The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1915-09-23
WAS WORKING A
PRETTY SMOOTH GAME.

That Sheriff, Shaw made an i'm
portant arrest when he captured w.
r. Poe at Wagner few weeks ago
n is further shown by extracts from
an article in the Williston Herald
concerning the doings OF this
smooth confidence. man:
Poe's arrest, which occurred near
Wagner, Mont, was the result OF
his attempt to swindle F. P. Berg
man, manager Of the First Loan and
Investment company out of $500
on forged mortgage on the farm
of Lewis A. Motherbough, seven
miles out of Wslliston. His dis
covery and arrest are due primarily
too his attempt to put this deal
through. 1t led to the discovery of
forged mortgage on which Poe
had secured $3.50. from E. G. Carney
- Co., three weeks ago.
1t is also believed that Poe was
also the author of forged mort
gage upon which H. v. Smith lost
$3.50 two years ago. Similar for
geries and swindlns committed in
Montana are also being traced to
him.
Poe served as city auditor of Will
liston from 1906 to 1909. In 1909
he was accused of embezelment, and
after a. series or sensations was con-
victed in district court here on
three charges and sentenced to the
state penitentiary for twenty-five
years, but as the terms were to run
concurrently Poe would have only
ten years to actually serve.
Three years ago he was. paroled,
after having served a little less than
three years of his time.
Soon after receiving his parole
Poe located at Ray, N. D., and while
in this place he is believed to have
forged the mortgage papers upon
which he secured loans from H. V.
Smith totaling $3.50 on property in
Mountrail county.
August Is Mr.. Bergman received
a letter dated at Harlem, Mont,
signed j. G. Cross and asking if it
would be possible to secure a loan
for Motherbough on his farm near
Williston.
Mothersbough, who was known to
have left Williams county several
years ago for Missouri, was repre-
scented to be in Montana and apply
ing for a loan through Cross, who
represented himself as loan agent.
After looking up the land and the
title and finding all in good form,
Mr.. Bergman wrote Cross saying
that the loan could be made.
A few days later and during Mr..
Bergman's absence from the city,
the formal application for the loan
was received at his office. The loan
papers were then made out and for
warded to Cross for the proper sig
natures and the affidavit of the no.
tary.
On September the papers were
received here, seemingly properly
made out, signed, witnessed and
acknowledged by an alleged notary
public OF Blaine county, Montana.
Partly to the fact that the sigma
lures seemed unusual and studied,
Bergman decided to do further in
vestigating before sending the check
'for the money; and upon consulting
the plat book Bergman found that
Judge Butler owned farm adjoin-
ing the Motherbough land. He then
consulted with Judge Butler and
found that Marlborough had been
in the city only a few days previous
ly. This fact aroused Bergmans
suspicious.
Conversations with r. M. Calder
wood and Ivan Metzger, both of
whom had visited with Mother
bough in the city only a few days
before, confirmed his belief that
there was something wrong with
the loan deal. Motherbough further
more had said that he had come
from Missouri only for the thresh-
ing season and expected to return
after the season was over.
With W.W.Keltner, Bergman WIS.,
..ited the Motherbough farm and
learned that Motherbough was
there on Sept. 2, the day the papers
were alleged to have been signed at
Harlem, Mont.
A letter of inquiry to the First
National Bank of Harlem brought
the information that no &c. Cross
was known in that town, and that
there was no notary there by the
name of Geo. A. Norris, as signed
on the papers, but there was no.
tary by the name of Geo. A. Morris
who was considered reliable and re-.
sponsible.
When Motherbough himself was
located he confirmed the theory
that the mortgage papers were
forgery, saying he knew nothing Of
them.
Bel gman then found that Carney
recently made loan to Montana
men through j. G. Cross and an or
animation of the papers indicated
that the work in these documents
was done by the same man and pre-
yumably they were forged.
The checks sent by Carney for the
loan money had been cashed at