The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1922-10-26
MAY BRING BACK
JIM H PENMAN
SMOOTH CHECK WRITER WHO
VICTIMIZED NUMBER OF
HELENA PEOPLE
Name is Either Barton or Bretzer,
and Was British Aviator During
the War; Also Movie Actor; Ar

rested by the Police OF Denver.
Richard r. Barton, alias Bretzer
who nicked DR.. B. G. Brooke, Dr.. w,
R. Hopkins, the Placer hotel, a wo-
man clerk-and probably other citi-
zens of Helena-on forged checks
aggregating $500 last spring, is in
stir in Denver, charged with high
crimes and misdemeanors, ranging
from plain stick-up to robbery of mil
lionaires in their homes.
Charged With Forgery Here
Barton is wanted also in Helena
and Butte. In Helena he stands
charged with forgery. An informa-
ton will be filed against him in the
district court, and application will
be made to Governor J.. M. Dixon
for requisition papers, according to
Hugh R. Adair, deputy county at
torney. A formal complaint has
been standing in a local justice of
the peace court since last May, upon
which a warrant for arrest was is
sued.
he Is muCn IN demand
However, if Barton is put through
the jumps for everything he is
charged with in Denver, he probably
will have to go through two or three
re~incarnations before the authorities
in Lewis and Clark and Silver Bow
counties, Montana, can get their
clutches on him. Besides, Kansas
City has a prior claim for jewelry
robbery and bail-jumping.
A Smooth Guy
Barton, going under the names of
Bretzer and Bretzen, when in Helena
last spring, represented himself as a
travelling agent of the Magnus COM
pany of Omaha, manufacturers of X
ray machines. He was a smooth sort
of a duck, and was even able to per-
suade a Helena woman, a clerk in
a Main street store, to loan him a
considerable sum of money on the
plea of friendship existing. AS she
said afterward, she stripped her
bank account of money she had saw
ed up for her annual vacation trip,
which she was not going to be able
to make under the circumstances.
Can Was Tied t o Him
1t appeared at the time that Bar
ton once had been a bona-fide sales
of the Omaha His |
story to his victims, it was said at
the time, was hat he was establish
ing a branch office of the company
in Butte, and the drafts the Helena
people cashed for him, he said, were
the purpose of meeting the mi
tial expenses in that connection.
When the drafts were returned dis {
honored, the fact became known that t
the can had been tied by the COM
pany to Barton a short time pre- ]
I
'The Gentleman Burglar" {
According to a report in a Denver r
newspaper, Barton has confessed to
q long series of crimes committed in :
hat city, notably holding up Mr.. and .
Mrs. James owen in their fashion, =
able home in the Capitol Hill district.
has confessed also to burglary :
IF the home of Ralph w. Smith, an =
other prominent family, getting away =
with jewels and clothing valued at =
$500. :
The Denver police and police re- :,
appear to think that Barton q
s quite a "catch," and to increase y
he power of the calcium rays, they :
dubbed him "the gentleman !,
BURGLAR" r
Says Was a British Flyer y
RartOn claims RI have boan oil
in the British flying corps,
md also to have been connected with
he movies in the capacity of direc-
or. ;,
h