Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1916-03-15
clever sWiNpLE UNCOVERED
Obtain Money But Lands In
the County Jail.


A clever international begging
fraud In which grief stricken war
widows Of England were the princi-
pal victims was uncovered by the ar.
rest at Avon last Saturday of Wayne
hete H. Patten-Saunders, former Brit
1sh soldier and son Of an English
the county Jail at St. Cloud charged
tanning money by fraudulent use Of
the United States mails. He does not
deny the charges made against him
but says he was dissuaded from good
intentions because he couldn't get
past saloon" He will be arraigned
before q United States commissioner.
Patten-Saunders admits he is an
adventurer. His family have long
been identified with the British army.
As a member of the Second Life
Guards of London and Windsor he
campaigned against the Beers in
South Africa from 1899 to 1902. After
that war he drifted about the world
and in 1912 arrived at Collegeville,
where for couple Of years he was
employed at St. Johns university. He
drifted to St. Wendell where he was
engaged as wood-chopper and then
went to Avon.
About fourteen months ago the Eng
lishman conceived the fraud idea
which has landed him in JAIL From
English papers he secured list OF
names of British officers killed in the
war. To these dead officers he wrote
letters in effect that the writer was
stranded at Avon, Minnesota, and de-
sired q remittance of five pounds
($25) from the patriotic British off,
Ger to enable him to go to Winnipeg
to join Canadian regiment to enable
him to 90 to England with the next
contingent Of troops from Canada.
The letters were opened by widow,
mother or other relative of the de-
ceased British officer and almost in
variably brought the result desired
by the writer.
How much money was thus obtain
ed Patten-Saunders will not say but
he has been known to have been re-
ceiving remittances Of five pounds for
nearly fourteen months past. Post
Office Inspector Maurice Ryan, who
made the arrest, found in the prison
er's room many letters, some Of which
told of money having been enclosed;
others from widows expressing their
regret at their poor circumstances
which prevented them from supplying
him with the funds to go to England;
others giving him names Of parties
to whom he might write and who
would probably assist him.
When Inspector Ryan called on
Patten-Saunders the officer handed
the Englishman an unopened letter
obtained from the postoffice. The lat
ter cody opened it and handed it 10
the officer. The envelope contained
five crisp one-pound notes sent by
son of a dead army officer to whom
Patten-Saunders had written.
During the past year the prisoner
had lived a care-free life about Col
legeville and Avon When asked by
the officers why he did not 90 to Win
nipeg to enlist and what he did with
the money the Englishman said he
spent it for booze" He said he had
started for Canada several times but
did not get very far" Records at
, the State Bank Of Avon show that he
! collected from Jan. 1, 1915, to the date
of his arrest SITS. How much money
he obtained through the mails will
probably never be known. The pris-
7 oner is Sussex man and "A years CT
age.-Saul1 Centre Herald.