The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-28
CAPTURING A FORGER.
~ EVER WORK OF a DETECTIVE
IN WEST VIRGINIA.

it-IlghUSnlnS Iu9 w CD - Arrest
and Confession.
From the Washington Star
former detective, in talking to a re
r5rter the other day, told an interesting
story of d forgery committed in West Vir-
mia some years ago and how he managed
70 capture the foryer. The forgery was
clever piece of work, although not done by
professional, and had not the guilty man
been captured early in the game the state
If West Virginia and private individuals
,c5rd. no doubt, have lost thousands Of
dollars. In fixing the crime on county
,fiGal. considerable trouble, and perhaps
his reputation, were saved, for a prominent
member of the Washington bar. This
lawyer, who at present lives in this city,
was in 1864 or 1865 appointed counsel for
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, with head
quarters at Martinscurg, and in addition
10 looking after the railroads interests he
attended TO his private practice. At
Malti sburg he stopped at the leading
hotel He was looked upon as one of Mar
ruburg's promising citizens, and soon won
the respect of everyone VINO became &C
ouainted with him.
THE FIRST CLIENT.
He had not been there very long before
he received a call from one of the residents,
who became his first client His visitor
EMPLOYED him to dispose of largo number
Of county bonds. These bonds were for
800 each and were issued by the county
Of Berkeley to persons who had enlisted
and credited themselves to that county
The lawyer took the bonds and disposed of
them in the New York market Retaining
his fee, he sent the balance of the money to
lis client, who was then in another town
No one suspect. u that the bonds were
crooked, and the first intimation the at.
torney received of that fact was some days
after he had made the sale. He was prose
cu'ng case for the railroad when he re-
cAiyed a telegram notifying him that the
bonds We're fOrgeries. He was, so to speak,
q stranger in a strange land. No one knew
much of him, and what to do be did not
know. When the court adjourned he con
suited the district attorney and some mem
brrs Of the board of supervisors, and it was
decided TO send word to Washington. Ac-
cordingly the attorney prepared telegram,
which he sent TO member OF congress here,
asking that
A GOOD DETECTIVE BE SENT
there Immediately. The congressman
visited police headquarters and consulted
Major Richards, who was then chief Of
once sent to Martinsburg. The detective
took the first train and arrived in Martins
burg about ? O'clock the next morning.
When he entered the hotel he noticed sew
eral men standing in the Office, but he paid
10 attention to them. He registered JAS.
A. Mccoy, Baltimore, Md"
His valise was handed to a colored porter
and the detective was told what room to
take AS he assembled the steps the porter
followed closely behind him, AID upon
their arrival of the upper landing the por-
ter asked:
IS you Detective --- from Washing
tong
Who wants to knowf"
The district attorney"
We'll you tell him to come and ask for
himself"
A couple of minutes later the prosecuting
officer of the county entered the detectives
room and introduced himself. Being conf
dent that he was talking to the proper
man, although the detective was stranger
to him, the prosecuting officer produced the
forged bonds, which the detective compared
with a genuine one. He noticed similar
lty in the handwriting and inquired who
wrote the body of the genuine bonds. He
was informed that that was part of the
county clerks duty, and furthermore he
Identified the handwriting as that of the
county clerk. whose name was Stinemetz
The detective then said that the one who
had made the forged bonds was no other
person than tho county clerk, and he at
once started out to investigate him. Slime
metz, besides being county clerk, was the
town magistrate, whose duty it was to
issue all licenses for the town. The detect
va VarlNl 81
clerk was the guilty party did not have
enough Of his handwriting to make the
thing sure, and his first object was to obtain
as much Of his handwriting as. possible by
In some way putting himself in communi-
cation with the suspected forger
PRETENDING TO BE A BUSINESS MAN.
To complete the investigation the detect
I've found it necessary to talk to him and
witness his handwriting without being sus-
pected He then called at tue county clerks
Office, told him he was a merchant from
Baltimore, and that he wanted a license to
DO business. He said that he had rented a
store near the depot and III proposed to sell
Inc Of dry goods and clothing at figures
which would astouish everyone in the
town. He pail 81 80 for a lie snse and then
began to discuss his business with the clerk.
10 inform the country people of his bust
10 have 500 handbills printed and dis
'H9uted He was stranger in the town
ana would like letter OF introduction to
some printer. The clerk had a particular
Trend In the town who was a printer, and
Re gladly gave the detective letter of in
reduction. In speaking of how the detect
I've liked tue town he told the clerk tat he
was very we'll satisfied, with the exception
Vi TIE noise made by the cars, which pre-
vented his sleeping, as he was stopping in
Tue Motel at the railroad station. Then
a8aln ne wanted to get near the store he had
ieAJed, a. IL would be more Convenient for
lil. The hotel where the clerk stopped
lal no vacant room, but the clerk, who
"as a very oblging fellow. thought he could
nuke some arrangements for him. To-
gsJler they went to the hotel and with the
I'erk consent the proprietor put an extra
Osd IA his room for the detective thus Civ
"s tue latter plenty of opportunities to
universe with the clerk. The hotel was
situated near the court house in a promi-
nent part of the town.
CLOSING IN.
mat night meeting of the board Of
eIpervlsors was called at which the detect
AVE- and the prosecuting attorney were
Present Tho forged aud genuine bonds
we're produced, as we're the license and let
"f The writings were compared aud
1're was no doubt that the genuine and
-, a, ga bonds, the license and letter we're
, I' yen by the same person, and il was de-
t'''a 10 place him unier arrest II was
1'i near midnight and the detective was
out after him. He went % tho hotel
'Il entering the room found the clerk
'saLiN SleeDIur