Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-11-20
SOUTH DAKOTA FARMER SWIM
DIED IN WIRE TAPPING GAME
At DIES MoiNEs.
DuPED ~ CLEVER PAIR
ON BOGUS HORSE RACE
Believed He Was Going Against surs
Thing and Drops Large sum-Trio
First Took Little Filler in Wheat
and Won-herss Race Then Staged
With Sad Results.

De6 MONIES, Nov. 20.-JOhn Swanson,
= wealthy farmer Of Huron. s. D., was
swindled out Of $1,000 in a fake
brokers' Office here, so he reported ro
the police Saturday. Officials are look
ing for three men who are suspected.
Swanson says he was approached in
Omaha few days ago by man repre-
senting himself as rich farmer from
\ Centerville. The two men became
friendly After a while they met d
: third man who told them Of sure
lnng" IN Des Moines. II was known
as the Des Moines horse race exchange.
he said.
Swanson and the Cetnerville man
came TO Des Moines with the stranger
Slney hrst s,peculated on grain and the
C.ntervllle man and Swanson botn
Won. After the market closed the OPP
orator told them the returns on Ken
lucky races would be received. The
Centerville man bet $4,000 and Swan
SON $1,000.
=. ACCORDING to information secured at
police headquarters the swindle un-
wound as follows:
iAss{4 10 61rtS ouy0 "OeA1
The stranger TOOK them to an Office
building In the city, the location of
which the police decline to diyulge.
One of the rooms was fitted up with all
the paraphernalia Of an up-to-date
grain brokers' Office. A telegraph in
s,rument was clicking away and an
operator was putting quotations on
the blackboard.
Let's buy q little wheat?" suggested
the man who brought Swanson and his
companion TO Des Moines.
The Centeryille man bought some
wheat. The market suddenly shot up
ward and the purchaser sold. He re-
ceNed q check for his profit said to
have been several hundred dollars.
swanson speculated a bit in grain. He,
too. won. He was paid OFF in cash.
With his companion Swanson spent the
day at the broker office. The strang-
er who had accompanied them to Des
sdoines was apparently making lot Of
money ON his specplations.
After the market closed the "operat-
orr quietly informed the three men
that arrangements had been made to
get returns from the Kentucky races"
the following day.
s -Frisnd" Bets $4,000.
He also tipped them on to q sure
winner
I'VE can place the bets for you here.
IL any Of you gentlemen care to make
wagers on .the race" said the OPP
orator.
The Centerville man insisted that he
investigate before he took any chances.
This he did az reported to Swanson
that the proposition looked good to him.
ITS q sure thing all right" he said.
i've decided to bet $4,000 on the race.
Swan thought he. too, would get q
little Of tho easy money. He decided
to bet $1,000 on the race. He obtained
the money in cash and with the Cen
terville man went to the broker Office"
the following day.
The Centerville gentleman placed a
Certified check" for $4,000 on the
race. Swanson placed $1,000 cash on
the result.
They're on" shouted the Operator
as the telegraph instrument began its
staccato clicking.
+Dar.< Horse" Wins.
The race was thriller, described in
detail by the operator as ne read the
vorite was leading by length at the
quarter: he was still ahead 1t the
stretch. However, another horse-an
Mnknown-suddenly took tho lead and
the favorite-the one on whom Swan
son and his Centerville friend had wa
sgered $2O,000-was nosed out.
Tho Centerville man almost collaps-
ed when the result Of the race became
~ A~1A - N<Sen
keenly.
TN going home, !" said the man from
CenterviIls. su'll have to start life all
over again.
Swanson decided to return to Oma-
l,a- When he reached the latter city
he became suspicious that all was not
square in the brokers Office. he took
the next train for Des Moines
Friday night he told his story to
Captain Miller. Swanson stin insisted