Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-27
CAUGHT A CLEVER FORGER.

ONO er Schmitr Picks Up a Man Who Had
q Small Fortune in Bogus Checks
Tried to Cash Them in Lawrencevilie-
Police Puzzled.
Robert Riddle, a very clever forger and
confidence man, was captured in Lawrence
vile Saturday night by Officer Schmitt
The officer was first notified by woman
that a man was trying to pass bogus checks.
He found the man had gone into Delhsnty' s
grocery store at 52O7 Butler street, and
purchased a couple of dollars worth of
groceries and offered in payment check
for S27 drawn on the Liberty National Bank
payable to Emile Berger and signed by
Lawrence Benz 1t was indorsed by Emile
Berger. Mrs Delhanty did not have
enough money to give him the required
change, and he offered to take what she
had, about $13 This aroused her sus-
picion and she refused.
Next he went TO the shoe store of William
Canister and purchased a pair OF shoes
valued at S., offering the same chech in
payment Mr.. Canister refused to take the
check, and he next went to Burns clothing
store, at sos and 5205 Butler street, and
was dickering for a suit when Officer
Sehmitt placed him under arrest.
When the wagon came he was put in it
and started for the Seventeenth ward police
station. On the way he made a hard but
Intellectual struggle to break away. Failing
in this, he appeared to become resigned to
his fate.
Three Away . Pocketbook.
Officer Loder, who was on the wagon,
watched him closely and saw him slip his
hand down In his pocket and throw some
thing away The wagon was stopped and
Officer Loder picked up what be had thrown
awav, which proved to be pocketbook.
On searching him at the police station q
32-csliber Smith & Wesson revolver and a
bottle of muriaticacid were found on his per-
son. He gave his name as Robert
Riddle, and said that he was EN-.
ployed by Albert Berg, a contractor
at Kensington. He also stated that
his home was at Wellsburg, Pa, and that
he had only been here ten days. Upon
looking in his pocketbook SIS 80 in money
was found, and several business cards of
lumber firms in the city-Murphy & Die
bold, and Benz Bros. being among them.
A number OF checks were also found. Be-
sides the one already mentioned, was check
dated June 49, 1892, drawn on the City De-
posit Bank for S35, made payable to Walter
Morgan and signed by Lawrence Benz; an
other drawn on the City Deposit Bank for
S46 payable to Charles Moser and signed
by Ferdinand Benz; and also another on the
City Deposit Bank for $50, payable to
James Ralston and signed by Murphy &
Diebold.
Bogus Checks and Warrants.
There was another check drawn on the
Third National Bank for 500, made pay
able to Robert Campbell, but it was not
signed, and also blank check on the First
National Bank, McKeesport There was
also receipt given to John A. Caller by the
Adams Express Company for a package
valued at S. There were several railroad
tickets and printed business card: "S. D.
Gress, successor to w. T. Hall, messenger
between Kensington, Parnassus and Pitts
burg"
The matter that puzzled the police most
were two warrants, evidently obtained at
an Alderman's Office and filled out after
ward. They were for the arrest of Annie
Caller, wife of John A. Caller, on oath of
Herman Caller, charged with infdelity, and
for the arrest of Michael Wolfe, on oath of
John A. Caller, charged with larceny. On
the last warrant was written, Defendant
can be found at Grapeville, Westmoreland
county, Pa" The warrants were signed,
'James B. Larcum. Alderman, Pittsburg,
June 13." There is no Alderman by that
name in Pittsburg and the police are at
loss as to what use he intended to make of
the bogus warrants. He was held until his
case can be investigated.