Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-06-11
POSED AS A JOURNALIST.
An Englishman Who Tried to Work an Old
Racket

supposed to be the son of an English
nobleman, was, under an assumed
name, working for journalistic fame
and fortune on the staff OF one of the
metropolitan morning newspapers.
Now he has gained ill-fame, and IS
locked up at Police headquarters for
attempting to take short cut to for
tune by passing forged drafts in differ
ent places.
On May 20 Inspector Byrnes received
telegram from w. H. Boil, Chief OF
Police of Tampa, Fla, asking for the
arrest of E. Allaine, who had obtained
$50 from the First National Bank OF
that city on two forged drafts.
Six days later a cablegram was re-
ceived from Inspector of Constabulary
C. F. Knolly, of the Island OF Jamaica,
asking for the arrest Of E. A. Cameron,
who had obtained 600 from the Colonial
Bank Of that place on two forged drafts.
A full description of the swindler was
cabled, with the information that he
was thought to have sailed for this city.
Inspector ByrneS detailed Detectives
McNaughtOn, Sheldon and Lyman TO
watch all incoming steamers from ia
maica, and yesterday morning they
were rewarded by seeing man whose
appearance Tailed with the cabled de-
scriDtion step down the gang plank
from the steamb boat moored at Pier 5,
North River. They followed him to the
corner of Broadway and Fourteenth
street, where they put him under ar
rest.
At police headquarters he said his
name was Ernest Allaine Cherriton. In
his pockets were found number of
blank drafts on the Anglo Mexican
Bank, of Juarez, Mexico, and several
that were filled out for sums varying
from 500 to $500, and signed by &c. +.
Ward, cashier" He also had small,
star-Shaped badge, on which was en-
graved Chicago Inter-Ocedn, Sport
ing" and number of cards bearing the
name "E. Allaine," and representing
hun as the turf correspondent OF II
score of the leading newspapers and
newspaper SyndicateS. He had also
Syndicate of Louisville, KY, author
izing az. A. Cameron" to act as their
correspondent in Texas, New Mexico,
Arizona and California, and a letter
signed by &C. F. Ward, cashier of the
Anglo Mexican Bank" authorizing him
TO draw on Melville, Evans & Co., of
No. "a Lombard street, London, for
$500, the amount of the annual allow
ance that his father, "Sir Allaine Cher
riton," from whom he also had a letter,
had decided to give him.
Seeing that these articles clearly
showed his connection with the case,
Cherriton broke down and made a con-
fesSion. He said that he was born in
Norwich, England, thirty years ago,
and after he had completed his studies
in a private school in London, had
adopted journalism as profession.
About eighteen months ago he came to
this country and obtained work in
morning newspaper Office in this city.
He afterward went to the Denver Re
publican. firing of that place, he went
TO st. Paul and then to Dallas, Texas,
where he also worked on a newspaper.
1t was in San Diego, Cal, that he COM
menced the bogus check scheme for OBJ
tanning money. THIS he worked with
the assistance of the cards of the South
western Press Syndicate, which, by the
way, existed only ia his vivid magma
ton. He said he was the representative
of that syndicate, and was engaged in
writing an article on American banking.
He visited Il number of merchants and
got them to fill out checks for him, as,
he said, he wished TO have them repro
duced as Illustrations for his article
He passed eight of these checks, getting
from 500 to $3.50 on them in San Diego,
Los Angeles, Fresno and San Francisco,
and then he revisited the East.
In Philadelphia he had printed num-
Der of bank drafts and letterheads of
the Anglo-Mexican bank, which is also
a mythical institution. Then he came
to this city and sailed for Havana on
one of the Ward line of steamships. He
tried to pass the bogus drafts there, but
the bank officials suspected that all
YVES not right, and refused to accept
them.
Coming to Tampa, Fla, he deposited
WITH lut Il lISl NdJlOudl Oduh lOI COIleC-
ton draft for $500 on Melville, Evans
4 Co., of London. The letter purpoit-
ing to come from the cashier of the
Anglo Mexican bank, relating TO the
annual allowance of $500 dissolved any
suspicious the bank officials might have
entertained regarding his honesty, and
he had no difficulty in drawing $500 be-
fore it was discovered that the draft he
deposited was not worth the paper it
written on.
With this money he fled to Jamaica,
where he met many friends and rela-
tiveS of the boys who had been his
SchoolmateS in London. Through them
he had the entree into the best society
on the island, and in few days after
his arrival he was elected an honorary
member of the Jamaica Club. At the
club lived one of the clerks Of the Colo
NAL Bank. One day Cherriton asked
him about the methods of getting
draft caShed. The clerk was only too
willing to be able to do anything for his
friend, and introduced him to Mr.. Mas
seraux, the manager of the bank, who
caShed two drafts for 600 each for
him.
That ended his Swindling operations,
which, it seems, were taken up to pro-
vide money for gambling purposes. One
night in Jamaica he lost 800 throwing
dice