The Fort Dodge Messenger: March 28, 1903
Left On The Prairie in His Stocking Feet
What Happened to the Man Who Tried a Game of Bluff on a Gilmore City Merchant.
Gilmore City, March 28. – A high handed game of bluff was worked on Charley Neel on Thursday evening of last week, by a fellow who is working for his board, for a prominent farmer west of town. He represented himself as being the owner of a farm a short distance out, and was very much in need of a pair of rubber boots, but did not have the money with him to pay for them.
He put up a great talk, at the same time putting on a pair of boots which just suited him, but he thought he wouldn’t take them today, but he would wait till Saturday when he would be in with some butter and eggs. A lady customer coming in at this time, he changed his mind, and while Mr. Neel was waiting on her the fellow walked out, carrying his old shoes in his hand, saying that he would throw them in his buggy and then come back.
Mr. Neel was suspicious that all was not right, and went out to investigate, and discovered his man sauntering along towards the north, and followed him until the fellow turned west, at Hunter’s corner, and increased his speed. Then Mr. Neel put Marshal Stebbins on his trail and the fellow was overtaken on the bottom west of town. He refused to come back within the incorporation without a warrant, but was finally induced to give up the boots, and he was left on the prairie in his sock feet. Instead of being a prosperous farmer, the fellow hasn’t a dollar.
Tags: 1903, Neel, Stebbins
The Fort Dodge Messenger: Jan. 10, 1903
Duncombe Sun Goes Under
Has Yielded to the Force of Adverse Circumstances
Publication is Suspended.
Editor Stebbins Finds the Burden of Debt Too Great to Be Endured.
Word has reached the city that the Duncombe Sun, which was once one of hte luminaries of Webster County journalism, has ceased to shine, and that the genial talks of Sunrise Bill will hereafter be in vain. After a plucky struggle to keep up, Editor Stebbins has been obliged to yield to the pressure of debt, and his paper has discontinued publication.
All of Mr. Stebbins’ editorial brethren over the county will regret that the pressure of circumstances was too much for him to withstand. He had been giving Duncombe a good local paper, and no one is more sorry to hear of his misfortune that is the Messenger force. Mr. Stebbins still remains in Duncombe.
Tags: 1903, Stebbins
