The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-10-06
TAKE ALLEGED BILL
"RA|SER' TO PRISON
Detectives Arrest Suspect,
Who Attempts Suicide
While Being Searched.
VICTIMS ARE NUMEROUS
Many Have Accepted Altered
s. Notes for $40; Prison
er's Stories Conflict.
VICTIMS ARE NUMEROUS

On suspicion Of being the diligently
sought person who during the past TWO
weeks has been disseminating raised
United States currency in salt Lake
currency that has been altered on ITS
face so that instead Of reading 50, IT
reads sl0-Valtcr Watson, aged 81
wears. who SAYS he is q saloon keeper,
was arrested last night by Detectives
Earl Ripley aud George Cleveland al
most Immediately after be had passed
such an alleged altered bill. Shortly
after his arrest Watson attempted To
commit suicide by swallowing lump OF
strvchnine of the size of pea. Inc
deadly poison, however, was Knocked
from Watson's hand by Detective
Cleveland an instant before IL reached
his lips. Watson was trapped by the
nerson on whom he passed the blli.
Al ahont g o clock last night Watson
entered the grocery store at l05 west
Third South street, of which a. q.
Cooper is proprietor, and made III
teen-cent purchase. giving what APP
peared TO be a so bill in payment OF
II. Mr.. Cooper took the bill and gave
Watson the change. Watson then lett
tho store Two other persons were In
the store at the time and when Cooper
noticed that the numerals on the cur
rencv appeared strange he showed the
bill 20 others in the store,
Makes Way With Bill.
The newspapers have exploited the
matter of the raised bills and 1T
was almost Immediately recognized
that the bill was bad. Watson was
brought back 70 the store and con
He said that he had made a mistake
and offered 70 paw Cooper $50 If he
could have the bill back and that
nothing would he said.
While the matter was being dis
cussed Watson grabbed the bill from
byStsnder who was examining It. Coop
or : suspicious were then thoroughly
aroused and with the help OF another
man in tho store Watson was locked IN
rear room 10 await the arrival Of the
police
Detectives Ripley and Cleveland were
detailed on the case. When they
placed ihc suspect under arrest the bill
which had caused the trouble could
not he found 4 thorough search of
the store WAS made and of the room
in which Watson had been imprisoned,
bur without avail. II is believed by
the detectives that Watson ate the
piece of paper.
The detectives alleged that on the
way TO the police station Watson told |
many conflicting stories. At the sta
tion his clothing was thoroughly |!
e3rched and IL was while this was In |
progress that Watson attempted TO
swallow the strychniRe.
Attempt at Suicide
Watson held "A small box marked |
: Dayton Drug company. strycbnine.
in the palm of his hand when the |
Ia fall 10 the floor Watson threw his |
hand to his mouth, but the act was de !
tected by Cleveland, and in the pinched |
fingers was found a lump of the poi. !
son.
In Watson S possession was found |
$40, principally in silver The detect |
ives believe il quite apparent that had |
Watson wished 10 make a bona fide |
purchase he would not have presented |
a $40 bill while his pockets were rich |
In silver. The fact that he attempted |
10 buy back the bill and that ne at
tempted to take his life are considered |
corrobor3Ivc evidence. |
The appearance of Watson corresponds |
with the description Of man who has |
been passing the raised bills and |
for whom tho police and the federal au !
thorIties have been looking. Cooper |
examined raised bills at the police |
station and said that the one Watson |
had given him was similar thereto,
- Raising consists of onliteratinp
the figures and written - marks on |
the bill and painting in SO marks.
Watson will be turned over TO the |
federal authorities