POKER UNDOING OF LOUISA CO. MAN

OGDEN, DARELIUS, HENCILMAN

Posted By: Judy Kelley, volunteer (email)
Date: 2/18/2010 at 20:48:28

Source: LCHS scrapbook, date unknown

BURLINGTON PAPER GIVES REASONS FOR DOWNFALL.

Became Reckless and Wrote Checks At a Rapid Rate - Made a Dash for Liberty, But failed.

"Poker is the undoing of B.F. Ogden,the county clerk of Louisa county" says the Burlington Gazette of Monday evening in giving a report of the arrest of that official in that city. The case is of interest in Muscatine for Mr. Ogden has been a frequent visitor here and has been seen in a number of the gambling houses here. The Burlington Gazette of Monday evening tells of the case as follows: "County Clerk B. F. Ogden, of Louisa county who has long been regarded as easy picking by the local sporting fraternity reached the end of his rosy career Sunday when he was arrested by Officer Geo. Hencilman upon a charge of obtaining money by false pretenses. The complaining witness was Gus. Darelius, a local gambler, who had cashed two of Ogden's checks for $20 apiece, on the Wapello Savings bank, to pay poker losings.

"Darelius cashed one of the checks Friday and the other one Saturday. Sunday morning the first check was returned to Darelius with the simple notation that the maker of the check had no funds in the bank. Darelius at once took the matter up with the police and an information was filed against the county official charging him with obtaining money under false pretenses.

"Capt. Hencilman started out with the warrant and locating Ogden in Smith & Dalton's place, arrested him. Ogden came along quietly until the corner of Third and Washington was reached when he made a dash for liberty. Officer Hencilman was not anticipating such a move but started in pursuit of the prisoner. He overtook him on Washington street in front of Henry Waldin's store and as he was about to grab him, Ogden fell down. Hencilman took no further chances, but put the "comalongs" on the prisoner and the city hall police station was reached without further incident. When Ogden was searched at the station he still had $18 of the money he had realized on the last check cashed by Darelius. The prisoner was remanded to jail and this morning brought to the city hall station for a preminary hearing. In the meantime he had secured communication with friends and Darelius stated if he got his money back he would not prosecute the case. Ogden remained in the tramp room all day in an endeavor to raise the money wherewith to square himself. He alleged that he did not know his account in the Wapello bank was overdrawn.

"Ogden is about 50 years of age and hails from Wapello, and is serving his second term as county clerk of Louisa county. He served three years and last fall was elected again. He is married and has several grown up sons and sang in a church choir. It is said that his accounts with Louisa county are all straight, but that he has borrowed so much money from friends previous to this time that it is difficult for him to secure any funds to get out of his present predicament.

"He has been a frequent visitor in this city and has a mania for playing poker. Those who know state that he is a poor performer in that line and for that reason has always been regarded as prey of the most velvety order. Friday he became mixed up with Darelius, who really won all his money and when Ogden was strapped the local gambler was agreeable to the proposition to accept a check for $20. The check writing came so easy that Ogden wrote another for a second $20, thinking perhaps that the bank would carry him along. But the bank refused and when Darelius saw that his money was in danger he frantically fled to the police for redress. The chances are if Ogden did have a bank account Darelius would have got every cent of it. If he escapes from his present predicament it will no doubt be a good lesson to him to quit backing some other man's game and to steer clear of such accomodating friends as Darelius.

Ogden Released

"At a late hour Monday afternoon Ogden's friends made good the amount and he was released from custody, as no criminal intent is shown.