Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 85, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 July 1898 — HE IS BADLY WANTED. [ARTICLE]

HE IS BADLY WANTED.

Chicago and Boston After a Noted Swindler, Who Was Once Prominent in Minnesota. Chicago, June 28—Police officer* from Chicago and Boston are striving for the possession of Alonzo J. Whiteman, once a prominent Minnesota/jfolitician and officeholder; later a swindler whose operations extended over America and Europe. Whiteman is now in custody in St. Lonis. The Cook county grand jury indicted him Monday on the charge of swipdling the Grand Pacific hotel out of $250 by means of a false draft. In the same manner he is said to have swindled the Parker house of Boston out/of S2OO. Whiteman was at one time mayor of Duluth, and afterward a Minnesota state senator. In 1890 he was defeated for congress on the democratic ticket by 153 votes. After that he served as director of the Merchants and Farmers’ national bank of Dansville, N. Y., for. two years, and was at one time treasurer of the WhiteVnan Paper Pulp company of Dansville, of which his father was president. On the death of his father he and his mother were made executors of a large estate without bonds. When an accounting was demanded by other heirs it was found that nearly $70,000 of the assets consisted of forged notes. After his failure as a politician, which was accompanied by business disaster, Whiteman became a bookmaker. Foi swindling other bookmakers he was barred from eastern and western tracks By means of forged telegrams, in 189 C and 1892, it is charged he swindled bookmakers out of $1,300. Under different names Whiteman has been undet arrest in New York, Detroit, and in 1894 fled from Chicago to Europe to yscap« arrest for assisting to swindle the Bank of the Republic cut of S4OO. Operating in London and Paris, he returned tc America the next year to escape arrest on the continent. In May, 1895. Whiteman was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment at San Francisco on th« charge of forgery. A new trial was granted and the case dismissed.