The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-10-19
POLICE CLUELESS
in CHAFFEE CASE
FIVE DAYS GONE AND CROOKS
ARE STILL AT LARGE
NORTHWEST HAS BEEN
FERTILE FIELD.

/
to the whereabouts of the men who
took $4,000 from III. F. Chaffee, of
Armenia, N. d., by means of a gold
brick swindle and there is no clue
| at present that gives the police any
particular promise of success.
This, Chief OF Police Frank T. Cor
riston admitted today, five days after
the crime. J. w. Northecupp, the only
man the police know to have closely
associated with Harper, who played
the role OF assayer in the swindle, gave
up his room at the Rogers hotel last
night and left the city. He said he
did not intend to return until next
summer anyway. He will spend the
winter in the south, he said before
leaving
Mr. Northecupp had mis- trunk sent
to the Milwaukee station and said he
would take the Pioneer Limited at s
m. for Chicago and proceed south
ward
Mr.. Northecupp spent much of his
time with Harper. He breakfasted with
MIN. They were frequently together
at the hotel bar and they took long
walks together. The local police did
not learn anything from Mr.. Northe-
cupp.
Find Fertile Field.
The northwest seems to have been
fertile field for the gold brick swim
dlers. Several additional transactions
in which Harper or Armstrong appear
to have played leading roles were
learned of by investigators today In
point of amount, however. Mr.. Chaffee
- Az
In 1894 the Lloyd's bank at James
town, N. D., was found to contain as
an asset note for $4,000 signed Y
o. H. Hold. A rustic appearing man
of middle age wandered into James
town in 1891. He was looking for
friend named Lloyd. He said he WITS
from "Montany" and that his name
was Harper. Mr.. Harper confided to
the Lloyds that a man named Lloyd
had cen his partner several years be-
fore in seeking gold in Montana.
Lloyd had returned, but their claim
had turned out very rich, and ne
sought to find his old partner.
1t was the old story of the simple
miner wishing to divide his wealth
with his old partner. He was prevailed
upon to accept $4,000 in cash as ready
money in return for his rick The
money was paid over in the woods
near Detroit, Mimi, in 1891. The
transaction was much the same as the
Chaffee case.
A Wisconsin Attempt.
Frank S. Robbins, president and
treasurer of the Robbins Lumber Co.
Rhinelander, Wis, writes that a man
answering the description of Arm
strong called on him last April, seek
ing an uncle named Frank S. Robbins.
he did not Mr.. Chaffee insisted on
The stranger told the usual story He
learned that Mr.. Robbins was not his
uncle, and then came the tale of the
mine. He was sorry That Mr. Robbins
was not his uncle, because fortune
awaited that relative. There was an
Indian connected with the mine The
Indians name was Orc, the same as
in the Chaffee case.
The stranger dined that night at the
Robbins home and the next day the
two went to st. Paul together
Mr.. Robbins was taken to q hotel,
where he gazed upon the two gold
bricks. He drilled them and the sam
pies assayed $20.05 an ounce. But
Mr.. Robbins did not insist on giving
the stranger money. He asked IL he
needed money, and the stranger said
he did not, Mr. Chaffee insisted on
paying his to Armstrong. Mr.. Rob-
bins was informed by the stranger,
who gave the name of Joe Daniels,
that he would be informed later of
the filing of claim in his (Robbins)
name He has never heard a word
Victim in ST. Paul.
A third case is that OF a St Paul
hotelkeeper, whose name has been
kept from the police. The man is
dead but the administrator of his
estate found two gold bricks in a
trunk among his effects.
There was a letter showing that
much money had been paid for them.
In the estimation of Alex MacKen-
zie, North Dakota republican leader.
John ]. O'Connor, chief of police of
st. Pau, coulo catch the men who
took the $4,000 from Mr.. Chaffee.
IF Mr.. Cnaffee would offer a man
like John j. O'Connor $4,000 as re-
ward he could soon have these men in
custody" said Mr.. Mackenzie. But
Mr.. OConnor's time belongs to the
people Of st. Paul and he is busy pro-
tecting that city 1t is not his business
to go out of town to catch criminals
who have swindled in other Stiles"
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