Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-02-04
CHECKED THE CHECK.
And a Clever Rogue Winds Up in
the Tolls.

A Very Neatly Planned Little Game
That Failed or its Purpose...Chas.
Thatcher, HIS Operations and His
Proper Name...Other Evil Doings.
Marshal Miller arrested young man
giving his name as Chas Thatcher at the
Rock Island last evening ON the ground
of forgery. Thatcher came to Rock ISL
and week ago today and put up at the
Rock Island house. He told Chief Clerk
Bloom and several others that b. was a
brother to Geo. Thatcher, formerly of
Primrose & Vests minstrels; he claimed
that he was advance agent for Primrose
& Vests MINISTRIES and said he was in the
city on q vacation of two weeks and ex,
ected to receive several valuable pack
ages while here. He made numerous
acquaintances rapidly and last Thursday
evening attended the Woodman ball at
the armory and was quite lavish In the
use of money and seemed to have quite a
roll" He also has. or at least had, a
Partner in the city whose name or where's
apoats he refuses to divulge, but he is
probably r. possession of whatever funds
Thatcher hso.
The circumstances of the arrest are
these: Yesterday afternoon Mr.. Thatcher
received IN the presence of Chief Clerk
Bloom, a special deliver, package.
1t was contained in a large wite en-
velope, and as he opened it he prod.ced
ii quantity of paper having the appear
ance of a contract and also a draft
on the Saxton National bank of St.
Joseph, Mo for 1888 SO, and this he re-
quested Mr.. Bloom to deposit in the safe
the post mark Rock Island" on the let
ter when it was handed to Thatcher, and
his suspicious were at once aroused, but
he said nothing then. A few minutes la
ter Thatcher said. Il would like $50 on
that check tonight to send to my wife;
get it cashed and you may keep the re-
mainder in the safe for me, as l shall
want it" Then Mr.. Bloom laid the facts
before Landlord W. o. Negus. and told
him of his suspicious and also that the ink
was not dry on the check when received
and the latter went at once to Mitchell &
Lynde's bank, and Mr. Phil Mitchell tele-
grsphed to the Saxton National bank at
st. Joseph, inquiring as to the genuine =
ness of the draft which was filled out in
black ink. signed by h. B. Leavitt. Be-
ing certified by j. B. McAllister in light
red, with the word cashier" stamped
over it IN dark red ink, both diagonally
across the check, the black is plainly seen
to have been written over the certifics-
ton. thus exposing the fact that the draft
had been previously prepared and certi-
fed, leaving the amount blank. so that it
could be filled to represent any sum and
at any convenient date or place 1t was
but short time until the following reply
came to Mr., Mitchell's dispatch; 1--WE
did not certify check on Leavltt for 1888. i,
33. or any other amount Have had sew,
eral similar checks presented-all for
geries."
The matter was at once placed in Mar
shall Ailler's hands and the arrest was q
consequence. The prisoner was taken at
once to the armory and search of papers
on his person disclosed evidence of his
being q professional as well as an ex>
ceedingly clever rascal. His name is not
Thatcher at all. but Edward A. Ise, as
shown by letters addressed to him from
various places and also by a bsptismsl
certificate both 10 the English and Ger
man language showing his birth at New
ark, n. j.. In 1862. and his baptism there
by an Episcopal clergyman the same
year, He is a son of Judge Herman Ise,
concerning whose death the prisoner has
we'll preserved newspaper clipping
which speaks of the judges death Aug.
8, 1884, in which appears the following,
which doubtless has reference to the way.
ward son:
He had much to worry him in the
last few years of his life, and it is be-
| lieved that fastened his death. He seemed
to give up all desire to live, and became
low spirited"
There are numerous Recommendation.
from former employees in Rochester, N
Y, and other places, and letter from
the director of the mint at Washington
evidently in reply to letter from Ise
alias Thatcher, which says: IF the gold
referred to is genuine. you can get coin
age value, less the mint charges" Pur,
suit of this correspondence has opened u,
other crooked dealings. Other letter
show that Ise had one time served a
head waiter in the treasury department a
Washington, and that he had served sue
cessfully as caterer in many restaurant
throughout the country. He appears t
have belonged to the Knights of Pythis
order, and to Y. M. c. A. society a
one time. Some letters in his posses
sion ahow confidence IN him and o.hor