The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-01-05
HE MAY LOSE Wife
Wilhelm GrOte Has Lost Auto
and Home.
All Came About Thru Overland
Trip to California.

Wilhelm Grote. OF Kansas City. has
not only lost his automobile, home and
furniture-he fears he has lost his
wife. according to tine story he told
today in the county Jail, where he was
locked up when he was brought back
from Missouri by deputy sheriff to
race charges of passing worthless
checks.
And it all came about t1..u an over
land trip to California with two al.
legged bad men"-Jack Berri and
Sam Scott. Grote says these men
We're wanted in connection with the
theft of an automobile and that he
was arrested by a constable who
thought he was Scott; then followed
weeks of prosecution, habeas corpus
proceedings and damage suits.
Went on Overland Trip
Scott and Berri were working on
my house in Kansas City" said
Grote- "One day L came home and
found SCOTS little boy there He was
a widower and my wife said she
thought it would be all right for Scott
TO bring him there. On account of
my hay fever my wife and / decided
to go to Colorado. Scott and Berri
were going to California. so we finally
decided to go with them When we
were ready to start they drove up in
an Oldsm0bile, which Scott said he
mad taken in place of money on a
Judgment he had been given, and
showed me the bill of sale.
Scott and Berri and my wife went
ahead in their car, while my son and
I followed in my Studebaker with the
tents and baggage. Scott had consid-
cradle trouble with his car and as they
had no money. 1 footed all the bills.
They promised me that when we got
TO California they would mortgage
their machine and pay me back. On
TuynN
my wife wanted to go to California
was so she could be with Scott. 1 will
give Berri credit for one thing-he
once ran Scott away from the car.
Took Train to Los Angeles.
We'll, when we arrived at Holbrook my
%lfe wanted to take the train, l said
! would go with her and sold my car for
800 and we took train for Los Angeles.
Arrived there l got a message from Scott
that his had broken down at Bagdad
in the desert, so 1 sent him money to have
1t fixed. When he got to Los Angeles he
had another smashup and 1 sent the car to
the garage to be fixed. BY this time l
had $500 invested in it. so Berri. who now
had the ar,-turned it over to me and gave
me a bill of sale for it. But they refused
some firm in Joplin, Mo-, claimed it. SO /
went to San Diego to see Berri about it
admitted that he owed $500 on it. was
arrested, they thinking L was Scott, but
brought habeas corpus proceedings and
But when I stepped out of Jail con-
stable from Webb City, Mo-, by the name
OF Bridges, and three detectives seized
me, throwed me in and took me to
Los Angeles. / was brought back to
Webb City and there was a telegram stat
ing that the real Scott had been captured"
Brought Suit Against Constable.
Grote said he then brought suit against
the constable for $4,000, which is now
pending in the. district court of Jasper
county, Missouri. He then started back
to California, but running out of money,
said he stopped in Topeka and cashed the
checks. One was cashed by Ed Grote, of
the Kansas Reserve State bank, for $50
and another at the Palace Clothing com
cashed checks at Sharon Springs. He said
today he told the parties that he might
not have cash enough i'll the Pomona, Cal,
bank to cover them, but did not tell them
of his trouble He said he intended to be
in California before the checks got there
he says. he called up his mother in Kan
sas city, who informed him that his wife
had returned there. He then went back
to Kansas City, he said, and then to Jop
lin, where eBrri was tried on a charge of
receiving stolen property and sentenced
was n frame-up between Scott. Berri and
two other men to steal the Oldsmobile and
that is how Scott and Berri happened to
have it in their possession.
Checks Were Returned.
Grote said the court gave him the Odds
mobile and that he then wrote to the Po-
mona bank, asking them to honor the
checks and take the car and his $1,000
worth of household furniture as security.
But the checks were returned.
He is now being held to answer to the
charge of passing worthless checks.