The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-17
CHARGED WITH FORGERY.
Fred. w. Fish, Forgiven Once, Re-
peats the Offense.


Fred w. Fish, young man "a years of age.
was locked up at the central police station
shortly after O'Clock last evening on the
eenarge OF having passed a forged check for
$lo on the L. G.. Hoffman clothing house.
IT is also claimed that Fish passed forged
checks for the same amount on both the
plymouth clothing house and upon Brown
ing, King Co. within a few minutes after
perpetrat1ng the alleged fraud upon the
Hoffman firm. Fish's forgeries are all the
more daring by reason of the fact that it has
been less than three months since he passed
another worthless check for $40 upon L. G.
herman and fed from the city to avoid the
consequence of his act, and it was this fact
winch leu TO his arrest almost Immediately
after yesterdays transactions
Each of the checks passed Yesterday mr.
ported to have been drawn by r. Witty q,
Son. Job printers doing business at pa East
Fourth street and were made payable to F.
w. FISH, whose endorsement also appeared
on the back Of all Of the checks Fish for
merry worked for Witty & Son.
ABOUT TWO months and half ago Fish
entered emu the store of L. g. Hoffman C Co.
ana presented a check for $40, drawn as were
those OF yesterday, on R. Witty g. Son. made
payable to and endorsed by himself. II was
known that he had been employed by Witty
& Son, and after he had made several small
purchases, the price of which was Deducted
the check was marked O. K by Mr. Hoff
man and the change returned to Fish. In the
course OF few days the check was discov-
ered TO have been clever forgery and a
nunt was begun for young Fish He could
not be found, however, and it was subse-
auen1ly learned he had gone to St. Louis
lie oay AFTER he had cashed the worthless
piece OF paper Shortly after hts arrival in
81. Louis. Fish wrote a most pathetic letter
70 Mr.. Witty, telling him he had forged fine
VIII VII ; name and asking his forgiveness. Mr..
W1thy at once sought Mr.. Hoffman, to whom
ne refunded the money obtained by Fish and
secured the consent of the clothing merchant
no. TO prosecute the young man should he
Fisn finally came back to the CITY. Yas-
terday he went into Hoffmann's store and
"a ea a few small purchases amounting to
e Son in payment. