upon him
two or three hours previously. Schmidt's
wife and two bystanders in the saloon
also identified him, and the testimony
OF these witnesses, together with the
coincidence of Taylor having the same
kinds of money as Schmidt had given
out for the bogus check, would prob
ably have been sufficient to have sent
him lover the road" innocent though he
was. This shows how careful people
ought to be in accusing man of crime
They should take care in their identifi-
cation that no mistake is made. Had
it not been for the work of the police
department in following other clews,
Taylor might have been bound over to
the grand jury, and cloud would have
hung over his good name, in the minds
of many people.
The young mans position was truly
unfortunate. Coming to the city to see
a young lady friend, he was taken into
custody by an officer as soon as he
reached his hotel, dragged to saloon
where four people said that he was a
forger, thrown into Jail, and the door
of the penitentiary opened before him.
Four people said that he was forger
and one or two store keepers said that
he was the person who tried to pass a
forged check upon them, and he had just
the kind of money that the victim of
the forgery had paid out, a So and 81
bill, and enough silver to make 1925 in
all. The evidence certainly looked dark
against him. 1t was both positive and
circumstantial. But it developed that
the check was peddled about the city
before Taylor arrived in Mankato, and
that was in his favor. Then it became