The evening times., 1896-12-03
TELLING 4 sWINDLE STORY
Bateman and Bowen Arraigned
in the Police Court.
SOME VICTIMS ON THE STAND
Real Estate Agents Walker and
HOltznan Relate How They We're
Deceived by Cleverly Forged Sig
natures Mr.. Holtzman's TeSti-
mOny Stricken Out.

William ii Bateman and A. a. Bowen,
the two men arrested Tuesday on suspicion
OF conducting a fake directory schein-
as has been fully described in The Times
were arraigncd In the Police court this af-
ternoon ON the charge of cndeavoring to
utter a forged paper, with the intention of
defrauding Redford w. Walker & Son, real
estate brokers. at 1905 + street north
west
Bothmen are of good odpcrsonaiappcarance,
especially Bowen, who was dressed in "A
satin-faced worsted English rrock coat,
steel gray trousers and heavy patcnt-leathcr
shoes. He is well built, with clear-cut fea-
lures, blonde hair, dressed carefully. and
wore eyeglasses trimmed in gold.
He exhibited extreme nonchaiancc while
sittingin the dock awaiting trial, and seemed
to be bored by the proceedings. His com
panion was not SO easy in his manner, and
his thin face wore a strained hook when Mr..
MullevHy, for the government, placed Mr..
Walker ON the stand.
Mr.. WALKERS TESTIMONY.
MFR. Joseph Shillington appeared for the
defendant, and was whispered to now and
then by Bowen. who regarded the number
of business men in court to testify against
him with good-natured curiosity.
Mr.. Walker related how Bateman called
at his office Tuesday and presented a
contract and signed by Redford W. Walker
& Son calling for $40 to pay the cost of an
advertisement in the Merchants and Manu-
facturers' Directory.
Il declared the signature to be a for
gerry" said Mr.. Walker, land handed it to
my sontoexaninc under a ma eRif wing glass
Bateman agreed To go with him, but in
stead he skipped out of che door and ran
down the street TO Tenth ant ID streets,
where my clerk overhauled him"
hr- walker testified Low EaIeman tried
to get away. but was held by his clerk
and himself until the detectives arrived
The witness said what angercd him was
that he had been swindied out OF SIS in
a like manner year ago, and since that
time had instructed his son and clerks not
to subscribe to advertisement in any direc-
tories.
That is why 1 declare the paper Of
fered by Bateman to be n forgery" said
Mr.. Walker. They must have IDongnt |
was soft thing to be swindIed twice at
the same game"
william NJ. Lanning one of Mr.. Walkers
clerks, said he was with ms employer when
they met Bowen III passing along + street,
who Immediately made Off do wn Eleventh
street to Pennsylvania avenue.
MIR. HoLTZMAN A VICTIM.
Mr.. X. U. Hoffman the real estate man
at the corner or Tenth and F streets was
called by the government and said on Mon
day morning last ne came to his office about
~ O'Clock and found Bateman there with
an advertising contract calling for SO
with hts name signed To IL.
Il had no recollection of entering into
such an agreement said Mr.. HOFFMAN,
but it looked so much like my signature,
rcsembled it so strongly, indeed, that
ordered my clerk, Mr.. Ridenour, to pay
Bateman. He did no, tearing my sigma
tiTe from the contract and la nding it back
to Batcman.
Mt. Shelington said it was not shown
that any fraud had been perpetrated on the
witness. and asked him il his advertisement
did not appear in the directory
Mr. Hoffman said it did.
Yes; and so does tnaJ OF the firm OF
James l.. BartouT q Son" remarked SIR.
Mullowny, ''and they have been out of
business FOR two years
TESTIMONY NOT \ OMITTED.
Mr.. ShilliDgton said as long as Mr.. Holtz-
man could not swear the signature was not
lis own, he moved to strike out his testi-
mony as irrelevant Judge Miller sustained
counsel. and Mr.. Holtczman gave way to
James A. Watson, a patent attorney, 93l
street.
Bateman also presented Watson with
contract, which the lawyer fatty refused
to pay.
at was on Monday" said Mr Watson,
"he called, and 10 substantiate his claim
showed me my card in the directory. doing
business as James A Watson, when as a
matter of fact for nearly two years have
conducted business under the name OF Wat
sos K watson
The contract, Mr.. Watson said, was
signed James A. Watson and in such mat
ters he always signed Watson & Watson.
You didn't pay any money! asked Mr..
ShillInglon.
"No, SIR replied the witness, '.but
Immediately went after the detectives and
reported the matter to them"
William J. Middlecroft. representing the
Washington II ydraulic Brick Company, aid
S12 on n contract to Rateman, and said
he was not sure whether it was his sigma
ture or not.
CALLED 1T RANK ROBBERY.
Mr.. George A. Boyd, proprietor of
Boyd's directory, pronounced the Mer-
chants and Manufacturers as a royal, rank
robbery.
It's direct steal" said Mr. Boyd,
with much heat, "from my Washington
directory, and has the names of people
I'm il who have been dead for years, among
them the name of my own brother-in-
law
Mr. Shillington strenuously objected to
Mr.. Boyds reflection on the Directory rep
resented by his clients, and said his re-
marks should be ignored.
The judge got from Boyd that his brother
in-iaw's name was Charles A. Watson, and
that he died fourteen years ago.
Then Mr.. Shillington got back at the
witness. Advancing toward Mr.. Boyd,
he showed him In his own directory the
name of Charles A. Watson & Co.
How about that" asked Mr.. Shilling
ton, satirically. How can you explain
that"
Easy" said Boyd, cooliy. 'That is a
ruse to catch these royal robbins who are
swindling other people with bogus dircc-
tories"
TO DETECT THIEVES.
Mr.. Boyd said he with intent printed
every year the names of certain people
who have died. in order to detect steals''
from the directory.
Mr.. Shillington characterized his ex.
PLANTATION as poppy COCK and again re.
iterated the value of the directory as.
sailed by the witness.
There is but one of them in the city.-
sneered Mr.. Boyd.
How about your Philadelphia direc-
tory" questioned Mr.. Shillington, becom-
ing nettled, "hasn't it been repudiated by
all the business men in that cty?'
mo mre than my Washington tiirec-
tory" flung back Mr.. Boyd, land you buy
one of them every year."
Detectives Weldon and Horne followed,
describing their arrest of Bowen.