davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Mower County transcript., 1909-08-25
Silver Wedding.

The 25th wedding anniversary of Mr..
and Mrs. Helga A. Peterson of Udolpho
was appropriately celebrated Sunday.
About 25O friends were present. Their
visit was a complete surprise. A
bountiful picnic dinner was enjoyed
and the afternoon was spent socially.
In behalf Of the company, Rev. o..
} Johnson of Blooming Prairie:presented
to Mr.. and Mrs. Peterson a purse of
silver. Mr.. Peterson and Miss Helen
Lewis were married Is years ago. They
have prospered through good manage
ment and are among the most highly
esteemed and respected citizens of
Mower county. We wish then other
happy anniversaries. = -
Mower County transcript., 1909-08-25

The Happy Thought Club will
ghany street on Thursday afternoon
Sept. 2.
Mr.. and Mrs. Seymour johnson
returned Saturday from three weeks
outing at Buffalo Lake.
Mower County transcript., 1909-08-25
Pitzen'S Last Week
In the Shoe Business

III VH0 OuO6 DuSIIl6SE.
Store will be closed Monday, August
9th.
Do not put off your shoe buy7~g until
next week because the store " not he
open. Get your seasons supply once
and help us to reduce our b stock.
We will make it profitable IL. YOU.
Save you from Csc to $1.OO PAR and
on the High lace boots from 81 90 to
$2. 20 pair Call mornings if you
can.
MY home for sale at bargain also a
Bale top desk and Smith premier type
WRITER. j. E. PITZEN.
Mower County transcript., 1909-08-25
YESTERDAYS
CITY ELECTION e TIC

The election held yesterday to vote
on authorizing the Water board to
purchase lands; etc. and extend the
city water service was overwhelmingly
In favor of authorizing the city to
issue bonds in favor.
The vote stood as follows: ...s..
Yes No
First Ward. SO 16)
Second Ward 1877 IA
Third Ward. d................ " o
Totals 80. ~. -. 315 IS
.,- =" - 8: :;
Mower County transcript., 1909-08-25

Reynolds drew piece of land
at the Flathead land drawing in Mon
tana. st. s.. s.. = ...:s ss 3 &.
! Laura Snere of Sheldon, Iowa, who
who is taking u course in Trained
Nursing at Chicago came Wednesday
to visit Austin friends. Miss Stella
McKenna entertained in her honor at a
six o'clock dinner Thursday evening.
d The widening of Turtle Greek by
the big ditch will necessitate new
bridges, one at the poor farm, one at
the Joseph keenan, farm farther down,
and one at Chas BarnitZ. The Carter
bridge directly west Of the city will not
be disturbed. ~.
The brick work on the new Lincoln
school building on the East Side is up
to the windows Of the second story.
The knights of Columbus had a
grand picnic at Lafayette park We'd
nesday. Over 200 were present.
Various sports and contests were on
jOyed and q ball game was pulled off
in. the afternoon between R1ley's aud
MoOnan's mines with the victory for
sM0onan in q score Of II to 10. "a pic
mic dinner was enjoyed. A dance was
giyenin the evening with music bv
Tichy's orchestra.
IL. Charlotte +. Baird loft
yoaterday for Bayfield,. Wis. to escape
! tho hay fever.
Willmar tribune., 1909-06-09
The Katydid Mine Swindle
--By IN Exoperadve Of the Secret Service ====-
Captain Dcksons Own Story of Ueartng Colossal Fraud

fever over it when, one night, I went
up to my room at the little hotel of
the mining camp after supper and sat
down to read myself to sleep. had
bought a couple of paper-back novels
at the drugstore, from its rather lim-
tied stock. and among them there was
a copy of Victor Hugo's masterpiece.
had read the book before, but it was
a favorite of mine and hadn't much
choice in the matter Of selection.
was so wrought up over the question
Of getting into the refining-plant that
connected reading was out of the
question, 50 skipped about through
the book. reading chapter here and
. bit there until I came to the adven-
ture of Jean Vatican in the Paris
sewers. In an instant was tingling
in every nerve. for I had found the
solution of my problem, although it
was both foolhardy and beset with the
gravest dangers.
The reducing plant was In q low-set
building, adjoining the stamp mill, and
the water supply was conveyed to it
from dam some distance up the
canyon through an iron pipe two feet
in diameter. The water supply was
limited, and at night the flow was shut
of, leaving the pipe quite empty. ]
had observed the pipe in my ram.
blings about the neighborhood Of the
mine but had never thought of it as
q possible entrance to the building
Willmar tribune., 1909-06-09

