Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1905-12-07
Man Who Posed as
Roosevelt's S Friend
Arrested.
WORKED SANTA FE HOTELS
Secured 5000 From the Pro-
prietors of the Claire on
Worthless Checks.

J. l.. Lopez, under sheriff, started
this morning, for New York City, to
: bring back man, known here as w.
o. Piery, who Is wanted In Santa Fe
: on charge of passing worthless
checks, to the value of about 5000. Mr..
Lopez secured extradition papers on
| the Governor of New York for Piery
from Governor Miguel A. Otero, before
leaving.
The alleged worthless checks were
cashed for the most part by j. r.. La.
come and T. P. Gable, proprletors OF
the Claire Hotel and Claire Bar, who
are the chief witnesses against him.
1t Is understood that other persons
cashed worthless checks for Piery
also, but If such is the case, they have
not complained.
There Is really nothing humfliating
about the affair since the credentials
possessed by this man, and the repre-
sentations he made, were enough to
deceive the most astute.
According to an Associated Press
dispatch to the New Mexican, Piery
was arrested yesterday by New York
detectives and later released on parole
in custody of Abe Levy, whom ever he
may be, until word could be received
by the inspector Of detec IS of New
York City from Sheriff of this
county.
Sheriff Ortiz received telegraE
last night, announcing that Piery had
been arrested and paroled When
this telegram was shown to Mr.. Gable.
he at once wired the inspector of de.
tectives to re-arrest Piery and keep
him under lock and key until the ar.
rival vi Under Sheriff Lopez, who
would take him In charge.
Said He Knew President.
The arrest Of Piery comes as sur
Iprise to many people in Santa Fe Who
had been led to believe that he vas
a man of considerable prominence IN
the political world, and a close per.
sonal friend Of President Roosevelt
and General Leonard Wood, OF the q.
Is. Army.
The story told by Piery to the off,
GERS of New York City as related by
the Associated Press, is that he came
to Santa Fe and engaged In a poker
game, losing $500 in money. He also
stated, 1t Is alleged, that he gave
check for $100 in payment for the re-
mainder of the poker debt and that
later he stopped payment on the check
because he thought that the people
who won the $500 should be satisfied
with that amount. When asked re-
garding this statement, Mr.. Gable, Of
the Claire Hotel, where Piery was a
guest, said:
"Piery came to this hotel in Septem-
ber and remained about one week.
Upon his arrival here, he secured $50
from Dallas, Texas, by wire. He then
announced that he was an associate
Judge of the court of the Indian Ter
ritory, with headquarters at Roff. He
had credentials that appeared to be
more than sufficient to establish his
identity and he was taken up by men
Of prominence in Santa Fe. AS re-
suit, when he presented check Tor
$1OO, In payment for his board Dill,
readily cashed it, giving him the pal
ance in money. Other checks to a
total amount Of about $500 followed
and I cashed them without question.
Drank and oambled.
"Piery drank and gambled steadily.
spending his money freely, but at.
tached no significance to this, as I
thought he was only having a good
time, although he said he was here on
business. One day after he left, his
first check came back from the Ma
tional Bank at Rolf, Indian Territory.
protested. Other checks followed rap.
idly until, had again received all the
checks he had presented. Not one
had been honored. Then l received a
letter from the bank, stating that
Piery had no money there and was not
trustworthy.
81 at once informed the sherih and
telegrams were sent out broadcast. We
secured information Of the man from
the police of New York City and at
once wired an order for his arrest. !
will certainly prosecute Piery If he Is
brought here"
A prominent man who met Ptery
while here and listened to his Siren
tale, said this morning:
"This fellow was Of refined appear.
ance and decidedly dignified. This
aided him in his representations that
he was judge. AS I remember 1t, ne n
said that he was appointed by Grover
Cleveland, then President, as Judge 10 NJ
Oklahoma, and was later re-appoint-