Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-05-20
a swINDLER CAPTURED.


He has Nearly $4,000 nj Forged Postal
Money Orders.
A scamp, calling himself A. B. Coles,
who has been swindling the government
10y means of forged postoffice orders, came
10 grie, In Altoona yesterday. On Wed.
nesoay evening the postmaster Of East
Liverpool, Ohio, arrived in that city in
pursuit of the sharper, who was operating
ON pOstOffices along the line of the rail.
roaa ~ means Of forged money
orders. lhe postmaster at Altoona
was warned, and SO when we'll dressed
stranger appeared at the Office yesterday
morning and presented orders TO the
amount of three hundred dollars, purpOrt-
ing to be issued by the East Liverpool
Office to the order Of A. B. Coles, an officer
was called and the sharper was taken into
custody. When searched blank money
orders to the amount Of So, 800 were found
in his possession, with a complete assOrt-
ment of pOstOfficc blanks and envelopes,
properly stamped. 1t was learned that
hc had stopped at all the principal points
between Altoona and Pittsburgh. At
JOllnstOwn he obtained $500 on forged
orders, and deposited that amount
and took an order on West Ches-
ter. On his person was found schedule
showing that he had intended to operate
at all the leading points between Altoona
and Marysville. lie had evidently de-
posted nearly al. the money he obtained,
as he had only seventy five dollars in
money, but hal receipts for registered let
ters addressed to himself and sent from
Blairsville to Boston and from New
Florence to New York city. Coles is
about 81 years of age and Of good appear
ance. lie made desperate attempt to
escape last evening, by jumping out Of a
second story window of the mayors Office
but was recaptured.
Postmaster Marshall, of this city, seeing
in the morning papers an account OF Coles
transactions, recOllected that he had re-
ceived several postal orders signed by
Coles and made payable to himself in this
city. The postmaster at once made care
full examination Of the forged orders Of
which there arc six for $5Oeach. They are
very we'll executed, and Coles would prob
ably have been paid the $500 had he pre-
sentcd himself here. On comparing the
forged orders with a genuine one it is seen
that the red ink is not OF exactly the
proper shade. There is also typo
graphical error in tho printed
part Of the order, the word "Or" being
doubled, occurring. both before and within
the parenthesis There is also u full point
at one place in the forged order where /,
colon is used in the genuine.
Postmaster Marshall has notified the
department of his detection Of the forgery,
the postal authorities at Altoona appar-
emily being of the opinion that the blanks
captured were stolen government origi
nails.
From an Altoona paper VIC learn that
the bogus: money :crlers found on Coles
baggage were drawn on whole line of
offices from Altoona up into New Eng
lard and including six for $50 each on
Middletown, Mt. Joy, Lancaster, Parkcs-
burg, Coatesvillc and B:yn Mawr. lie
had letters prepared t" bc sent to all these
postmasters asking them to cash the
orders and send the proceeds in large bills
by registered letters to Coles at New
Haven. Conn. He got his $500 at Johns
town and the postmaster at Florence only
escaped by not having that mucl; on
hand.