sistance. They had conceived the
gigantic fraud when the mine began
to fail, and had experienced little dit.
fculty in putting it into effect. On
the fine showing the mine had made at
first, they succeeded in getting $1,000.
900 invested in it, after which they
had incorporated and begun to sell
stock. They took the money they re-
ceived for stock and converted it into
gold coin, which they shipped to the
mine, where it was melted down.
run into bars, shipped back to the
city, and sold as bullion, part of It
going to pay dividends.
had suspected this when had the
quantitative analysis of one of ,heir
bars of gold made, for it had showed
the percentage of amalgam that il
used in gold coins. The last shipment
of gold coin was in the time-lock safe.
which wouldn't open until eight
o'clock next morning, so made a
hasty examination of the books and
then trussed my two prisoners up like
turkeys while went to rouse tho
marshal. He was an Intelligent Iriaf-
man, who had knocked about the
world a good deal, and it didn't take
long to explain the situation to him,
He accompanied me back to the mine
after I had wired instructions for Hud.
sons arrest, ana relieved me Of my
charges.
I spent the night going over the
books and examining the records in
the vault, and by morning had every.
thing wanted to lay bare one of the
most colossal swindles ever attempted
Copyright, 1909 by w. G. ChapEa.uL)
Copyright il 0Foa1 9st$1ln.)
Willmar tribune., 1909-06-09

mentioned, while Mason, the other
Of the dicoverers, was general mana.
ger and in control at the mine. Both
Hudson and Mason bore out the char
acters that the advertising matter Of
the syndicate gave to them. They
dressed In rough, cheap clothing.
chewed tobacco, and showed q disre-
gard for money that is characteristic
of men who have worked hard all
their lives against an adverse fortune
and who have suddenly come into
great wealth. In everything they
acted the parts Of uncouth, unedu-
Gated sons of the soil.
At the Katydid mine. visitors were
always welcome. They we're shown
over. the properties with the greatest
freedom, only one place, the small
building where the metal was separ-
ated from the amalgam, was denied to
them. Mason explained this by say
ing that the company possessed q
secret process for refining which he
had discovered and which was known
only to himself, to Hudson, and to
Belden, the company's chemist.
This, in brief, was the status Of the
case when 1 was. put on it. 1t was
given to me because I had been a
miner and prospector and had studied
geology and assaying.
After working week on the case
was satisfied that the company was
a freud, but 1 readily saw that I had
Willmar tribune., 1909-06-09
a certain dignity of carriage which
commanded attention in snite of her

a certain dignity of carriage which
commanded attention in spite of her
gingham apron and round red face.
aye" she said; "the murder of
Mr.. Graham. e done it-'e struck the
blow-but why? Ask the woman be-
side i'm, 'er with the soft 'ands and
the yellow air. Ask 'er why he done
it.. Amt she is wife? Amt e lived
and breathed and worked fur 'er ever
sence the evil day he fust seen 'er-
the day e come to me and told me e
was agoing to take up trade and
live honest and respectable? Wot did
she do fur i'm? She smiled on i'm
and she coaxed i'm, with 'er sweet
voice and pretty ways; she said she
couldn't live wi'out i'm, and more, too.
And she told i'm 'ow rich she was,
and 'Ow easy she made 'er money
takin' whatever she laid 'er lands on,
and smuggling jools and sich acrost
the border to 'er friends in the states.
Wot did she marry i'm fur? She didn't
love him.
The man made a sudden motion,
but the officer laid q restraining hand
upon his arm, and Mary Anne con-
Timed, pouring out the words in a
steady stream which admitted of no
interruption.
"She wanted somebody to do 'er
dirty work, that's why she married i'm,
and tired enough of i'm she got, fur
all the gold key she gave i'm an the
cuff button which I thought I'd die
when I seen it in yer lands, Miss
Elise. Was there a stormy night she
didn't send i'm out on the ocean wi a
boat-lcad fur the other side, carin' not
Willmar tribune., 1909-06-09
IHLU,C1RA1ED BY:
A1 WALTERS
SYNOPSIS.

