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328

(304) 

August 27, 1894.

Mr. Chas. M. Hobbs, 
C/o Steamer “Campania” due at quarantine, New York, Sept. 14 or 15.

Dear Mr. Hobbs:

I have your letter of Aug. 13 and note the same fully. Mr. Van Auken is to be transferred to-day from Detroit to Quincy, Ill., where he is wanted for having forged the name of Pres’t Ingalls of the “Big Four” to certain bonds of a proposed railroad scheme which was gotten up by Van Auken some months ago. This charge you will observe is a very serious one, and I am told that under the laws of Illinois he can be properly punished. His efforts to secure money here did not succeed, and our Prosecuting Attorney believes that he might perhaps slip through by some technicality if tried here, particularly as the charge is that of having tried to obtain only $50.00. After consultation with our own attorneys and after their several interviews with the Prosecuting Attorney, it has seemed best to deliver Van Auken to the Illinois authorities and I trust you will approve the action. He has been feigning insanity for a long time, and has played his part wonderfully well. I have sent to your office at Denver many newspaper clippings which will give you the particulars more fully than I can by letter, and I have written your office requesting that the clippings be sent you at quarantine, so that you will have all the facts before you on arrival. 

I shall be in Detroit until Monday night, Sept. 17, and expect to sail for Italy a few days later. My plan is to devote several months to complete rest, and in fact, I may not return to Detroit until some time during the summer of ‘95. If you should pass through Detroit on your way to Denver prior to Sept. 17, I shall be very pleased to see both yourself and Mrs. Hobbs here.

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