Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-20
CLEVER CROOKS.
Two Expert Forgers Captured
Last Night.
Men Who Are Wanted All Over
the Coast.
The Detective Force Do Some Com
mendable Work.
A Couple of Very Smooth False Check
Operators Caught-Some Facts
About the Men and
Their Capture.

The long list of clever captures made
during the last few weeks by the de-
tective force of Los Angeles was in
creased by couple of names last night,
and the present capture is one of the
most commendable of all. About jan
uary 18th the department here received
from Sheriff Saul of Marysville the de-
scription of two fake check workers, who
have been indulging in foigeries from
Portland all the way down the coast.
The descriptions were shown to the
front Office" force, as usual, together
with the accompanying photographs.
The climax came last night at the
change of watch. Officer Marden, of
the patrol force, reported at that time
that two men had tried to pass a check
on East First street, near Alameda, in
saloon. A number of similar
complaints had been heard during
the day, but this report clinched the
story. Detectives Benson, Bowler, Bos-
oui and such others as happened to be
in the Office were at once sent out to
look for the two'crooks. aA
By curious streak of good luck, Ben
son and Bowler happened to enter the
Resort saloon between Second and
Third streets, on Main, within half an
hour after the orders for search, and
found the two men mentioned engaged
in playing game of pool. The forgers
were at once arrested, and taken to
police headquarters by the delighted
officers.
1t is highly commendable fact, that
the detectives who did not make the
capture showed as much enthusiasm
over the result of the search as the sue
cessiul officers. There seems to be a
esprit de corps in the force.
The two prisoners are young and
fairly educated men. George III. Crocker,
alias Joe III. Crocker. aliaa Chas. w.
Berry. alias Henry w. Marion, alias
Dan Dougherty, alias Joe H. Walref,
alias H. d. Dawson, is nearly 80
years OF age, and is rather large man
with considerable embonpoint. He is
a goodnatured fellow, cool as cucum
ber, and evidently something Of
philosopher. He was formerly
book-keeper, and writes
fine business hand. He was convicted
of forgery in San Diego on January 18th,
1888, and sentenced to San Quentin for
a year. In the description furnished to
the local department. ne is charged with
forgeries all over the coast, his latest
exploits having been at Sissons, Red
Bluffs and Marysville.
George Dawson, alias George Crocker,
alias Frank Smith, is Missouri boy
and is only about "a years of age. He
is, in the professional sense of the word,
Crocker's "pal" He is not as clever as
Crocker in some ways, but is capable of
heavier and stronger work. Young as he
is he has served term. He was SEN
fenced from Mereeed on September 25th,
1887, when only boy, to San Quentin
for year and half on charge of
burglary, was discharged December 25,
1888, and was Immediately rearrested
by officers of Fresno county. Dawson
is the brakeman of the copartnership,
and has also lent ''moral'' strength to
the attempts made to pass bogus
checks.
The method employed by the two
crooks was to come into place, usually
saloon, in each others company. One
was dressed in cutaway and derby
hat, while the other wore sack coat
and slouch. The one wearing the
worse clothes carried dinner bucket,
and would represent that he was
being pressed by collector
(the paD Eventually check would
he produced, and the plea put
forth that all difficulties might easily be
settled were it not after banking hours.
Any number of goodnatured people
would cash the checks under these cir
cumstances, and the confidence men
would reap the benefit.
Last night the whole detective force,
as we'll as Captain Roberts andea num-
ber of his men, stripped and examined
the two prisoners. The latter were very
jolly and good-natured about it, and the
joking was mutual. Big Crocker seemed
TO take special liking to Detective
Bosqui, and when the latter showed the
crook the pictures cent out by Sheriff
Sanl of Marysville, the prisoner, with
the declaration that he and Dawson had
"a better picture than that" presented
Mr.. Bosqui with tintype taken only
Monday afternoon.
The man Dawson wore big silver
plated badge bearing the words United
States detective" 1t appears that he