The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-20
ARRESTED FOR FORGERY.
q MAN WITH MANY ALIASES
PLAYS A RECKLESS HAND.

marder of the Nevada q MemDor D
the Royal Naval Reserves and g
"High Roller" Generally, Takes &C
Forging Drafts and Winds UP In
Jail-A Confession Concerning Which
There is Some Doubt.
George Frederick Wilson, alias Capt. s
Brown, alias Capt Thompson, was arrested
last night on the charge of forgery and
cheating and swindling. Detective Wether-
horn worked up the case very neatly. and
when he arrested his man Wilson was in
front Of a house at McDonough and Price
streets in two-horse turnout, with colored
driver, aud was not suspecting the arrest
Justice Naughtin committed the prisoner to
Jail in default of 81 900 bail.
Wilson, who represents himself as an
Englishman and member of the Royal
Naval Reserves, came to Savannah from
Brunswick Sunday, May IL, representing
himself as captain of a vessel in quarantine
He stopped at Mrs Smiths sailor boarding
house on Bay near Houston, and Monday
morning borrowed 81 from his landlady
and began his operations of raising money
on drafts upon Cherry & Co. and Ellis,
Young & Co. On that day he drew draft,
No. 476, on Ellis, Young & Co. for $50
through ''the Savannah Banking Com
pany," and later on he drew another draft,
the number of which is not yet learned, on
Ellis, Young 81 Co. for $50.
PocKETFUL OF DRAFTS.
When arrested Wilson had on his person
four drafts on Cherry & Co., ''ship brokers'"
dated May H. and numbered ga, 672, 634
and 655 respectively, for $50, 800, $50 and
$50.
Wilson's operations were cut short yester-
day by one of his drafts for 500 on Cherry
& Co. going through the bank. and when
presented 20 Cherry a. Co., they at once
pronounced it fraud Wilson, it appears
had given the draft to Tiede nan & Co. IS
warehouseman for board, and it went
through the bank IN the ordinary course of
business. Detective Wetherhorn was given
the cue and followed up the trail and
Scooped his man.
Wilson was high roller while he lasted.
He was driving an IS team when arrested,
which he had hired from A. w. Harmon,
and the slick forger succeeded in running
up livery bill with Mr.. Harmon amount
ing to $26. Wilson represented himself as
master of a vessel at quarantine, which was
under charter, and in addition to the prom
Uses to pay he said he had brace Of blooded
dogs which he was going TO present to Mr..
Harmon. Wilson also hired a team from
Younglove. 81 Goodman and gave a check
for fifteen or twenty dollars. He bought
range, crockery, etc., TO the amount Of $3.50
from Norton & Hanley, representing that
his vessel had encountered severe storms
and he had to replensh his outfit. He never
had the goods delivered.
AJULEs vERNEs IMAGINATION
Wednesday last Wilson ran a bill at
TheuS' jewelry store on account of Ellis,
Young & Co. for $l1S 25. The articles he
purchased were a marine chronomenter, an
aneroid barometer, thermometer and a
fine clock. The goods were not delivered.
From paper found on Wilson's person
when arrested, he has evidently worked the
same scheme elsewhere, or was about to
play it bold here by complaining that goods
ordered delivered to some ship had not been
sent The document in a hand writing
similar TO Wilson's, was not addressed to
any person or firm, and was without date.
1t reads as follows:
Please to forward them papers and parcel up
to ship at once. Don't delay any longer; been
waiting long enough Can't make it out. Alsen
enclosed 81 for carriage. Shan't come to buy
anything again. l thought it very strange /
could not see them other samples; was sadly
disappointed over it. You should be more
careful. 1t is wrong to see it to
now close
With kind regards
CAPT. THOMPSON.
Beside two pocketbooks, silver watch, a
box of snuff, matchbox and nickel,
books, some blank notes, a supply of Western
Union telegraph cable blanks, aud sched-
ule OF the Ocean steamship line, quite a
number OF private letters, a seaman's dis
charge, and documents. copied below, pur-
porting to to come from the agents of the
Gulon line, which discharge and Guion
papers are believed to be forgeries.
RoGUE's CONFESSION
When confronted with the overwhelming
evidence of his guilt, Wilson broke down,
and tears coursed down his cheeks as he
gave some of his life history to a MORNING
NEWS reporter. He said that his real
name is George Frederick Wilson, 80 years
OF age, the son Of John Wilson, gentle-
man farmer of Oldham, England, where
his parents reside. He says that his father
has done nothing for him, having become
mlired at his marriage four years ago at st.
John, Newfoundland. His wife died eight
months ago, leaving two infant children, who
have been adopted by the sister of his late
wife. Wilson says he landed at Brunswick
last month in the Austrian bark Sofia B..
from the West Indies, and he says he was
discharged on April II, but worked aboard
the vessel eight days after his discharge.
In evidence of this he produced his dis
charge, about which there is some doubt of
its being genuine. 1t is as follows:
This is to certify that Geo. Fred'k Wilson has
Soma Is and has conducted himself well and
recommend to any shipmaster as such.
AUT. BoTTA
Master Blk Sofia B.
Brunswick, Ga, 18th April. $780,
CLAIMED TO BE A ROYAL RESERVE.
Claiming to belong to the Royal Naval
Reserve, the following. on notehead of
the Guion line, was shown the reporter:
GuIoN LINE, ROYAL MAIL STEAMER NEVADA.
Sept. 8. 1889. Z
This is to certify that the within named Fred
erick Wilson as served in the fore-nanad
steamer as second and third mate for a narjod
OF twelve months, in which capacity he as Give
us every satisfaction being smart. civil and
sober and fully competent for his DUTY and we
can fully recomn end him to any one recurring
ms services-wishing him every success ANY
further informatio9can be obtained at our offices
at the above named address. Signed and given
oy my nand, CAPT. G. SMITH
Steamship Nevada
Sanctioned by company
Wilson claims that he was to have taken
command of the royal mail steamer
Nevada on Sept. next, and he has two
documents as certificates to the claim
written on commercial paper imperfectly
and bunglingly sealed, and without punctua-
ton or proper punctuation, as are the let
tiers of Capt. THOMPSON" and "Capt. G..
Smith" There is doubt of the genuineness
or the documents, which ara as follows:
STAR CHAMBERS,
y Ion &c Z