Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1911-06-14
WINTERS" IN JAIL At
BRECKENRIDGE, MINI.
Confessed to a Long Series of
SwindIing Operations.
Tells an Extraordinary Story of Grimm
al Career His Real Name is
David Mccain.

D. b. Winters, the Cassville
Wallingford upon whom a vast
amount of sympathy was wasted by
residents of Grant County, and who
escaped from Jail here May "a, was
arrested in Breckenridge. Minnesota,
last TuesdeY afternoon, June 8, for
attempting to swlndle the firm Of
Burrows & Shepherd, of that city out
of $11, 600 and also for forging
warranty deed.
A confession and full story of his
career was later obtained from the
man by the Minnesota authorities
and is printed in these columns in
full.
Winters went from Lancaster to ST.
Paul and from there to Breckenridge,
Mimi, where he was arrested. The
following taken from the Brecken-
ridge Telegram, tells in full the story
Of his operations in that city. Tt
will be noticed that since leaving
Lancaster Winters adopted the name
Of Myers. His real name he says is
David b. Mccain:
Mr.. Myers arrived in town early
last week and informed the Plaisted
Bros land firm that he was about to
buy half section of land south of
Foxhome, which he wished them to
show him. They therefore took him
down and showed him the land. He
then began negotiating with Burrows
q Shepherd to buy the land from HIM.
They finally agreed on a deal whereby
he was to get $4,000 cash and other
papers were accordingly drawn up to
be signed. In the meantime Mr.
Myers went to Fargo last Thursday,
where he said he was to meet the
owner of the land, Francis Lory OF
Paynesville, Mimi, and complete the
deal. He returned the following day
with the deed properly executed. An
abstract of title was being prepared
when Burrows 4 Shepherd became a
little suspicious and began to in
vestigate. Work was delayed on the
abstract SO that the stranger would
not become suspicious. A telegram
to Freeport Ill, brought the in
formation that Myers was not known
there and his name was not in the
directory. Mr.. LOry wrote in re-
spouse to an inquiry that he had not
sold the land and would not for less
than $50 an acre, while the price to
be paid by the land firm was about
$37 an acre. This letter was received
Monday evening and fearing that
Myers would become suspicious and
skip he was arrested Tuesday. Word
from the notary in Fargo before whom
the acknowledgment was taken
showed that the gentleman who
signed the deed as Francis Lory was
Myers. The deed also states that Mr..
Lory is widower and investigation
brought out the fact that his wife is
living with him at Paynesville. The
instrument was offered for record at
the office of the register of deeds Of
this county Monday and is now On
record there, the title Of the land
standing in the name of David B.
Myers. County Attorney Edwin has
possession uf th warranty deed,
which is drawn on form printed in
the Telegram Office,
The penalty for the crime charged
is imprisonment in the state peni-
Tertiary for not more than twenty
years.
Thursday afternoon Sheriff j. s.
Billings, County Attorney Anton
Thompson and Attorney G. w. Frank
berg, all of Fergus Falls, confronted
the prisoner this afternoon and Mr..
Frankberg positively identified My
ers' as the man who swindled a
Fergus party out of 81, 900 last Feb
ruary under the name of Edward D.
Bell. In the face of the Identified
ton, the prisoner broke down and
confessed to a string Of operations
covering nearly two years since he
was released from the state peni-
Tertiary of Indiana.
The confession of Winters as
made to the breckenridge authorities
is as follows:
State of Minnesota, SIS
County Of Wilkin
|, David B. Mccain, who have been
arrested for uttering and passing a
forged deed of the land belonging to
Francis Lory, the south half of Sec
tion 20, township 1872 north, range 45,
Wilkin County, Minnesota, hereby
make this statement under oath as my
confession of my past character and
history and acts and deeds and doings
here and there
was raised at Marion, state of