Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-08-01
SMART RASCALS.
a Game That is Being CleverIy
Worked.
POLICE ARE ON THE LOOKOUT.

An Express Money Order Scheme and the
Way It Is OPerated-Look Out for the
Swindlers-CameD Down This Way.
The police of all cities hereabouts
have been notified to be on the look
out for an express money order swim
dler who has already operated in this
section. Some unknown swindler
after gaining possession of two
money order books of the United
States company from its agent at
fredonia. Wis, by the most consul
mate nerve and address. has filed up
the orders and collected them as fast
as he could travel from one of the
company's agencies to another.
About July 8 the swindler, repre-
senting himself to be the route agent
of the U. S. Express company, went
to the FredOnia office and took pos
session. He went through all the
books. and checked up the Office"
dealing out now a compliment and
now complaint. as he proceeded.
He even sat down to telegraph in
strument and telegraphed a message
to the next station concerning his
satchel, which he said had been left
on the train. Finally he told the
agent his money order book was of
the wrong series, and put it in his
pocket. The last thing he said as he
waived an idieu from a departing
train was that he would have the
new book there in train or two.
1t was subsequently learned the
braZen-faced swindler visited two or
three other agencies in the same
style. At Grafton, Wis, he got
possession of another money order
book. making the number of blanks
in the two books AS. At one Office
the book contained only two orders.
which he would not dcign to take,
but he gave the agent n roasting for
not keeping a larger supply on hand
He then proceeded with the greatest
possible rapidity to fill up the money
| orders and collect them.
The thief is described rs &c years
old, with smooth face, dark COM
plexion. black eyes, five feet four
inches high. weight 40 pounds.
Agents are instructed to arrest him
at once, if found. Col. Bvrnes, the
company's chief of detectives, To-
Gated at Buffalo, is at work on the
case, and each of the company's
routes agent is eXerting himself to
run down the thief.
His Itinerary.
| Following the agencies at which he
captured the blanks, and then those
on which he drew the orders. the
thief's itinerary seems to have been
Frcdonia. Grafton, and Milwaukee,
Wis; Chicago and Garwin, Fairfax,
Maquokcta, Marshalltown, Delmar,
lama, Toledo, Clarence and Gala
mus. 1t is also stated that on his
way from Maquoketa to Marshalltown
the man called at Davenport and
cashed one of his orders, but this re-
port has not been verified All of his
orders purported to be drawn at
Minneapolis except two, which were
drawn ut Columbus, Wis, and the
name signed as agent was different
in every case. The first few were
drawn for $50, but the rest for
amounts sinking gradually to 49,.
lie always receipted for the money
on the back of the order as E. W.
Skies or f. W. Sykes, except once,
when it was Edward l.. Baker. Once
he got bank to cash an order, and
once. in Milwaukee, he paid for a suit
of clothes with an order. So far as
known he is still filling up and col
Letting these money orders.
| Police Points.
Last evening Mrs. P. McDermott
was before Magistrate Schroeder
charged with assault and battery.
The charge was preferred by Belle
Greenwich. 1t seems that on Sunday
afternoon both women were on a boat
going to Offermann's island and that
Belle gave Mrs. McDermott some of
her amazonian language, which the
latter resented by assaulting her
with a parasol. From what could be
learned the Greenwich woman was in
the fault and abused the other fe-
male shamefully, so the squire dis
missed the case.
1 a l.nIi