Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1920-03-11
CHURCHILL Is
FOUND GUILTY


nesday night that Charles E. M.
Churchill, the would-be millionaire
was guilty of obtaining the sum OF
$500 from Julius A. Kroll, Reedsburg,
on false pretenses. Churchill has
been in Jail ever since last Memorial
Day awaiting trial.
The accused has a long list of
aliases and a criminal record before
he came to Baraboo, it is stated.
Much of his past history has been
published in this paper and not worth
repeating here. Before coming to
Baraboo he was in the insane ward
of the state prison at Michigan City,
Indiana. While there he inserted an
advertisement and this was answered
by Mrs Kroll in 1914. Later she went
to see him and when Churchill was
given his freedom he hurried to
Reedsburg.
Soon after arriving at the Second
City he inserted an advertisement In a
Reedsburg paper stating that he was
in a position to divide an estate Of
several million dollars amongst the
Morris heirs. This brought him to the
home of Mr.. and Mrs. George w. Bur-
dick in Baraboo where he remained
for some time. While there he gave
Mr.. Burdick the picture Of some farm,
buildings and claimed he was giving
the farm away with the picture.
One day Mr.. Kroll went into bank
at Reedsburg and desired to borrow
$500. W. f. Winchester ofthe bank was
one of the witnesses and testified that
Mr.. Kroll was interrogated as to whe
ther or not Churchill was to receive
the money. The borrower assured the
ank, Mr.. Winchester testified, that he
would not let Churchill have the 5000,
but the Canadian got the cash.
Churchill did not vanish but travel
ed about and had one GLORIOUS
time while the money lasted. Eyentu-
ally Mr. and Mrs. KroH became anxi-
GUS about the $500 and when too late
had Churchill arrested.
In the meanwhile Churchill pretend
ed to make a land deal with Victor
Johnson, who was injured in the Ca
hoon mine, and managed to obtain some
thing like SEQ Other amounts were al
so obtained,
Churchill was also full of matrimon
ial ideas but fortunately no one fell ia
to his web of visions and promises.
He is tall and when first he care
to Baraboo wore hat and suit like
a westerner He wears ordinary
clothes and is bib talker. He lost
considerable weight since. receiving
his mail at the county jail.
He will face the Judge later.
The witnesses: Julius A. kroll, c.
w. Burdick, julius Kroll, Jr, W. F.
Winchester, Susanna Kroll, II. L.
Halsted, w. L. Tarnutzer, George
Templin, Herman Foss, Henry Gratel-
nescher
The jury: Julius Fuchs, w. H.
Dennis Cummings, G. r.
Wilkinson, Haywood Frazier, w. r.
Schroeder. George Black, Charles
Beth, A. Goode, Frank Phoenix,
G6OIS &c NOlh, w lllldul hIdu1S4.
Charles E. M Churchill, the mil
lionaire," has been given a sentence
of five years at Waupun by Judge
James O'Nei1l in circuit court Chur-
chill is charged with obtaining $500
from julius A. Kroll under false pre-
lenses.
When asked if he had anything TO
say Churchill replied that he had not
had fair trial.
When the court desired to know if
he could repay the $500 he said if he
had the chance to dispose of some
heirlooms contained in a trunk at the
Geogre Burdick home in Baraboo. He
claimed they were part of the Cbrre-
hill estate.
The court was then informed the
heirlooms were "airlooms" and worth
all the way from ten cents to $3.50
for the whole lot, according to persons
who had examined them.
The North Freedom breach of pro-
mise case comes next week.