Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-08-20
about to put it in his pocket, when De-
tective Parker
Quietly Put His Hand on Him.


he was. Gaylor got position close
to him, where he could watch him with
out his knowing it, and waited some FIVE
minutes, waiting till the last moment to
give an opportunity to strike in the
other bank. Finding, however, that he
was getting little nervous and show
ing signs OF leaving, the detective con.
cluded to arrest him, and 30 complete
was the surprise that he made no resist
ance,
Simply Remaining that 1t was Mistake.
Brockway was taken into the bank and
handcutfed TO his accomplice, whence,
after while, they were taken to the
city hall and searched and then locked
up. No further checks were found upon
him, nor was anything OF q suspicious
nature found. They would say nothing
about the matter. Cook, as he, called
himself, was supposed by detective:Gay.
lor to be the famous Bill Oglebee, but
the detective was not sure OF that.
II was almost certainty that there
was another, and il seemed probable
that he would take alarm and not pre-.
sent aly checks at the other bank. De-
tective Gsylor, however, kept his eye
out for him, thinking he should reco2.
nize him if he saw him, and some OF the
clerks in the bank turned detective,
and went to piping" for him. Their =
forts were not successful About 1880,
however, stranger appeared at the
counter of the Old National bank and
Presented a Check for sl,2e4,
drawn in favor OF James Chase, and
signed III. c. Cranston." The cashier,
Mr.. J. A. Cranston, told him that he
must get the check certified, and he
started out ostensibly for that purpose.
The cashier followed him out, and met
Gaylor coming up the stairs. He told
him what had happened, and that there
was his man. GAylor and Cranston fol-
lowed the fellow across the street, trying
to get a good look at hip, so that
Mr.. Cranston could identify him be.
yond question. Mr.. Gaylor even spoke
to him, asking some question, when the
fellow got nervous and started to run
down the Postoifice court, with Gaylor
close to his heels. Officer Vaughan,
seeing the chase, joined in it, and AZ
they went by the Postoiiice, the Consta.
bic employed there
Jumped Out of the Window
and also joined them. To help matters
along and bring him to bay some one
discharged pistol into the ground, is
claimed, but the bullet struck in the
Press office. 1t is not known who did
this, but Officer Vaughan says it was
some one behind him. Still the fellow
ran, but Gaylor clung TO him, when he
drew something from his hip pocket and
was either about TO strike Gaylor or
throw it away, when Gaylor caught 1t in
his hand. 1t proved to be pocketbook,
in which was the check he had present.
ed at the counter OF the Old National
Bank, and this was all there was in IL.
A moment after this he was caught by
the officer who took him to the city hall.
On arriving there he was searched, when
a certified check tOthe same amount and
Precisely Like the One Presented
was found concealed in his stocking. IL
is supposed he intended to be gone long
enough to get it certified and then come
back and present it and get the money.
A large crowd followed him To the city
hall. 1t is needless to say the check,
printing and all, are forgeries. The sig.
nature OF Mr.. Cranston is pronounced
good, though not very good. The fellow
last arrested says his name is Charles
Powers.
When arrested, Brockway tried to
swallow paper, hut was prevented by
the officer. The paper contained simply
the name and address. of one OF our busi-
ness firms near the bank, probably q
name they intended to work on next.
BrockVay is man about forty-seven
years old, has full beard, slightly
tinged with gray, and is a smart, capa-
BILE business man, and, as has already
been said, one of the most skillful OF
forgers. His mode OF operating was 80
well known that the detectives, after
they got on his track,
Knew just what Moves He would Make.
The manner in which he shares his
gains may be Of interest. The men who
present the checks are called lays
down" These get % per cent. OF the
proceeds. II he has an agent, as he
did not here, the agent gets % per cent
and Brockway takes the rest, giving the
engraver or photographer who iorges the
blanks 10 per cent OF his share, and
furnishes the capita and pays all ex-
penses.
The "lays down" captured in the
Fourth National Bank is good fellow.
He claims to have come from Toronto,
and to be a stranger here. His story is
that he got here yesterday, and as he was
walking along the street he was accosted
by a man whom he didn't know, who
asked him il he was at work. lie told
him "No," and was asked il he didn't
want Job and replied YES The
stranger then asked him 10
Take the Check and Get It Cashed.
telln, him he would wait on the street
for it, and he took il, etc. He claimed
not to know Brockman at all, and, on
being asked TO describe the man who
gave the check described man who an
swered Officer Parker's description. lie
is about thirty years OF age.
Charles Somers, as he calls himself, is
a young man, but he is cool enou sh Tor
ali practical purposes. Ii is not thought
he has given his correct name, and alter
his arrest the detective was not sure
whether he or the other is Billy Oslebee
but he looks like him.
Brookway is said 10 be the most ex.
pert and dangerous forger in the coun-
try, il not in the world. He is said to
have managed all the bank forgeries in
this country for years, receiving the
lions share OF spoils. He completed,
two wears ago, a six years sentence in
Auburn. Nearly every bank in New
York has been victimized by him, bat
his operations have extended all over
tha country