Three girls Elizabeth, Gabrielle and
Elise-started for Canada to spend the
summer there. On board steamer they
were frightened by an apparently dement,
to one Of them. took enjoyment in scru,
tinizing a photo Of the trio. The young
women met Mrs. Graham, anxiously
ewaiting her husband, who had a mania
Lord Wiifrid and Lady Edith. A cottage
ss,lsd ?s:1 %ssy proved a'sS 70 Be %S 5oSn me? 9;
Of Elizabeth's father: A wisp Of yellow
the hands of Elise. Mrs. Graham's hair
''ss es,nE sa1 @ fSs s e ham aadsty in Of
safe at the cottage. Mr.. Gordon Bennett
actt ens on board ship Elise, alone, ex-
satisn there between Mary Anne and a
mar. He proved to be her son. charged
will: murder. At q supper, which was
held on the rocks, Elizabeth rather mys-
by che entire party. Gabrielle witnessed
stormy scene between Lady Edith and
Lori Wilfrid, Jealousy being the cause.
Mary Anne brought back Elizabeth's
Bennett: He tried to persuade her to
retrrn the jewels left in the girls care
by lady Edith. At midnight Elise sso
thei- boathouse She admitted to herself
tha. she had nearly loved him and be-
lievAd herself used as tool Mrs. Gra-
half. sick. told Elise of her husbands s
love for another woman. Gordon Ben
nett and Blake returned with Mr.. Gra-
haK's body. He had been murdered.
LORI Wilfrid grew sulky. Lady Edith
Sonttded to Elise that Blake and Ben
nett were thieves. Lady Edith led her to
wheee they were trying to break in. The
girls were awakened late at night by a
poisA Ia the cottage. They found Blake
and Bennett awaiting Lady Edith, who,
notorious crook, and Lord Wilfrid, a
smuNg!er, wanted for murder They re-
fused to believe. Blake proved to be a
government officer.
Willmar tribune., 1909-06-09

when you two was talkin' IN the bout
house Jest before they sailed, that me
and Willy was In the passageway
listenin' to you. We card jest 'ow
Mr.. Graham was to land i'm with the
empty box, and sail away immediate,
leavin' Inn caught hard and fast.
Well you knowed e would never peach
on you."
She paused and swallowed convul.
sively.
$50 Willy went out in the boat alone
with Mr.. Graham, and with is cart
black wi rage and passion. And e
struck the man meanin' to stun i'm,
per'aps. But e killed 'im-'e killed
i'm. And I say now, and God in
'eaven knows I'm right, that this wom-
an murdered AIRY Graham, not my
boy-not my boy"
"Oficer," said Mr.. Blake's quie'
voice, remove the prisoners"
"Good-by," Edith said very gently
"You would have believed me, and
thank you. II am glad to have
known you. Please forget me, and
good-by."
"And this,' Blake said to Gabrielle,
explains our presence in your cellar
tonight. 1 hope you are convinced I
spoke the truth"
Go away" she said in smothered
voice-"go away, and never. never, let
me see your face again"
What have we done?" he inquired.
turning to his friend with puzzled
air.
Elizabeth now had the floor, and the
mantle of dignity descended upon her.
Il think" she remarked frigidly, I'VE
need not trouble you to stay any
longer. We are quite accustomed tc
being alone-we prefer to be alone"
Gordon Bennett turned helplessiy to
me, but it was now my turn to be
naughty and unappeased. Even under
the circumstances, 1 could not let the
others distance me.
Il do not think there is anything
more to say, Mr.. Bennett" returned
loftily. 81 quite agree with my
friends"
1T seems" he remarked, turning to
Mr. Blake, "as though we might as
we'll go home"
When they reached the door, how
Willmar tribune., 1909-06-09

ME6NIHNTMH5M MzK

no common crooks to deal with. In
the first place, the plan looked too fair
and generous. It was like an alibi
that is too perfect. had seen min
ers make lucky strikes, but I had
never known a single instance of a
man sharing his profits with others
who had no call upon him. Another
thing that added to my certainty was
the quality Of the ore from the NINE
1t was fairly rich in gold, but not suf-
ficiently SO to yield the amount of
gold the company sold each month
L secured specimens and had it as
sayed by the best chemists. It was a
low grade ore. I then measured one
of the ore-cars and hid out behind a
bowlder for two days on the mountain
side near the mine where I could see
and count every car of ore that came
from the mouth of the mine.
My figures showed that the mine
day, little more than enough to pay
the expenses of operating, and GER
tainly not enough to sustain the ex-
pensive Offices in the city and pay
the fabulous dividends on the stock.
For 20 per cent. year is something
to make a stockholders heart strain
almost to the point of breaking.
didn't take a bit of stock in
Mason's claim of secret process of
refining. knew that was a fake out
right, but I wanted confirmation of
it, and the only way to obtain this was
to get Inside the little building at the
mine where Mason and Belden slept
and where the separation of the gold
from the amalgam was effected.
wanted to get into that building as
badly as ever a life-prisoner wanted
to get out of the penitentiary, and l
was ready to do most any desperate
thing to accomplish my desire.
My chiefs instructions had been ex.
plicit and they suited me to ct"
The postal-inspectors had been rather
offensive lately over one or two mat
ters and there was bit of friction
between the heads Of these depart
ments. Hence, the desire of my de-
partment that l should clear the mat
ter up without assistance.
had almost worked myself into u
Willmar tribune., 1909-06-09

