The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1910-09-20
LANDS N JAIL
AN IMPORTANT ARREST MADE
BY DEPUTY SHERIFF AT
OKEMAH. OKLA.
Man Wanted Here for Swindling
Lon Minis Out OF $500 I'm.
der Arrest-Will Fight
Extradition.

The man who is alleged to have
swindled Lon Minis, prominent
horseman Of Ennis, out OF $500 on
| a fake mule deal is under arrest and
in jail at Okemah, Oklahoma. He is
known in the deal he pulled off at
Ennis as NJ. f. Melton. Charges OF
/ theft of animals and swindling over
| $50 have been filed against Melton
in the county attorneys office. The
arrest of Melton Is regarded as an
| important one as 1t is believed he
! Is wanted in other parts OF the state
for similar offenses. 1t is known
that the same scheme was worked
| near Temple in Bell county shortly
before the Ennis transaction.
Immediately it became known that
a swindle had been committed at
Ennis reward of $50 was offered
for the arrest of Melton His descrip-
ton was printed on postal cards and
these We're sent all over Texas and
Oklahoma. Sheriff Forbes was furn-
ished with information that led him
to institute search for the man in
South Texas, having been told that
Melton would probably go to Hous
ton. Monday morning he received Il
letter from a deputy sheriff at Oke-
oh 10 CT Of n Al itl
knew Melton and would wire when
he effected his capture Sheriff
Forbes believed the Oklahoma Off
Ger knew more than was intimated
in his letter and promptly wired him
to arrest Melton. Late Monday af-
ternoon telegram was received
stating that the alleged fugitive had
been arrested and placed in Jail. The
telegram also added that the prison
err would fight extradition to Texas.
A request for requisition papers
was wired to Governor Campbell. In
the meantime Sheriff Forbes had
started to Paris to take charge of Sid
Wright and all efforts to get in COM
munication with him by telephone
during the night failed. Tuesday
morning he was met in Dallas on
his return to Waxahachie by Lon
Minis Wright was placed in jail
there and Sheriff Forbes and Mr..
Minis proceeded to Oklahoma on the
first train.
Early in this month Melton called
at the home of E. c. Mitchell, a
prominent farmer of the Barry COM
munity in Navarro county, and ask
ed the farmer if he had a good team
OF mules with which he could do
some hauling in Ennis. The man
said ne had few days work of thai
kind there. Mitchell agreed to go
with Melton to Ennis and the trip
was made in wagon, Mitchell work
ing a span of mules which he valued
at $500. On the way he was asked
ii the mules were for sale He ans
wered in the affirmative and said
his price was 5000. Melton agreed
to pay this amount but said he hau
only $40 with him. He said he would
pay this much down and then go to
Fort Worth and get the remainder
which was due him on sale at the
stockyards. He proposed that the
farmer go with him to Fort Worm
to get his money. offering to pay all
expenses. When Ennis was reached
the wagon and team were left at al
wagon yard and the oily tongued one
and Tie man whom he had selected
as Il victim departed on the eyenins
train for Fort Worth. Arriving
there they proceeded to u hotel and
procured rooms for the night. The
mule trader" then asked Mitchell
to remain at the hotel while he
went to the stockyards for his
money. Mitchell waited until the
next afternoon but Melton fail
ed to show up. He returned to En-
mis- on the night train and learned
that Melton had reached the city
early in the morning, sold the mules
to Lon Minis for $500 and skipped
The matter was reported to the
sheriff's department here and al
search for Melton was at once in
stituted. In the mean time the
sheriff of Navarro county took
possession of the mules for Mr..