Weekly journal-miner., 1910-01-12
0fficersLearnSwindler' s 0perationsExtend Over Practically En-
 tire West
TWICE SENT. TO PENITENTIARY FOR WORKING BAD
 CHECK GAME
CFrom Thursdays Daily)

Wanted in ten different cities for either forgery, passing bogus cheeks or obtaining money under false pre- tenses, and sought by the officers of nine different states, F. H. Men denhall, man of many aliases, who has been confined in the county jail here for the past twenty-four days, is believed by the officers to be one of the shrewdest, smoothest and most wanted swindlers in the coun- try.
 Mendenhall's complete identity and the unearthing of his extensive crim- inal operations, extending over the Middle West and the Far West, was accomplished through clever de- tective work on the part of Sheriff Smith and Under Sheriff Raible, who for the past three weeks have been working steadily on this case.
 As a result of their excellent and persistent labors, they have a full record of MendenhaT.
 Much Wanted Man.
 They discovered that Mendenhall is wanted in the following places: Bozeman, Mont; Joplin, Mo; Webb City, Mo; Santa Fe, \. NJ; Klamath Falls, Ore; Lincoln, Neb.; Madison, Kan; Debeque, Colo; San Diego, Cal, and Cody, WyO.
 Two terms, in state penitentiaries, and a brief confinement in an insane asylum, from which he was dis charged, failed to break Mendenhall of the criminal habit of obtaining money through giving spurious checks, exchanges and bogus papers.
 Mendenhall operated successfully in San Diego, supposedly during No vember of last year. He came from San Diego to Arizona, stopping first in Phoenix, and then coming to Prescott.
 It was in this city that he made a his arrest and confinement in the county jail here on a charge of ob- taining money on bogus checks and drafts, drawn on the First National bank of Lander, Wyo.
 One of these checks for s250 was endorsed by John Kinney while an- other for s1O0, was vouched for by M. J. Hickey. Both were found to be worthless.
 Suit Caused Suspicion.
 A small circumstance, decidedly trivial in itself. first aroused sus- picion against Mendenhall. and led indirectly to his arrest at Ash Fork, while he was fleeing from Prescott, after having obtained $35O through swindling.
 Mendenhall obtained money here on December II. He had formed an acquaintance with John Kinney. He represented himself to be a stock man 44pliA lISuNGA Ilt SGCuIeu MT ney's endorsement of worthless paper, representing that he was nephew of a Mir. Hall, New Mex leo pioneer who had been an old friend of Kinney, and whom the lat ter had helped to bury after he had fallen a victim to Indians.
 When he first met Kinney, Men denhall was wearing a blue serge suit. After he had obtained the money, Mendenhan donned a gray suit. He was met on a main street by Kinney. They held short con versation, and then parted, Menden- hall going in the direction of the depot.
 Kinney says he does not know ex- actly why it was but nevertheless a strong suspicion came to him that Mendenhall might be a sharper. The suspicion was originated, he says, when he noticed that Mendenhall had changed his attire He reported the matter to the officers, stating he feared all might not be right.