The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1906-01-20
SWlNDLER CAUGHT
Man Convicted Of Swindling Bel eyed to
Have Tried to 'Work" the Northern
Pacific.

mdu OOUvoCIeO OU SWOuOOou0 0ou oVeO 10
Have Tried to "Work" the Northern
Pacific.
The news received by the Northern
Pacific railway recently that c. Kelly,
alias c. ]. Coin. had been convicted at
Bellingham, Wash, of having deposited
in the Bank Of Blaine, Wash, a forged
draft for 81 900, and had been sentenced
to- eight years imprisonment, in the
Washington state penitentiary, is be-
lieved to have cleared up mysterious
robbery through which, last October,
the Northern Pacific Express company
seemed likely to lose no less than sl5,-
600. The money, as the railroad
officers now declare, was never lost, but
it was claimed from the Express com.
pany by the same c. F. Kelly, who is
already convict in the Walla Walla
penitentiary.
Mr.. Kelly will be rememered locally
as member of the advisory board of
the Order Of Railway Telegraphers dur
ing the early part Of the strike last
summer on the Northern Pacific and
Great Northern system. Before the
strike ended, however, he was expelled
from the committee. and from the o. X.
T.
He had been a telegrapher for some
years on the Western division Of the
Northern Pacific. When the strike be-
gan, he was division chairman of the
o. R. T.. with headquarters at Missoula.
He was soon called to St. Paul.
After the strike was declared of,
Kelly was not reinstated. But few
weeks later he told his Missoula friends
q story that made them beliexs; him
independent of labor organizations and
o!railroads. He said that, many months
earlier, he had accidently met, at Dixon
station, Montana, an old friend who
was on his way to the mines at Cold
fields, Utah. Kelly, as he lrelated,
gave the friend $3.50 to, invest in promis-
ing claims. Nothing was heard from
the friend until, just before Kelly be-
came confidential, he received word, as
he said, that the $3.50 had been multi
piled with results quote Monte Cristo.
The friend would remit soon.
Several days later Mr.. Kelly received
from Salt Lake City an express package
marked aszcontaining $4,000 in cur.
rency. Mr., Kelly told of his good
fortune, distributed cigars, and carried
the package home. He told everybody,
that is, except his wife And he did not
deposit his new fortune in any Missoula
bank.
After week or more another express
package arrived from Salt Lake City
1t contained, according to endorsement,
only $4,000. But it was considered by
Mr.. Kelly sufficient grounds for dis.
tributing more cigars and accepting
more congratulations. Yet, again, he
did not tell his wife, and he showed nc
further evidence of faith in local banks.
SHIPPED APPARENT WEALTH.
On Oct. 6, however, he went up tc
Hamilton, Mont, little station nea,
Missoula. At this station Kelly had
once been employed. He knew the
agent. He was acquainted with the
agents office-its arrangement and
furniture. He dropped in" early one
morning and announced that he wa.
about to send some moneyto New York
He showed a fat package consisting o.
a small tin box on the top Of which
| iappeared several $40 bills. When the
agent was across the room, Kell,
finished wrapping the package. He
addressed it to "N. w. Harris & Co.
bankers and brokers', New York" H.
declared the contents Of the packag.
as currency and the value as SI4,8oo-
the exact sum he had received from
Salt Lake City.
He got receipt for the package
which was duly shipped East on The
train that arrived within half an hour,
But when the package was opened ii
New York IT contained nothing but ;
big "wad" Of Chicago papers. The ,ex
press company, notified of their appar
ent loss, demanded the newspapers TO
examination. After they reached ST
Paul. they were more carefully in
spected. Down among the old Chicag.
papers we're discovered two scraps from
Missoula dailies dated about. Oct.I.
On inquiring, the express compan!
learned that Mr.. Kelly never showed
anyone the wealth he had obtainee