The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-04-01
A CLUMSY ROGUE.
John Russell Attempts to Pass a
Forged Cheek.
Frederick Ranks Anxiety to Make s25 A'most
Involves Him in Troub,e-The Prisoner
Exposed as Fraud.

John Russell, alias W. Fraull, middle.
aged cripple, who, having lost his right leg
through an accident has replaced it with
wooden one, is most clumsy rascal. His
dishonesty caused him to be arrested yester-
day afternoon by Officer Manning of the
Harbor Police, who placed charge of for
gerry against him at the North Harbor
Station. The complainants gullibility,
moreover. is not the least remarkable feat
ure in connection with the case.
Yesterday about 1 80 o'clock Russell en-
tered Fred Ranks bar-room, at III Davis
street, and stating that he had recently
come down from Departure Bay, where he
had been working as an engineer at the
Dunsmuir coal mines, asked Rank If he
would cash check for him, at
the same time handing him a check
for $500 on the Pacific Bank of
San Francisco, dated San Francisco,
March 20, $780, No. 1881. payable to
job Russell or order. signed R. Dunsmuir
& Sons and Endorsed on the back Alex
Dunsmpr. Russell offered Rank S25 to
cash it. Rank had not the money at hand,
but anxious TO make the S25 quietly in
dorsed the check with his name and started
of with Russell to the Pacific Bank.
PAYMENT PROMPTLY REFUSED.
On the way there Rauk met John Sebe,
of Siebe Bros. d Plageman. and alter ex-
planning the case to him, and to make col
lectionOthe more sure. induced Mr.. Siebe to
also indorse the check with the firm name
Of Siebe Bros. 81 Plageman. Rank and
Russell then presented the check at the
bank, where payment was promptly re-
fused, the cashier Directing when reading
""oDunsmuier for "Dunsmuir," and being
further placed on his gard by the utter
dissinfilarIty of the recognized signature
and the further fact that no account is kept
at the Pacific Bank by X. Dunsmuir & Sons.
Rank then made Russell accompany him to
X. Dunsmuir d Sons, where the check was
again presented ana pronounced forgery.
Officer Manning owas then called in and
an adjournment taken to the North Harbor
Station. When Russell was questioned he
said that the check had been given him by
Alexander Dunsmuir for work performed
by him at Departure Bay as an engineer at
the coal mines thereo He stated that he
had worked there off and on for Che past
i've years, and had worked steadily lately
there for seventeen months; that Mr.. Duns-
muir had Endorsed the check to save trouble,
and that he was innocent OF any fraud.
W hile he was making this explanation the
captain of the steamer Wellington came in.
THE CAT LET OUT OF THE BAG.
The captain stated that Russell, under
the name OF +. Fraull or w. Fraull, had
come down with him on the steamer on
James Dunsmuir. Russell could not ex-
plain then how the check was dated March
18th and he had left Departure Bay in Feb
ruary. A search of his clothing revealed
further damaging evidence against HIM. In
an inside pocket was found q begging petit
ton, written in ink, setting forth that John
Russell had been injured severely in an &C
cident and recommending him as IL worthy
object of charity. The petition had no sig
nature.
On the back, however, was written in
pencil the draft of check, with the date
llegibe, for $3.50 on the Bank OF British
Columbia OF this city in favor of John
Russell or order and signed "R. Dunsmuier
q Sons" Also. scrubbed little lower down.
were the names Philip Berson or Bergen.
1l5 Stockton street; also, the name of
James Dunsmuier," and them the ad3s'
dresses 524 Bush street aud 625 Pacific street,
With the exception of bottle of liniment
nothing else was found on him. Russell.
who claimed to be deaf, was locked up aud
attention turned to Rank.
In his case, however, it was so evident
that he had only Endorsed the check in a
frantic effort to make SIS that he was not
detained. Rank stated that he thought the
check perfectly good aud if he had had the
money in the house he would unhesltatingly
have caShed it.