The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-20
HE WAS A SLICK swINDLER.
How Gerard Operated With Checks
at the Screvcn House.


Those who made the acquaintance OF J.
p. Gerard. or r. L. Powers. OF whatever
his name may be. when he was in this city
last Friday. say he Is one OF the smooth
est swindlers who ever tried to work the
bad check racket His method Of working
seems to bear out this Statement.
Gerard, when he arrived here, put up
at the Screvcn house. About the irst
thing he did there was 10 deposit a check
for S76-25 with Mr. Dub. purporting TO be
signed by the superintendent Of the Balti-
more Valley railroad. and drawn on the
Ohio National Bank OF Washington, D.
C. He told Mr.. Dub that he did not want
the money on it, but merely wished 10 de-
posit II, and asked that it be collected for
him. He was given credit for the check
ana left, stating he was going over 20 see
Mr.. Z. c.. Anderson, agent OF the Ocean
Steamship Company.
Ii was shortly after this that he went 10
Mr.. Dub and borrowed 81 on the strength
OF the check. Later on he wanted s.. Mr..
DUB was little doubtful about letting him
have it, but said he would telegraph Wash
ington 10 find out If the check was all
right. Gerard. who had registered as r.
l.. Powers, told him that would be all
right, but IS a telegram could not set
there in banking hours until the next day,
it was decided to send a night message.
Gerard, however, asked Mr.. Dub to let
him have $3.50, which Mr.. Dub finally
agreed to do. He is out this amount and
what he spent for two kilograms.
After making this little arrangement Ger
rard went around to Falk's clothing store,
where he presented a check for $3.50 on
the Chatham Bank. made payable to X.
L. Powers. He had Endorsed across tho
a. is IL a..rrNt
full about the check and sent one of his
clerks with Gerard around to the Screw
en- house to inquire into the matter. The
two saw Clerk Bell and he was asked
about the signature on the check. lie
told the clerk that Powers was registered
there. Then there was some talk about
whether 1t had been properly indorsed,
when Powers decided to scratch out the
Lewis and put r. l.. in the place of it.
Clerk Bell also mentioned the check which
Powers had there for collection, and this
seemed to satisfy the clerk. Mr.. Bell said
the clerk asked him nothing about tile
value of the check, and IL did not occur
to him to say anything about it, as it
did not appear that that was the infOrma-
ton wanted. The salesman reported the
check all right, though, and 1t was ac-
cepted and Gerard got a suit of clothes
and some change.
The next morning Powers or Ge-rarl
hdd disappeared. mat morning Mr.. Dub
also received telegram from the bank at
Washington stating that the check about
which he had inquired was worthless, AMI
that the bank held no such account. The
bird had flown then. however, and notn-
ing could be done. Gerard evidently
worked his game well.
Clerk Bell and Mr.. Dub both say he was
an innocent sort of a chap, and appeared
to know little or nothing about dealins
in checks. His appearance was all in his
favor and he had little trouble in getting
along without being suspected. one of
the stories he told while here was that
he had been given a position on the Kan
sas City, and would go out with her next
Friday