The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1917-11-29
HOW OFAL OLSON
LOST HIS WAD
Interesting Account of How Wealthy
Minot Man Was Bilked Out of $780,
900 in Stock Fake at Des MOines.

Des Moines, Ia, Nov. 21.-Olaf A.
! Olson, hotel proprietor of Minot, N.
| D., has met his econ" men and he is
theirs.
Two of them fleeced him Of $4,000
yesterday in less time than it will take
to tell this story.
The "slick young fallers," as Olsen
calls them. are gone and the whole
city detective department and the po-
lice department, detective by the
name Of Murphy up in the Fleming
block and some excited hotel detec-
tlves are recounting the tale today
and looking for the crooks.
They have little hope of ever seeing
either of them again.
Today all that Olson possesses
telling him he once owned that par
ticular $4,000 that was taken from
him is a small red card on which is
written the bit of information that
he is entitled to that amount of stock
in the Colorado Gold Mining company
or some other ephemereal organiza-
| ton.
Olson up in his room. No. 225 of
the Chamberlain, smiled a not un-
happy smile today when he told of
his loss. 1t seemed to worry him
less, this subtle piece of business, than
| it did the police. much less officials of
the American Trust and Savings bank
who paid the money to Olson on his
check and in three or four fve-hun-
dred dollar bills and scads of tens and
twenties.
81 Don't Care"
u don't care very much. I've got
100000 more" said Olson. Then he
looked furtively about for fear the
same pair who had duped him yester-
day just before dinner, might be
skulking about ready to light on him
again.
When the two dapper young men
from no one knows where came to Des
Moines a week ago, they set up offices
in the Flynn building. They told the
custodian they were the proprietors
of the Iowa Film AID company.
Last Saturday one of the partners
went to the cantonment.
Met at CantOnment.
Olson was out there looking about
for a nephew who left Minot, not long
ago to become select soldier for
Uncle Sam.
The Film AID man, whose name o.
son doesn't remember now, grew real
friendly, says Olson, and told him af-
| ter fifteen or twenty minutes of con-
| versation where a lot of easy money
in gold mine stocks could be made.
Olson, affluent as he was, became
interested.
An enga cement to meet the Film
AID man and his partner in the Flynn
building was made for Tuesday morn
ing.
eve will be busy all day Monday
with other matters,V the mine stock
man told Olson.
Had Scads of Money"
When Olson appeared yesterday to
fill his engagement, he saw the pa, t.
ners counting over roll of 100000 O,
$4,000 in money which the police say
was "phoney,"
The confidence men, Olson says, told
him that if he invested in the gold
mine stocks he would receive returns
rapidly. They held up their PROPOSE
ton as most attractive and "inside'
because they had wire information
from the stock markets that would en-.
able Olson and themselves to make {
great amount Of money.
In talking to the detectives Olsor
said: "They told me / would make {
barrel of money and that would BIT
fool not to come in now when they
had the tip"
Then Olson and one of the partner!
went to the bank The bank wouldn't
cash the check for $4,000 at once i,