ever, he returned and stood before me-
hat in hand, and very determined
aspect about the chin.
Il want to tell you," he said, that
l found the scarf-pin on the slip. 1t
was sleeve button dropped by the
man you call Lord Wilfrid, and the
clue Mr.. Blake was looking for.
had promised him not to admit to any
one where I got it-therefore I lied,
as you know. He had it set as pin,
and wished to try the effect on the
woman. You know how she gave her
self away when she saw it, for you
also were watching her. The gold
key is the badge of this particular
band of smugglers, and they all wear
it in various ways. Your servant
Mary Anne, was more sinned against
than SHINING, and will be allowed to go
free. l know you would wish this
He paused suggestively. I made no
reply. Il think that is ALL" he con-
cluded, Except to say that If I can
at any time be of service to you, or if,
for any reason, you want to see me,
I hope you will let me know. Until
then I shall be careful not to intrude."
The hall door slammed with some
emphasis, and again we listened to
steps crossing the veranda. Then.
simultaneously and without restraint.
we began to cry, while Mary Anne
in the kitchen sobbed heavily.
This did US all good, and when at
last we opened the windows and
looked out, the ocean sparkled and
glittered in the morning sun and the
whole world smiled at us Just as it
had so often done before.
At the point of the island a small.
dark object moved swiftly along: we
recognized the government boat, and
watched it with swimming eyes and
trembling lips until it made the turn
and disappeared.
Gabrielle pointed to the foam in its
wake with hand that shook slightly.
There goes Lady Edith" she said:
and we looked out over the emutn
ocean in silence.
{To BE coNT1NUIDl
Willmar tribune., 1909-06-09

a bit whether e ever come back or
not? Did she care fur anything but
'erself?
Don't I know 'ow fur years, ever
sence she fust seen i'm, she's made
that pore dead man work fur 'er? An
honest man e was, too, at fust, with a
wife and child, but wot did she care?
e was crazy about 'er, and once
heard i'm say ed foller 'er to purga-
tory and wuss, and e left is wife and
child whenever she called i'm, which
she did WI lock O. air and some
fool verse. She liked i'm, too-liked
is fine figger and 'andsome face, and
when he come around she 'ad smiles
and to spare, with nothing left fur
Willy but black locks and sharp words.
Oh, know"
''Will some one stop the woman %
said Mr.. Blake helplessly: but Mary
Anne had more to say, and went close
to her daughter-in-law, addressing her
directly.
when you sent fur i'm this sum.
mer," she said, "and e come as usual,
you didn't like it because he brought
is wife-pore, pale, homely little
thing-so you was extra sweet to i'm
nights when you met in the boat-'ouse,
and he sailed you out on the sea, you
two alone, and my boy here left be-
hind, eatin' is 'eart out with love and
jealousy. And you made a plan, you
two, SOS you could be together alwiz,
fur you thought you couldn't live
apart, you said. So e was to leave is
wife fur good and all and go abroad,
and you was to join i'm there, fust let
TIM the police in Montreal know how
they could git Willy-sit i'm fur some
thin e done because you told i'm to.
But you wanted to close up the biz
ness ere fust, you said, and git the
emeralds safely landed, SOS you
would be sure of the money they'd
bring. And Willy wasn't to git cent,
fur you needed it yerself, but e
thought e had 'em, fur you give i'm a
box jest like it one night, and started
i'm and Mr.. Graham of fur the other
shore. You never thought, though,
Willmar tribune., 1909-06-09
tiously lowered myself. feet flrst. into
the well.

