The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1906-03-30
PUTER FLEES
LEVELS GUN AT w. J. BURNS
AND RUNS DOWN STREET
AND ESCAPES.
Inside History of Puter Fraud
He Dupsd His Confederate
The Reason Why Puter Is
Eager to Escape.-Oth-
erNews. -.:

Eager to Escape.-Oth-
erNews.
Boston, Mass., March 27.-Ste-
phen A. D. Puter, wanted by, the
United States department ofjnstice
for complicity in the Oregon land
frauds, was arrested last night by
Secret Service Agent W! J. Burns,
who had followed him from : Port
land 60 San Francisco and from
there TO Boston, Scarcely had
Burns made the arrest when Puter,
pulling revolver held the secret
serv,ics man off and, backing sway
through Tie crowd, made bis escaps.
-Bufns had been III - this city .
week or more, but it was not until
three days ago that he learned that
,Puter was4stopping in Back Bav.
under the name John II. Brownell.
stationing himself near the postof-
fee, Burns watched, for three days.
and last night Puter appeared
there. The secret service agent held
him in conversation for half an
hour and thought chat the station
superintendent had gone for the po-
Ice. After waiting some time he
placed Puter under arrest, searched
him for weapons and then led his
captive outside, expecting to find
the police in waiting.
There was no officers in sight. and
Puter, taking advantage of Burns
obvious discontinue, whipped out
a revolver and under Its cover es-
capped. Quite a crowd had gathered,
making it all the easier for the pris.
oper TO get away.
Telegram's Salem Bureau, March
27,-The story of the arrest and es.
cape of s. A. D. Puter in Boston
brings to the surface a story Of
the inside history of the gigantic
land fraud swindle.
The whole scheme was originated
and elaborated by Puter mainly fol
the purpose of providing himself
with ready money. 1t will be. re-
membered that late last fall, Putel
and Mckinley disappeared, and both
the government and state official:
| lost all track of them. .,,-,-
S ate Land Agent West, while
travelling on Southern Pacific
train, accidentally engaged in con
versation with two travellers. who
in the course of the talk, discovered
who be was, and they volunteered
the inforn alton that there was /.
man in' San Francisco who coult
reveal al! the inside history Of th
i fraud. '''7@s = ,'.,f5a=,-y- 50 =,
Through this information Wes
| placed himself In communication
with this confederate, who came +
Salem and told West the whole sto
ry::' -
In order to serve the ends of jus
tice the name of this man is with
held for the present, but he wa
born and raised near Lacrosse
Wis. He had known McKinle
from boyhood. Putsr met him an
told him what he proposed to dc
1t was agreed that in the ,swindl
: to be worked none of the confedel
ate's friends in Lacrosse was to
defrauded. Puter prepared all th
fraudulent certificates. The blat /
: were printed in Chicago and at We
rious other eastern cities, only
portion of them being printed
: the same Office, to prevent as muc
as possible arousing suspicion {
: fraud. t
This Wisconsin man was prom
ised large sums of money, but p
I ter was SO penurious that he di
did not divide fairly. Finally tn
confederate became troublesome
and on the promise of a lucrati,
position in San Francisco he W.
induced to 60 West. After he lie
+ Chicago, Puter opened mp on IL
Lacrosse people, among the victim
being Henry Salzer, who was not
have been a victim. On their ws
west Puter and Mckinley fir
learned that their scheme bad bee
exposed. They disappeared, ar
the confederate, not getting b
share, "peached" and gave Il
whole scheme away.
| About this time Government S
cret Agent Burns came west. ar
took charge of the matter. He fo
| lowed up some Of the tips given O
| by this confederate, and every OF
He'd to factsswhich. proved s,that Il
story was true. It was from th
ii 5satgf < II Al - E.~