The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-12-24
Stranger Named Asa Fay Was
Taken Over BY Police
From THURSDAYS OsIis.

From THURSDAYS Dsiis.
My name makes Il look little
Dad for me on one charge and where
was last night makes Il look rather
bad with regard to the other" said
Asa Fay, young man who was
brought to the police station about
1880 o'clock this morning from the
Wilson rcoming house. pending in
quiry into an alleged theft OF 500
from his room mate.
The other crime, TO which Fay
referred, was a forgery. which ap-
reared to have been committed early
last evening at the Cousandir grocery
store. This morning. however. there
seemed TO be little evidence that the
young man was guilty OF either, and
indeed, there appeared to be no sus-
picion that he had anything TO do with
the forgery, though the name i'm which
the check was drawn was Faye.
spelled a little differently, and the
Christian name of George.
Reported Worthless Check.
l. r. Rolling, who works as clerk
IT the Cousandir grocery store, on
North Front street, reported 10 the
police about seven o'clock last night
that a worthless check in the sum Of
SIS had been passed Oh him about an
hour before. \ stranger had come
into the store and made purchase
Of a cake of yeast, bottle OF olives,
round OF butter and a can OF corn.
The whole charge came TO seventy
two cents. The stranger, Mr.. Rolling
related. passed him a check on one OF
the check blanks Of F. J. LorentZ,
another grocer. Mr.. Rolling did not
stop TO question a check signed by the
name OF Mr.. LorentZ and he at once
took II and gave the man the change
for SIS. The check was drawn In
favor of George Fay and was on the
Mankato State bank.
After the man had gone with his
groceries and his change, Mr.. Rolling
began TO ponder on the queerness OF
the circumstances of this man buying
at one grocery, when another had just
paid him money. Then he became
suspicious of the check. and made an
investigation, only to find that Mr..
Lorentz had issued no such check.
Description Was Furnished.
Mr.. Rolling described the man who
presented the check as being about
thirty-two years old. about FIVE feet
ten inches tall, OF light complexion
and smooth skaven, wearing a black
fedora hat. black overcost. white
shirt and white collar. Armed with
this description the police at once
set about finding the alleged forger
The other alleged crime. of wnIch
complaint was made, was said TO have
taken place In the Wilson rooming
house. A stranger giving the name of
ID. Friesze and stating that he was a
farmer near Morristown. complained
TO the police i'm the wee small hours
Of the morning that he had been
robbed of 800 in the room in which
he was spending the night at that
place. He told how. on coming TO
the city. lie met two strangers, and
the three took room together. Early
in the morning he found beth OF his
room mates gone, and his 800 had
disappeared.
Fay Says They Were Tipsy.
The police went over to the lodging
house and secured one of the room
mates about three O'Clock this morn
ing. but in different room. This
was Asa Fay, who stated that during
the evening the landlady had com
planned about noise In the room that
the three had engaged. We were ell
rather tipsy." said Fay. but, rather
than have any trouble. went into
another room TO spend the rest of the
night with another man. II was
there that the police got me about
three o'clock this morning. The man
who claimed he was robbed was in
our first room, but the other fellow
seemed TO have lii out"
Asa Fay described the missing man
as being forty TO forty-five years old.
FIVE feet ten inches tall. of dark cam-
plexlon, wearing a mustache, with a
gray suit and stiff hat, and weighing
about 175 pounds.
Asa Fay says his home is at Traer,
Iowa. and that he has just been
working at Fairmont.
Mr.. Friesze stated that the money
was In the right front pocket of his
trousers when he went to bed. II was
in a pocket-book. The thief. he said.
overlooked So, which he still found in
the pocket book.
Asa Fay the police considered too
young to correspond with the descrip-
ton OF the forgcr.