Montgomery County sentinel., 1890-01-31

The facility with which business man
can be relieved of his bank account without
being consulted and apparently with his
own knowledge, although ignorant OF the
fact, has been demonstrated by the arrest Of
an amateur, but adreit, clever, and success
lul torger
Mr. j. Edward Chapman, wood and coal
merchant, corner OF Fourteenth and G streets
northwest, has an account with the National
Metropolitan Bank. When he came to have
his account made up he was oil the impres
sion that his balance was smaller than he
had supposed it to be, but concluded the
bank must be right, for there were the
checks with his signature to correspond
with the credits given. In going over these
checks, however, he made Il very important
discovery that aroused his suspicious, and
resulted in knowing that "A forger had op-
Grated upon him To the tune of S235. lie
fopnd duplicate numbers upon two of the
checks, which was the first thing wrong
detected,
The first check was dated December "a,
1889, made payable to "myseli or bearer,
1856, and the second was dated December
20, 1899, exactly like the first, with the ex-
ception that the amount was increased to
$3.50. The signatures, on comparison, were
found to be so near like that oI Mr.. Chap
distinguishing difference between them In
addition Mr.. Chapman was at IA loss to un-
derstand how and by whom the job had
been done, and in this mystlfied state called
in Detectives Raft and Carter.
They were unable TO hit upon clew for
some time, but finally obtained one that
proved successful. They went over some
of the old checks of Mr. Chapman, and came
across one dated November 2, 1885, for $50,
which had Mr.. Chapman's genuine sigma
ture to il, but had been filled out by Will
liam Myers, temporarily in his employ, and
| the writing and letters were identical with
those of the forged papers. 1t seems that
while sick last November Mr.. Chapman Sc
cured Myers To attend to his business. lie
is about 27 years OF age, has ii wife and
child, and was known to be active and en-
ergetic. He is drummer for number OF
business houses, and was at one time en-
ploy ed by Messrs Barbour ~ Hamilton, and
Mr.. Harris, of Georgetown.
After ascertainng that the genuine and
bogus checks so strongly corresponded and
were all likely to be in his hand writing
they made hunt for Myers. Before coming
up with him they found that he was drink
ing heavily and spending considerably more
money than he was making. lie was finally
found and yesterday taken TO police head
quarters. There some checks were lying upon
the table and he was asked to fill some ofthem
out which he did, but avoided making any
counterfeit of MIR. Chapman's signature
He was then told why he was arrested and
positively denied his guilt. His expendi
ture of money was inquired into, especially
a postal order received from person named
Riddle in this city, while he Myers was ii
Philadelphia. He said il was for $50 and a
loan.
The detectives then went in search o
Riddle, who told quite Il different story
! He said that about the Christmas holiday
he saw Myers with a roll oi money. Myeri
was drinking and spending money freely
and he (Riddle) took $50 from him 10 hoit
and return when he sobered up and woult
eed it, and the $50 sent to Myers was
part Dl IL.
The detectives went to the Sixth precinc
static n house where Myers had beeu taken
and re peated to him Riddles statement
He remarked: "Oh, | know you have 60
me, and / might az well tell the whole o
it," Mr.. John w Thompson, President o
the National Metropolitan Bank, the lnstl
tuition most interested, was sent for, and
upon his arrival Myers made full comics
sion OF his misdeeds. He said that he pre-
pared the first check for $65, signed Mr.
Chapman's name TO it, went To the bank
and got the money. lie naa Deeu uIlnklnB
and coming down the street he somehow
got into Rabbits club room, corner Of l0t
and G streets northwest, where there wa
+ more drinking and card playing.
He knew no more until the next morning
when he awoke and found himself in
house on Maryland avenue without cent
/. He wanted more money, and concluded t.
forge another check, which he did, making
the amount $50 OF this sum Riddle tool
$50 to keep tor him, and he spent the re
naming $40 spreelng in Philadelpha.
Among his papers was found letter
recommendation from Mr. Chapman, an'
il : presumed that this was where he g
the signature to practice with. In his pock'
was also found a complaining letter froI
, bis wife who had taken her child aud gon
, to the home of her parents at Snow Hi
, Md. She told him that some one who kne
i him had seen him with roll of bills in b
a possession, and that be was spending il
drink, while she and their child were witt
out clothing and in need Of food. She il
formed him that she did not believe he can
honestly by the money, and could not thini
il he continued to treat his family in such
neglected manner, that it would do hi
o any good Wash. Post, 24th instant.
Wm. Myers, the subject Of the above a