Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-05-25

The Alt0ona papers OF the 2Utd say of the
forger and bis capture, as follows. .For
some time past Ii. II. Surls, a one-armed
soldier, who is postmaster at East Liver.
pool, Columbiana county, Ohio, has known
that forged money orders purperting TO be
sent from his Office were in circulation. Mr.
surls got oc the track Of the forger and ar
rived in this city last night. He went to
the post-office and notified Mr.. Nicodemus
IF Alfred Coles or an order payable to him
came up, to detsin the man. II seems the
forgcr arrived on the same train with Post
master Suris. This morning Coles went to
the post-of,ice and presented six money
orders purporting to be issued from the
East Lr erpool Office, and each calling for
$50 or $500 in all. He presented the orders
TO Postmaster Patton, who went through
the usual forms, having him sign the re-
ceipts, &c, and meanwhile Jimmy winn
slipped out and soon returned with Officer
Schittlekopf, who arrested Coles and took
him up to the mayors office. Here he was
searched, and blank money orders TO the
sum of SO 800 were found upon him. He
also had gold watch and chain, and SO
in money. He $50 had tpon him letters
addressed to various post-masters, request
ing them to send the money for postal Or
ders enclosed, to his address at New Haven,
Conn, asking that the money be sent in
large bills These letters were addressed TO
Huntingdon, Tyrone, Lewistown, Newport,
Duncannon, MarysviIle, Petersburg and Mil
lerstown. Coles is about thirty-three years
of age, five feet five inches high, with clear,
bright eyes. He had railroad tickets on his
person from Wellsyille, Ohio, to Boston,
Massachusetts,. He had also receipts for
registered letters addressed to himself ard
sent from Blairsville to Boston, Mass, and
from New Florence to New York city. His
crime is as original as it is daring in plan,
and has been boldly executed. Had it not
been detected he would have been several
thousand dollars ahead at the expense of
the various post-masters upon whom the
loss would have fallen. Cole had a regular
schedule for his movements, which reads:
Arrive New Florence 1884, leave 8 p. N.
Arrive Johnstown 3:29, leave 7:I2. Arrive
al Altoona P. NJ. He put up at the Logan
House and was captured as related. His
schedule eastward was; Leave Altoona s:
30, Tyrone S:5l. Leave l2:0s, Huntingdon
l2:50, drive to Petersburg Leave $3.50, ar
rive Lewistown 1922, arrive at Duncannon
l0:i7. Leave 2;30, 60 west to Newport.
Drive from Newport to Miilerstown. Leave
Millerstown Gle, arrive at Marysville f:0S.
His route was laid out, but the law has him
now in its coils, and it is likely he will go to
the penitentiary for a long term. Post
master Surls deserves great credit for Sc
curing his detection and capture.
Through the leniency of Mayer Howard
the forger was taken from his cell and given
the freed ON OF the mayors private office.
lie conducted himself quietly until an cp-
portunity was given hin, by the mayors at
tention being called to some other matter,
when he jumped through the second-story
story window to the ground. An exciting
chase ensued, but he was finally captured
and turned over TO the United States au-
thorities. In an interview Mr.. Surls said
he first sscertained that forgeries were be-
ing committed on his Office by receiving
from Wallingford, Conn, an imperfect
money order advice purporting to have been
sent from his Office and bearing his forged
signature. He Immediately recognized the
forgery and wired TO the postmaster at Wal
lngford to arrest the presenter OF the money
order. On last Wednesday be received
letter from Petersburg, Huntingdon county,
Pa, regarding money advices for $500, pur-
porting to have come from his office. Think
irg this sort of business was becoming mo-
notonous, he came east TO see the post
Office officials, warning all the post-masters
CT the way not to cash any money orders
from his office. The advices sent ahead
were all properly gotten up in all particu-
lars. save bne, and that Is, he neglected to
write the figures $50 upon the face of the
advice sent to Wallingford. This led to bis
detection and arrest. The Liverpool Office
sas robbed about year ago, and that is
where be got the post-office stamp. Had
his scheme as perfected been successful he
would have received $500.
The Harrisburg Telegraph adds the fol-
lowing to what the Altoona papers have
said This original swiudler had laid pian
TO capture $500 at the Harrisburg post
office. He sent on from East Liverpool,
Ohio, six forged money orders FOR $50
each, and from Latrobc, Pa, six for $50
each. These seemed to be all right and
awaited his coming in this city. Had he
presented himself at the Harrisburg office
with the proper vouchers be might have
succeeded in his bold game. The officials,
here, however, were just little suspicious
that 500 should be placed to the credit OF
one man aud were prepared to thoroughly
question him when be called for the money.
Fortunately hs did not get this far.
A CORRESPONDENT of the Philadelphia
Sundny Times writes the following true little