Evening journal., 1896-11-07
BANK FORGERS CAUGHT
They Flooded the Country With
Bogus Drafts.
CROOK PETERS MADE TEE PAPERS.

CROOK PETERS MADE TEE PAPERS.
Then Three others Of the Combination
Circulated the Forged Drafts Operated
Extensively All over tho Country An
bat One OF the Quartet In Custody.
NEW YoRK, Nov 7-C Captain O'Brien's
mysterious prisoner at police headquar-
tors, whose arrest was noted I'm these dis
patches Yesterday turns out 60 be- one Of
quartet OF men who have been flooding the
country during the past few months with
dangerous forged bank drafts. His name
Is given as James Thompson, although 1t
IS admitted by the authorities that that is
not his right name Upon his evidence
the grand jury found an Indictment for
forgery in the first degree against Waiter
b. Peters. one OF tho combination, who
has been captured in Chicago and is now
under arrest In that city He will brought
20 this city for trial
Tho operations OF the gang showed great
shrewdness. The combination TO defrnud
banks was formed in the west IN June
last The members were Walter B. Peters
Willis Herbert Connors, W. II. Smith and
Thompson. Peters is a llthOgrapher by
trade and did most of the work For
many weeks detectives have beon follow
ing the men. Assistant District Attorneys
Davis and Battle caused Peters indict-
ment
The principal act was committed on
June r. last, wheu Peters made litho-
graphic plate oi draft OF the Lincoln Ma
tionai bank OF Chicago on the Lincoln Ma
tlonal bank OF New York Smith and
Al.
ustonsbly as drummers Potrrs would
I'll out the drafts and send thom on TO tho
two men, who would pass them on hatels
and business houses and in hauks. Ohio
and Indiana were worked By tho two mon,
and on Sept. 10 Peters and Smith came to
New York. They went to the Marlborough
hotel. where they registered under the
names Of j. S. Matthews and c. G. Jones
of Fort Wayne
Making tho Draft.
While at the hotol Peters got litho-
graphing stone and began tho work Of
making a counterfeit draft OF the Park
National bank OF Cleveland After they
had been in the hotel a few days they ho-
came frightened, and left leaving their
bill unpaid. They then went TO the Hotel
Albert. at Eleventh stseet and University
#
Piorsnn and smith as william Rhodes In
the Hotel Albert they finished the stone
and then printed the draft
one Of these drafts Is now IN the possess
sion Of tho police. IL was filled out for
sl25 and purported to be from the Park
National bank Of Cleveland upon the
Western National bank OF New York. The
latter has Offices in this city In the Equi-
table building. Tho draft was made pay
able to T.. A. Leslie and was signed John
Shorwin, cashier The number was
2,l7f and was dated Sept %. ConHors
was IN New York at this time and was
specializing with J. r. Willard & Co,
bankers at 90 Broadway, and with an up
town Office at Thirty second street, under
the name Of Frank A. Russell
The draft was passed on Willard s. Co
Thompson indorsod tho draft Pay to or.
der OF i. A. RUSSELL md signed It +. A.
leslie. Connors owed Willard q Co. 500.
and he indorsed the draft and got $50 IN
money.
A number Of the drafts on the Western
National bank Of New York woro filed
out, and Smith, who was known as Kid,
started out on the road to pass them. He
got as far as Port .lervis n ", whore he
tried 20 pass one Of tho drafts on hotol
keeper. Tho hotolman saw tho game, and
he called in a deputy sheriff and had him
arrested. He was sent TO the jail at Gosh
en-, n Y, whore no managed to break
out and make his escape
Flight From Justice.
Just about this time Thompson, Peters
and Connor became frightened and left
New York for Buffalo. They went TO live
at 36S Pearl street, in that city. where Po-
ters was known as Charles NJ Savage. He
purchased draft for 81, made by the
Third National bank Of Buffalo on the
Third National bank of New York lie
then got q lithographio stone and made q
facsimile of the draft There was a dinor-
enco In the tint of the paper but this was
difficult TO notice. Smith and Connors
then went On TO Michigan. where they
again posed As travelling men They re.
ceived bogus lotters inoosing the drafts
These they passed, and Peters kept filing
them out
Peters came on TO New York and stop
ped at the Astor House on oct 10 under
thu name OF q. c. Leonard While there
he received $50 from Connors, who was
then In Mount Herman, Mich. Connors
then went TO Battle Creek, where no got
$50 more, which DO sent on. So extensive
u
was finally arrested at Flint Mich
Thompson, when he learned of it, came on
TO New York Connors gavo evidence
against Thompson and no was indicted
The police of the city woro informed and
Thompson was arrested In front OF the
Hotel Motropole, Broadway and Forty-soo-
ond street, on Monday. He had furnish
+ cd room ut ia West Twenty. ninth street.
Arms Tor Canadian Militia.
QUEBEC, Nov 7--The steamer Monte
videan, which has Just arrived from Lon
don, brought several hundred cases OF
new rifles and ammunition for the Cana
dian military authorities The consign-
mont is part OF a large order which has
been prepared 10y the imperial govern
mont for shipment TO Canada. These largo
shipments Of arms and ammunition TO
Canada Iorivo a urontpr fnforoaf In xinvr ~