Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-10-03
BY CHEEK AND BY CHECK.
The Adventures of Young Finan-
cier I'm search of Wealth with
Forged Checks.

cfer I'm search OF Weatbn WIN
Forged Checks.
For several days number Of forged
checks on the Boston cotton house OF
Sprague, Soule q Co. have been floating
from private purchasers to the banks.
Last Tuesday forged check for seventy
FIVE dollars, on Col. M. d. L. Stewart
was presented at the Union and Planters
Bank, but payment was refused--the sig
nature not being what il should be. Yes
terday forged checks on Sprague, Soule q
Co. for various amounts, payable to Il.
W. Perry or order, were presented at the
DeSoto Bank, where payment was re-
fused-Sprague, Soule & Co. not doing
business at that bank in that style of sig
nature. Our reporter kept the matter
quiet since last Tuesday awaiting the cap
ture of the forger and confidence man.
Harry Cranmer, the only real detective
in Memphis, was empowered to work up
the case. The operator in the check
business passed several throughout the
city. The names of the sufferers are, so
far as known. Felix LeClerc, $40; Will
let's billiard saloon, 1922 Amos Smith,
Beal street, $35; Fanny Freeman, 500.
Other checks for small amounts were
offered to saloon keepers, ETC., but re-
fused. Yesterday morning the checks
were presented at the banks, and the
discovery made. The alleged operator
in checks. Mr.. R. w. Perry, is native
of Charleston, South Carolina, and is of
respectable parentage. In early youth
he was adopted by leading cotton
merchant of that city, Robert With
erspoon, who brought him up in his count
ing-room and treated him as his son,
intending to make him heir to an
estate estimated at over 100000 Just
before the war Mr.. Witherspoon failed in
business and died, leaving Robert
Witherspoon Perry with no capital ex-
cept first-class mercantile education.
The agent of the house of Sprague, Soule
& Co., in this city, is native of Charles
ton, and knew Perry in his younger
days. Some weeks since Perry intro
duced himself to his old school friend,
and was invited to the freedom of his
Office. Awaiting himself of that polite
attention, he distracted from the check
book lot of numbered blank checks,
and from the private drawer of his friend
he took Cancelled check of the firm,
so that he could counterfeit the sigma
ture of the house of Sprague, Soule
& Co. -
Yesterday afternoon detective Gran
mer arrested Perry at the Park Restau-
rant as he was passing check over the
counter. A number of forged checks
were found in his possession, and he was
locked up for examination. Perry pleads
drunkenness in excuse of his acts, but
as a legal excuse this will cut no figure.
1t is needless to state that the signature
of Sprague, Soule & Co. was badly coun-
forfeited, and even if it had been well
done, so as to defy detection, no money
could be obtained at the banks on that
signature, the house doing business in
quite different manner. Only outside
parties, unacquainted with bank business,
were caught by the simple snare.
This morning Perry was brought be-
fore Recorder Winters on four State
warrants, three charging him with
forgery and one charging him with the
larceny of blank checks. After exami.
nation he was committed to Jail in de-
fault of sixteen thousand dollars bonds,
or four thousand on each of the four
charges. Perry is about thirty-fve years
of age, and is of pleasing address and
appearance. Some time since he worked
as record clerk in the Chancery office
of Colonel NJ. d. L. Stewart and in the
Criminal Court Clerks Office in SINH
lar capacity.