Omaha daily bee., 1889-05-08
A FIVE THOUSAND FRAUD.
The Hannibal g. st. Joe Road Out
That Amount.
STRANGE STORY OF VOUCHER.
Arrest of Cashier Kent at Kansas
City For Completely i'm the
Swindlc-Both Sides
of the Story.
a Clever SwindIe.

KANSAS City, Mo-, May 7.-[Specal Tele-
gram to THE BEE. Percy II. Kent, local
cashier of the Hannibal & st. Joseph road,
is under arrest at police headquarters,
charged with completely in fraud by which
the railroad company is out 5000. Monday
morning, so Kent says, well dressed man
giving the name of II. b. Bowen, claiming
to be claim agent of the road, apparently
thirty years old, walked into the office and
presented SIX vouchers for IS, 200 each. He
bore letter of introduction purporting to be
from w. ]. Hilton, assistant treasurer of the
road with headquarters at St. Joseph, ad-
dressed to MIR. Cummings, the agent at
Kansas City. AS Mr.. Cummings was alb
sent, he presented 1t to Kent instead. 1t
was written with typewriter on the assis-
tant treasuror's letterhead, and the sigma.
ture was good imitation Of MIR. Hilton's.
The vouchers also were made out in regular
form, bearing what looked like the sigma
ture Of the assistant treasurer, and
his stamps. Kent says that he
had never seen the man be-
fore, but as his credentials seemed
to show him to be what he claimed to be, n
new appointee, he paid him 5000, all the
money he had on hand, and told him to re-
turn to-day between and o'clock. when
he would pay him the balance. Then he sent
the voucher to the assistant treasurer at ST.
Joseph. To-day at noon Assistant Superin-
tendent Fish received a telegram from Mr.
Hilton to the effect that tho voucher was
fraudulent. When Mr. Fish asked Kent
about the matter he told the story related
herein. Mr.. Fish telegraphed the cashiers
explanation to ST. Joseph and Mr.. Hilton and
Auditor Carter came down on the afternoon
train. Together with Mr.. Fish and Kent
they went to Chief of Police Speers' Office at
O'Clock, where they were closeted for three
hours, ut the end of which time Kent was
informed that he was under arrest, and was
locked up.
Kent claims that what he did has been
done hundred times in the transaction of
the business of his office, and that The for
gerry was so clever that it could not be de-
tected without comparison with genuine
vouchers. The Hannibal officials, how
ever, do not look upon Kent as
the innocent victim of clever swindler.
They say that Kent drew draft, Monlas.
for $50, 500 on Mr.. Hilton, at ST. Joseph, anu
presented it at the Midland National bank
for payment, which was refused without Mr..
Hilton's authority. Kent then telegraphed
to MIR. Hilton: Authorize Midland Ma
tional bank to pay claim" AS Kent had
than 500, Mr.. Hilton supposing this to be
one of small amount, telegraphed Kent to
pay it out Of his cashiers funds and send
the voucher to ST. Joseph. In this way pay
ment of the big draft was stopped. What
| works against Kent is that neither the draft
nor the stub can be found in his office. He
| explains this by saying that Bowen drew ii
| aftervard and destroyed it. Chief Speers
| thinks that Kent is short in his accounts
and took this means of getting even.
| Kent describes Bowen as being feet
| 10 inches in height and about thirty
| years of age. He wore light-colored bust
| ness suit light necktie and colored derby
| hat. His hair and mustache were light in
| color and the latter he wore curled at the
| ends. He wore handsome diamond ring
and big solitaire cleaned from his shirt
| front. The Hannibal officials lay in wait for
| Mr.. Bowen to show up tins afternoon to gel
the balance of the $50, 900, but he did not put
| in an appearance. Kent has been the cashier
of the Hannibal about two years. He Is G
member of the local bybcle club and is quite
a high roller. He is nephew of MIR. w. Fl
McDoel, formerly general freight agent o.
| the Hannibal a. st. Joe and more recently
general freight agent of the Louisville, New
Albany &, Chicago.