the well.
It was rather close quarters. but l
managed to. feel about me In every d.
rection, and to my dismay found that
ut this point the pipe divided into half
. dozen smaller ones. none Of them
over six inches in diameter. This was
sad blow to my hopes and felt al
most defeated, so great was my
chagrin. There was nothing to dc
but Chamber back to the straight
stretch Of the pipe, where paused q
moment to think.
It was SO dark that couldn't see
my hand before me, 50 thought It
safe to take out my pocket-lamp and
examine my surroundings. Flashing
It overhead, I was overjoyed to see
that the bend in the pipe was ar.
ranged with circular door which
was held down by a spring catch
which fastened beneath a flange. ]
released this, and was rejoiced to
feel the door move upward when ]
pushed against it.
It was IN opening large enough to
permit q mans body to pass through
it, and I suppose it must have been
arranged SO that the pipe could be
cleaned out If it should become
clogged with leaves or trash. At any
rate it offered the much sought en-
trance to the building, for when
pushed the top upwards few inches
and peered out beneath 1t could SCI
the faint rays of the perfect moon re
dected upon the bare brick walls ol
the building. With great caution
raised the lid upright and crawled Out
of the opening.
I was indeed within the mysterious
building. In my excitement at this
discovery released my hold of the
upright lid and it fell to with a metal
lie report that sounded, to my tense
senses, like the boom of a coast-de
Tense gun.
The next instant 1 heard voice
Willmar tribune., 1909-06-09

which I recognized as Mason's, exeit.
edly believing:
who's that" he demanded. "Hey,
Belden," he continued, Something's
broke loose"
didn't know what to do, so great
was my surprise at my own rash act
and its consequences.
could hear Belden sleepily call
back something that I could not make
out and Mason reply. Then there
was creaking Of springs and two
dull thuds as the men sprang from
their beds. It was a ticklish situa,
tion, and I certainly thought the jig
was up. Luckily, neither of the men
had match and I could hear them
swearing luridly over this fact, the
rattle of tin lantern punctuating
their profanity. This gave me an Oh.
portunity to take hasty survey OF
my surroundings. I sprang from my
perch astride the big pipe to the con-
crete floor six feet below and scram-
bled beneath a long table that stood
at one side Of the room. There was
just enough moonlight sitting through
the dirty, iron barred windows to
give me bare idea of my situation.
The building was 30 or 40 feet in
length and I was near the farther end
from the room where I could hear the
men stumbling about in the darkness
and swearing like troopers. On every
hand were tables and boxes and ma.
chinery and washing-troughs. Not q
second too soon had I concealed nv.
self, for scarcely had l reached the
deep shadow of the table when ]
heard door crate on it's hinges and
the feeble rays Of a lantern illumin.
ated a few cubic feet of space about
the lanky legs of the raw-boned
miner.
With my heart going about 200
beats minute, I crouched beneath
the table, gripping my revolver and
very much in doubt about what ]
should do II were discovered. which
seemed a certainty. OF course ]
could have shot both men and made
my escape through the flume+ptpe. but
there was nothing to justify this con.
duct. Thus far had nothing but sus.
p1cion against the two men, and such
IN act would have been nothing less
Willmar tribune., 1909-06-09

until I read of the hunted Jean
Vatican taking to the sewers like a
rat to escape his implacable foe. Pos.
sibly l never should have thought Of
it If had not CHANGED to buy the
ten cent book at the drugstore. This
is but an instance of the influence on
our lives of seemingly trivial things.
Tossing the book Upon the floor I
fastened out into the night and made
with all speed for the big pipe. The
water left the reservoir in a sluice-
way of concrete and nm for some 200
yards in a trough. of the same mate
rial until it's course crossed a deep,
narrow gulch, which made the pipe
necessary. This was to be my point
of entrance, as from here on to the
mill the pipe was continuous.
It was something after ten o'clock
when l completed my Investigation,
and decided to explore the pipe with
out further delay. removed my shoes
and hid them beneath q bowlder,
looked to the cartridges in my re-
volver, a precaution I have always
taken since a certain adventure down
on the Rio Grande. Then I crept into
the pipe. It was cool and clammy and
as dark as a dungeon. I had little
pocket electric flash-light, but was
afraid to use it, as the distance to the
reducing-plant was less than 100 yards
from the ravine.
My progress was slow and tiresome.
Nevertheless, in good time. I came to
point where the pipe made an alb
rupt turn straight down, which con-
vinced me that I was about at the
end Of my journey. I reached down
the hole as far as my arm would go,
but couldn't touch bottom so, after
listening for time and hearing moth
ing more than a distant drip, drip of
water which was most lonesome, mys-
terious, and melancholy, I tore my
pocket-handkerchief into strips and
weighted it with cartridge so that !
might sound the inky depths below.
I was sensible enough not to drop
down into the pipe without making
reckoning, as had learned this pre-.
caution by sad experience. To my
great relief the plummet struck bot,
tom about four feet down and eau.
Willmar tribune., 1909-06-09
8 A RULE the in

J A RULE the In
spectors of the
post-omce depart
ment look after
matters of fraudu-
lent uses of the
mails, said Capt.
Dickson on q GER
tain occa s ! O n
W b en- l b a d
dropped in for .
quiet smoke and q
glass of sherry,
but when a case