The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-02-12
MORE FORGED CHECKS.
GEORGE III. RoYsTON HAS BEEN DO
ING SOME CROOKED WORK.
Number Of Richmond People Have Been
Used His LandIady's Name.
Another forgery to record.

~h'othei iorBery 10 record
People had not stopped talking about
the Zimmerman-Marion larceny act when
another crook stepped into the arena.
and after operating to the extent OF his
ability, skipped away quietly and left a
number Of victims to utter that little SEN
tence OF mingled surprise and regret:
Wen, who would have thought itT
Last Wednesday afternoon man
named George II. Royston. who boards at
NO. 5l2 north Fifth street. went into the
store OF Thalhimer Brothers. on Fifth and
Broad streets, and presented n check for
slo on the State Bank of Virginia. payable
10 u. ii. Royston and signed Sophie J..
walters. The man asked that the check
be cashed. which was done. Mr.. Thai
miner stated that he had on several pre-
Vious occasions cashed checks for small
amounts for Royston, and he took 1t for
granted that the check was good.
Mr.. Thalhimer thought no more OF the
matter until yesterday morning, when the
National Bank OF Virginia returned the
check with the information that Mrs.
Walters had money on deposit at the
State Bank, but that 1t was not subject
TO check. Mr.. Thalhimer made the amount
good. He then went to the dyeing estab-
lishment of Mrs. A. j. Pyle, No. 315 north
Fifth street, where Royston formerly
rented a portion OF the room. and made
some inquiries about Royston. Several
people in the establishment asked smil-
ingly: Has he caught you, too?'
He then knew that he was taken In,
and upon inquiry II developed that there
were several other victims, among whom
were Otto Morgenstern, No. 4O2 east
Broad street, 500: Hermann Schmidt.
No. 500 east Broad street, so; II. NJ
SHIELD. of the Marshall-street Phar-
macy, 81; w. T. Smoot & Co., No. $40
east Marshall. 1915.
The checks were all payable TO G. II.
Royston and signed Sophie l.. Walters
They were made out to the State Bank
Of Virginia, and returned upon the same
grounds as those In the case Of Thai
himer Brothers.
I called upon each Of the above gentle
men. and they said that they had known
Royston for some time, and several or
them had cashed checks for him before.
Mrs Walters said that she had recently
signed no check payable to Roystons or
der, and that the whole proceeding was
a straightout forgery from beginning TO
end. She stated, in addition, that she had
money at the State Bank, but that 1t could
DE drawn only Wnen dCCOllpdHIei ny a
certificate of deposit. She remembered
having signed two checks payable to
Roystons order on two previous occa-
sions. but that was many months ago. She
Furthermore stated that the signature was
almost identical with her own. and that
only by close inspection could the forgery
be detected.
Royston has been boarding at Mrs. Wal
ters' for long time For several years
he has been an umbrella reparer On
Fifth street between Marshall and Clay.
Recently he got far behind in his rent,
and was ordered to leave In consequence.
lie is about fifty years old. some five feet
eight inches high, slightly gray hair, and
droops a little in the shoulders.
When he presented the checks TO be
cashed he stated to several parties that
he wanted the money TO pay his lodge
dues.
Up to o'clock Thursday evening Roys-
ton was seen in this city. 1t is belle Ied
that he has left for North Carolina.
though Mrs. Walters stated last night
that an acquaintance of the man had in
formed someone that RoystOn had iece1t-
ly expresse his intention OF going to Eng
land. his native country.