The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-05-25
Interesting Feature Of The Oregon
Land Fraud Gases.
SECRET SERVICE AGENT BURNS GOT II
STRIPPED OF FRUITS OF HIS
FRAUDS, PUTER DROPPED
OUT OF SIGHT.

PORTLAND, Or, May 25.-When
Stephen A. D. Puter made his sensa-
tional escape from Secret Service
Agent Burns in Boston two months
ago. he was forced to leave behind him
thousands Of dollars of his in-gotten
gains and within twenty-four hours
the money was attached by wealthy
fasteners who had been the victims
of his swindles. Burns learned that
Puter had placed a large sum in
Boston safety deposit vault and his
first act after the escape of his prls-
oner was to wire to some of the lat
ter's victims, instructing them to give
him power Of attorney to attach the
funds. They lost no time in sending
the desired authority, and when the
safety deposit opened for business the
following morning Burns was on hand
with the attachments. Stripped of the
fruits Of his frauds, Puter dropped out
of sight For two months he eluded
his pursuers, only to run into their
hands at last at San Francisco.
The story Of how Puter was sepa-
rated from his stolen funds, now pub
lished for the first time, is one of the
most interesting features of his des-
perate effort to escape the penalty of
his crimes He had amassed large
sum of money by his operations In
forged school land certificates and the
bulk of his plumber had been cached
in a Moston safety deposit box.
Received Large Sums.
Puter's swindling operations within
the last year are known to have netted
him a very large sum- He and his con-
federates, of whom Horace G. McKin-
| ley was chief. are known to have Sc
| cured about $150,OO0 from wealthy
eastern timbermen and capitalists by
means of bogus state school land GER
| tificates. How much Of this money
stuck to Puter's fingers and how much
| he had to give up to his cOnfederates
no one knows. but Puter undoubtedly
appropriated the lions share. McKin-
ley was the chief instrument in swind-
ling Henry A. Salzer, of La Crosse,
Wisconsin, who was mulcted to the
tune of 100000, and in this instance
Of the money. In another instance a
brother of Puter's is known to have
received about $4,000, and was arrested
in Chicago for disorderly conduct, with
most of the money on his person.
But Steve Puter, the originator of
the scheme of counterfeiting the school
land certificates and the moving spirit
in the game, undoubtedly realized
more than any of his associates from
the frauds. How much he had left
when he reached Boston is not known,
nor has any information been obtain
able as to the exact sum that lies in
the vaults of the safety deposit COM
pany. For the attachments are still
pending and the money has not yet
been delivered to Puter's victims.
Left Out Of Funds.
When Puter was convicted in this
city in December, 1904, he had reached
the end of his financial resources.
Gambling, high living, the expenses OF
his trial and the incessant demands OF
IaccomI.lices who had knowledge of his
frauds had absorbed all he had made
out Of his operations in government
lands. But after his conviction. Puter
turned states evidence and in order to
save himself he turned over a mass OF
information to Francis ]. Heney, the
government prosecutor. 1t was through
this information that important con-
victions were subsequently obtained
had turned informer. there was panic
among many of the wealthy eastern
timbermen who had had dealings with
him. Puter was quick to see his CD.
portunity and opened negotiations
with c. A. Smith. the millionaire lum.
herman Of Minneapolis. whose i'm.
mense holdings Of California and Ore.
; gon timber had been acquired through
Puter and by methods that attracted
the close attention Of government of.
fcials.
Smith paid Puter $1,000. The none,
was paid here in Portland and wa.
deposited in local bank to Puter'.
credit. 1t placed him on his feet, finon.
cially. for the time at least, but al
avenues Of legitimate employment
were closed to him and he began plan.
ming new schemes of fraud. Although
still to undergo sentence under hi.
conviction. and though other indict