The Wandering Grifter’s Free Pass
A man accused of passing bogus checks across Oregon and Washington walked free after local authorities decided the cost of prosecution wasn't worth the effort.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
C. L. Martin, arrested by Walla Walla police two months ago on a charge of obtaining money under false pretenses, has been discharged from custody at Pendleton. Because the officers of Pendleton figured it would cost more to secure a conviction than the case warranted, Martin was released. Martin claimed he represented an eastern electrical concern and on these representations allegedly passed a bogus $20 check on a Pendleton man. It is alleged that Martin played the same game at La Grande and other Oregon towns, but the losses were squared up and he escaped prosecution.
“Because the officers of Pendleton figured it would cost more to secure a conviction than the case warranted, C. L. Martin... has been discharged.”
The practice of 'squaring up' local debts to avoid the expense of a formal trial remains a quiet reality in modern judicial discretion, where cost-benefit analysis often dictates the outcome of minor fraud cases.
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