Our grandfolks had mysteries, too

Years ago, after mom and dad retired, they lived south of Rice on the river.  One winter, Curly (dad) put a fish house out on the ice, but didn't get around to licensing it, or in fact, himself.  He figured it was close enough...like fishing in his backyard...no one would care, really...but he didn't paint his name on the thing, either (per law).  

It was fine until the game warden showed up. Luckily, Curl had just gone up to the house for a snack, but he'd left his line in the water, another big ice-fishing no-no.  The warden followed footprints up to their driveway, where they were lost (whew) and when he went to the door, Curly lied thru his teeth.  No, he didn't know who owned it...yes, he'd seen someone there today....no, didn't see him leave...didn't know when it was hauled out there....had no idea...yah, maybe there was a car parked on the road...nope, didn't remember anything...

So, the warden destroyed the fish house--I believe he lit it on fire--of course, Curly had to watch, agreeing out loud but swearing a blue streak in his head. 

 He told that story to everybody who came by.  Relatives heard it in German, and everybody laughed like crazy.  Dad actually admired the warden because he could have made it much worse for dad, the obvious lawbreaker.  The legal penalties at the time were worse than just loosing your fish house, but this guy rubbed Curly's nose in it and made him watch, and pretend to agree.

When I first found this clipping, it didn't sound like the perpetrator was a "bad guy", really.  He had a story intended to fool the locals, but he paid his way, mostly, and I suspect people liked him.  The fact that no name was used means they figured it was an alias anyway. I suppose they felt a little used, a little burnt, but they liked the guy, and wished he would have been legit.

This next clipping is from the Little Falls Herald a week earlier.  Evidently the team was returned just fine after the story ran, but "C.H.Clook" got away.

See the last lines of the first clipping up there?  About intending to "work the bogus check scheme that was so successful a short time ago?  That worked once, but no more".  Here's THAT story, from May, 1908, about one L.F.Bruel, who also got away with it, looks like.

As much as they were pissed at being scammed, the idea that someone was bold enough to pull something like this was a tiny bit admired...especially if you were not from Pierz ☺.