The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1908-08-06
Clerk Who Fled With $4,000 OF
First National Banks Funds
is Captured
CAPTURE ENDS LONG CHASE
Man Was Charged With Falsifying
the Banks Books and Will be
Brought to Milwaukee for Trial
In the United States Court

taking with him funds of the bank to
the amount of $4,000 after classifying
the books Of the institution was arrest
cd by Pinkerton detectives in Boston,
Mass, late Wednesday afternoon. At
the time Of his arrest Wells was living
in boarding house under an assumed
name and was working at manufacture
ing institution in the eastern city. He
is now in jail at Boston awaiting the
coming of the United States Deputy
Sheriff from this district 1t is not
probable that Wells will ever be
brought to Kenosha as the warrant
charging him with classifying the books
of the bank was sworn out in the
United States Court and he will proba-
bly, be taken directly from Boston to-
Milwaukee. After arrest Wells made
no effort to conceal his identity and it
is thought that he will return to Wis
consin for trial without the usual de-
mand for extradition papers. The ar
rest of Wells came after a noteworthy
chase on the part of the Plnkertons.
At the time the shortage in the bank
was discovered the officials of the bank
at once put the detectives on the trail
of the missing clerk and the chase has
been carried on practically without in
terruption since that time. Wells was
at first supposed to have gone to Okla
homa, but he was not located there.
He was heard from in several small
western towns and once or twice the
detectives came near nabbing him. 1t
was alleged that when he left he went
in company with a woman who had
been notorious in the Chicago tender
Ion, but if this was true the pair
separated soon after. Wells later went
to England and detectives got on his
trail there and he left England and
returned to America and went to Bos
ton. He had been in Boston but a
short time when he found that the
detectives were on his trail and twice
in the past few weeks he had changed
his boarding house. 1t is not certain
whether Wells knew that the detectives
were getting near him or if he made
these changes just to keep throwing
them off his track.
Not one word has been heard by any
of the friends Of Wells since he left
Kenosha as to his whereabouts, but it
is thought that some one in this part
of the country had kept him pretty
well posted on the movements that
were made to effect his capture.
Wells IS just little over twenty one
years of age and it is probable that he
will be forced to spend long term, in
one of the federal prisons, probably at
Leavenworth, Kas. At the time he
left Kenosha he had been an employee
of the bank for six years having gone
to work in the bank when he was ff-
teen years Old At the time of his
departure it was thought possible that
the bank had sustained heavy loss,
but an investigation showed that the
total amount taken was $4,000. The
bank did not lose cent as a result Of
the peculations of Wells as it was
fully insured against loss.
The warrants for the arrest of Wells
were sworn out on the complaint Of the
United States District Attorney some
three months ago and since that time
the search for him had been prosecuted
with greater vigor than before.
The local bank officials will do every
thing to aid the government in securing
a conviction of the man.
kilograms received from Boston this
morning tell a sensational story Of how
a beautiful BRIDE Of Wells had told
the story of his wanderings and his
final capture by the Pinkertons, but
this story is in no way carried out by
the reports of the men who arrested
Wells So far as the friends of Wells
in Kenosha know he has never been
married United States Marshall Rein
a1dy will leave for Boston probably to-
morrow to bring Wells to Milwaukee
for trial.
"Woven in the fabric Of the sensa-
tional career Of this youth is a romance
that comes to light with his arrest, -
says the message from Boston "Last
summer, previously to his disappearance,
he met in Chicago an English girl, Miss
Florence e. Winston, daughter of a
wealthy Greenwich (Eng.) family.
Wells fell in love with her, proposed and
was accepted. He told her he was the
son Of wealthy people in Kenosha. In
September, according to the Boston dis
patch, they eloped from Chicago to
New York and were married in the
latter city at Trinity church on Sept. g.
"While his bride journeyed to her
home in England, Iells returned to
Kenosha. Then followed his disappear
ance with $4,000 Of the bank IS money
"He went to England and honey
nlooned with his bride through Europe
returning to Canada. Well s money ran
out in Montreal, and he told his bride
OF ms plight. She pawned her jewelry
and they went to Boston They bought
lodging house and Wells went to