The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-04-16
n. D. man AHEAD
Of SW|NDLERS
Film Flam Game of Sharp
ers Fails to Get North
Dakotan.

ers Fails to Get North
Dakotan.
Edwin Morris Of Harwood, N, D.,
who has an account at the CONNER
cial bank Of Fargo was picked up for
the "fal guy In a swindling game in
Minneapolis but seems to have come
out ahead Of the game. The Min
neapolis Journal published a picture
of q check which the swindlers are
said to have secured from Morris in
return for IS in cash and published
the following story.
Confidence men who made elaborate
plans and provided plenty of stage
properties" for the swindling Of Ed
win Morris. aged 20, HARDWOOD, N. D.,
farmer and capitalist, lost Sc in real
money which Morris borrowed from
them before he decided not to 'bite."
according to the story OF one of the
men to The Journal by telephone to-
day.
sertion Of Morris that the man had
induced him to sign a check for $4,000
n N B. 5ne commercial bank OF Fargo
To refute the aged Dakotan's claim
that they had gotten the best Of him,
and to corroborate the assertion that
in reality 1t vas a case of the bitter
being bitten, the confessed swindler
produced a check for Sc on the Fargo
bank, bearing the signature Of Morris.
which he sent to The Journal by a
boy.
Tho First Story.
UY no,,SJ,1-SS en- A. .~s
by the confidence man. According to
the first story which Morris told Chief
OF Detectives Nicholas Smith today,
he had been taken to a room in q
nearby building. and had been so daz-
zled by the sight of huge sacks OF
greenbacks and gold coin piled on q
radiator, that the %swindlers induced
him to sign the check.
But In a second statement, accord
ing to Detective James Howard, the
victim who Is said to have bested
the wise sharpers remembered that he
had not actually signed the $4,000
check after 1t had been prepared.
Morris said he reached Minneapolis
on his way home from
Philadelphia where he had gone TO
have an ailing knee treated. He said
was met at the train by the man
known as Davidson. and that David
son struck up an acquaintance with
him. He said he was taken to the
chamber Of commerce and into the
gallery, where he was shown
the traders busy on the floor and told
how men who guessed the market
became rich in a single day
in grain.
Gives Him IS.
Then Davidson" he said left the
gallery for a moment. explaining that
was going out to speculate" The
swindler, the victim said, returned
with Sc, half Of which he turned over
to the Dakotan.
Next he said he wa taken to a
and shown a man busy count
ing money. After feasting his eyes
on the sight he was led through an
the police to be the old chamber Of
structure. and taken up
stairs to a room. From this ROOM, he
told the police, he could look through
q hallway, where q man was
beside a radiator. On this ra-
dtator were stacked tempting piles of
gold coin and currency.
Davidson" told him, Morris said,
that by signing a check for $4,000 he
could have his share Of the big stack
of money.
The story Of the confessed swindler
who produced the Sc check bearing
Norris signature today wa radically
Inherent In every respect.
Il want the public to get this
said the swindler, talking over
the telephone.
That fellow didn't lose anything to
me. I had planned for a long time
to swindle him. That is my regular
business. ! was going to swindle him
n1If NJ z K NM H~l ---
respondence with Morris for some
time. He came here to meet me. I
thought I had him cinched. but he
got away from me.
Check For 90.
Instead of my getting n money
from him, he got SO Of good money
from me.
Instead of signing a $1,000 check
he signed one for S. which he gave
me in exchange for the loan.
ITO prove this. I am sending O
the check itself by messenger boy, and
am going to get right out of town on
the first train. I'm sarry I ever came
here. Instead of being winner I'm
loser"
All efforts to learn from what tele-
phone In Minneapolis the man was
talking failed. the swindler apparent
~ having. taken every precaution to
keep the location secret.
A few minutes later a MESSENGER
boy arrived with the check, enclosed
in an envelope and addressed to The
Journal.
The boy said he had been given the
envelope by a man Of medium height
and stout build. we'll dressed, smooth
faced and apparently about IS or 40.
on Henneptn avenue in front Of the
West. hotel.
Was In q Hurry.
The boy was Bruce Russell, 1905
Fifth street north,
Il. was standing in front of tho
hotel" he said. when the man came
up from behind. He seemed to be In
a great hurry. He asked me IL /
would take a message to The journal
Office for a quarter. I told him
would. He handed me the envelope
and the quarter and told me to hurry
with 1t. Then he walked away, walk
ing fast. ! didn't stop to see where
ne went. The man was we'll dressed
The description furnished by the
boy dts exactly with that furnished
by Morris Of the man Davidson. The
second man. the one who counted the
money on the radiator, according ia
Morris, was a young fellow. fashions
Morris who was stopping at the
Nicollet hotel. planned to leave fol