New Ulm review., 1920-12-15

early train and at once proceeded to
the police station. where Bernhard
Malers is now confined. In state
ment to a newspaper reporter, Monday
morning, the father of the young man
said that the news of his sons arrest
came like stroke of lightning on the
entire family, who are all honest, hard
working people, who have struggled
against some terrible odds in the past.
Thlrty-five years ago, when first
settled near Canby,'' said Mr.. Maiers,
a prairie fire burned everything had
IN this world, and for several years
alter that it was indeed a hard struggle
for existence, but my wife and ! never
lost courage, and today we are COM
fortably situated. We always made
it point to bring up our large family
to be honest. Bernhard was always
Woodworking, industrious boy, and
the news of his arrest came to me like
stroke of lightning. Whenever ne
needed spending money I gave it to
him, and all he had TO do when he
needed clothing was to go to the tailor
IN Canby and order his suit of clothes.
l cannot believe but what some other
person suggested to him the changing
OF bills to higher denomination. |
| absolutely had no intimation that he
was going wrong. 1t has made my
whole family very sad to think that
this trouble has come about"
Chief Of Police Snortum says that a
SIS bill was raised at Candy nearly a
year ago by some one, and he thinks
that the young man got the idea OF
| doing likewise from what he heard OF
that affair.
Secret Service Man Here.
F. w. Sommers, a United States
secret service man, arrived at Mankato,
| Monday morning, to look up the case
OF the youthful bill-raiser. About the
| middle of the forenoon Mr.. Sommers
found one of the SIS bills which had
been raised and passed at the Wool
worth Five and Ten Cent Store on
South Front Street. This bill had been
given in change to a lady, and she
in turn had given the bill in payment
of some articles at one of the Mankato
drug stores, where it was finally
located. Mr.. Sommers came to New
Ulm Monday afternoon for consulta-
ton with Chief of Police Alvin Har-
mening and to determine how many
of the raised bills were passed IN this
city by Maiers.
Six Bills Are Located.
AS soon as Maiers had made clean
breast of his wrong-doing, following
his arrest in Mankato, Chief Harmen-
ing was notified by the authorities
there to be on the lookout for raised
| bills here. He succeeded in locating
six of them, although the young man
maintains that he passed no less than
nine here. Among the local victims
are tWotof our fnacial institutions, the
| Farmers & Merchants State Bank and
the Brown County Bank, but it is not
known in what manner the raised bills
came into their possession. 1t is not
believed that the Candy youth tried
| to f1im-fam the banks, but rather that
the inflated currency was deposited
by local business houses Monday
morning, without having discovered
! the work of the bill-raiser.
Made Small Purchases.
Maiers entered the #. J. Backer
harm ess shop, where he purchased a
purse for 35 cents, as well as Crone
Bros clothing department, and the
Bee Hive, in each of which places he
bought cheap handketchiefs. The
sixth bill was produced by Andrew
| Saffert, but none of the employees in
Mr.. Saffert's meat market recollect
having seen a man of Maiers' de-
scription in that place of business
Saturday. 1t is possible that the bill
was inadvertently given to one of Mr..
Safert's customers in some local store
and that the party presented it in
payment for purchases at the meat
| market, later.
Should Report Bills.
If Maiers actually passed nine raised
bills here, as he stated to the Man
kato police, three are still unaccounted
for, and people are urged to look over
any $40 bills that they received while
shopping in New Ulm; Saturday, and
carefully examine them. The govern
ment will allow the actual face value
of the raised bills, which is SIS each,
if they are turned in, and it is said
that the Candy youth has declared
himself willing to return the money
which he illegally obtained by passing
the inflated currency to the parties
that were buncoed.
Quite Clever Work.
Anyone not knowing that the bills
were raised, would not notice the
changes made by Maiers, although a
careful examination reveals the for