The Dickinson press., 1915-01-09
zAKOP|KO GETS
5 YEARS IN PEN
Forged Two Checks in October.
Came Back Monday to Get
SIS on Sam RhOades' Name.
Had Money on Deposit in Lo-
cal. Bank Where He had
Forged Check for $3.50.

fOfged check Tor $59.SO.
Peter Zakopiko gets five years in
the penitentiary for check forging.
About the Goth of October he forged
the name of Peter Fisher, rancher,
for $5980, and Lucas Adamski,
farmer, for $62.35. The men whose
names were signed to the bad checks
live some distance from Dickinson
and it was some time before the
local receiving banks discovered what
had happened and consequently had
little chance of apprehending the
criminal who had passed the checks
through differet stores, the cashiers
OF the respective places taking the
same to the bank on which drawn.
The imitation was fair and nothing
was known Of the trick for some
weeks.
Peter Zakopiko came to the city
again this week and boldly walked
into the Merchants National bank on
Monday and presented a check for
$75 purporting to have been given by
Sam Rhoades to George Nicholson.
Sam Rhoades is a well-to-do stock
man northwest in the Mary country
but Andrew Erdahl, assistant cashier,
was suspicious of the signature and
passed it on to Cashier Wilson Eyer
who took Zakopiko to President w.
l.. Richardes in the rear office. Mr..
Richards questioned him sharply and
was soon convinced that he was lying
and told him so. Zakopiko signed
his name before Mr.. Richards as
John Warren. J. P. Cain, states at
torney, was called at once and took
able at first to get the sheriff or any
ing Zakopiko down the street to The
Fad, where he found Lewie Koste-
lecky, who identified the man as the,
person who passed forged check
for $3.50 in their store in the fall.
This was the Fisher check drawn on
the Dakota National bank. Lewie
had seen the man at different times
around Dickinson. This was proof
enough for Mr.. Cain, who commenced
to search the man and soon found
Ia Merchants National book contain
ing another $75 check, duplicate of
the one offered at the bank less than
an hour before. The man wilted and
admitted everything. About this
time Deputy Sheriff Weller appeared
and took Zakopiko to Mr.. Gains Of
flee where complaint was sworn out,
charging him with forgery in the sec
ond degree. Justice Walter Sterland
was called in and the man. told the
justice that he was guilty and that he
did not need any attorney.
It was soon found that Zakopiko
had deposit of SITS in the Dakota
National bank and he was asked to
sign up for $62.35 and $59.8O to cover
the checks which he forged in Octo-
ber, but he declined to DO this, say
ing that he already had checks out to
the amount of his balance. It was
explained to him that the first checks
presented for payment would be the
ones honored and that he could save
the expense Of garnisheement by do
ing as suggested. Still he refused to
issue checks to cover up the forgerics
and the papers were served on him
while he was haggling over the mat
ter. He was taken to the Dakota
National and there saw that the Of
fcers meant just what they had said
and he was glad to give checks and
stop further expense. In this way he
saved about $50 to apply on check
given to Stephen Horst for $6650,
who he claimed was very needed.
A Dakota National bank book
showed that Zakopiko had given Red
mond Murphy a check for $62.50 on
December 9th, and on December 26th
Mark Cavlin was given one for $21.8S.
AS nearly as could be learned Horst's
and the last two checks had not been
presented for payment. Zakopiko
elected to protect Horst, saying that
Murphy could probably get his horse
back and would be all right any way.
Sentence was passed by Judge w.
G. Crawford in the afternoon and
Deputy Ellis Hoist took Zakopiko to
Bismarck on Tuesday morning. Lit
tie could be found out about the
prisoner. He talks Russian and
claims to have been in this country
about four years. He is some 80
years old and probably has home
stead out north. He worked for
Anton Amburst four months and has
a brother who is homesteader in
the country north. -
Attorney Cain seems to have made
3 record on running down forgers
during his term of office. Craig and
are serving time. Zako-
pike is the third man landed in the
pen and Frank Sunich may be the
fourth. In addition to the above
is out for fellow who was
passing forged checks only last week.
Waly Kalchenuo came in from the
north with Zapoliko and was griev-
ing the loss of a. So check which he
could not get cashed owing to the
TACT that his late friend did not have
money enough to 60 round. Finally
Zapoliko assigned an order for four
quarts Of whiskey which he had at
The express Office and Waly, felt all I