Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 296, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 December 1916 — FARMER VICTIM OF OLD SWINDLE [ARTICLE]

FARMER VICTIM OF OLD SWINDLE

Loses SIO,OOO On Horse Racing Game —Gets Two $5,000 Drafts. ' .St. Joseph, Mo.—A SIO,OOO swindle was pulled off in St. Joseph, the victim being Boone Fancher, a rich farmer, who lives near Oregon, Nicholas J. Glover, of St. Joseph, was arrested at Princeton, Mo., accused of being one of four men who worked the swindle, and was brought here. The swindle practiced on Fancher was the old horse race “sure thing” game. Fancher had advertised his farm . for sale, and' he says the swindlers came' to his house to get an option on it for a relative in California. Several days ago they returned and told him the money had been ( received from California, but they had, lost it in St. Joseph betting on a horse race In the east. They wormed themselves into the old man’s confidence and by pretending they had a sure tip this time, induced him to get a draft for $5,000 on a St. Joseph bank and turn over to them for bettingFancher bought~the draft here and when he presented it at the GermanAmerican National bank the officers tried to dissuaderiiim from drawing the cash, but he had confidence in his new friends and received the full amount in $lO and S2O bills. When this was lost Fancher was yet credulous and he went to Oregon, procured another draft for $5,000 and had it cashed at another bank here. When his friends did not show up at their usual meeting place irt two days the old farmer became suspicious and appealed to the police. Fancher formerly lived at Savannah, Mo., where two years ago the dead body of his young wife was found in the yard at their home early one morning. The night before Mrs. Fancher had been one of a party of two women and two men who had motored to St. Joseph to attend a theatre. Her husband was not a member of the party. R. B. Coffee, a Savannah -merchant, was the last person seen with Mrs. Fancher, and he was arrested on a charge of murdering her, but was aquitted at his trial soon afterward. Fancher is, 75 years old and twice a widower.