The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-07-10
Youth Who Looked Like Student
Sold Animal That Had
Been Stolen.
Hunted Up a Place Where Lad
Could Get Check Cashed;;
Fine Lemon.
From Mondays Daiiy.

From Mondays Daily.
Mankato's David Harum has been
stungi
Alderman George Atchison has been
victimized by a callow youth who
sold him a stolen horse. According
to his own statement, Mr.. Atehison
was nicely duped. He refuses to tell
how much he is out, but he does say
that he paid the fellows own price
and gave all tne nag was worth.
Moreover he assisted the sharper to get
the money on the check he had given
him for the stolen animal. -Gha T..
Met Up With Oscar Benson. 'es
1t all happened Saturday afternoon.
Alderman Atchison reached his office
at the Minneopa, barn to. find young
man waiting for him The young fell
low said his name was Oscar Benson
and that he lived at street number
he mentioned in Dubuque, Iowa. He
had been visiting his uncle at st. Pc
ter and was now on his way to pay
a visit to relatives at Dolan, South
Dakota.
To get down to business-he had a
horse for sale-had the animal with
him. 1t was one of team the other
of which died, this mate almost useless
to the owner.
Would Mr.. Atchison care to buy the
horse?
The alderman thought he might,
though horses were very cheap, there
was no market for them now. Negotia-
tions wefe carried ON at some length
but to use Mr. Atchison'ss expression,
sfhea Young fellow stood pat, and he
finally decided to pay the price asked
poNot having sufficient. money and
the banks being closed. Mfr. NyAtchis6h
wrote a check for the amounts and
then went out and helped IEhe young
man cash it., ,''s.li@'o ' y t.e 1nosF
~ Looked Like Like College Student
The young horse thief looked Ire q
business college, ,studepty So ME,. ,Atchi-
son says. 1t may be Said that Ne would
not excite the suspicious of the most
skeptical inasmuch as his Victim in this
Instance was formerly a. sheriff in
South Dakota, where experiences with
horse thieves are as cbmmoif as ahyl
where in the country He was Trim
appearing man., perhaps twenty.three
or, twenty -fou,. years old and wore a
nice suit of = gray clothes: He did
have rather peculiar eyes, Mr.: Atcnisof
says, now that he has come to think
him over. But he acted his part well,
keeping cool every minute to the two
hours he sat around the barn and chat
ted and read the papers, and diekered
for a sale.
The horse is broncno, branded,
but worth no less than $50.
The young man got his money and
left for Dolan, or some place else
Mr.. Atchison took another look at his
newly acquired horse and then sent
one of his men out to his pasture in
Belgrade, where he keeps horses until
he gets large enough number to make
a carload shipment. - .-
Animal Is Discovered. r.,
On the way to pasture, Mr.. Atchiso}n's
man met woman who recognized the
horse and claimed it. This woman was
Mrs. Hottie of Belgrade. The animal
she said had been driven to town in
the forenoon and put in stable be-
longing to Nitzkowski Brothers, who
were her relatives. 1t must have been
stolen for she mad no desire to sell
the horse. ' p
An investigation began and it was
learned that the woman had given a
correct surmise A horse was missing
from Nitzkowiski's baritone of team.
Oscar Benson, or the young man who
gave that name, was horse thief.
He had taken the horse, interviewed
several people and finally handed it
to Alderman Atcnison in the form of a
lemon, fguratively speaking.
Alderman Atchison today swore out
warrant for the youth who victim
lied him, and there will be made
persistent effort to locate him, mas
much as the statutes authorize re-
ward of $500 for the. capture of a
person who can be convicted of an of
tense OF this kind.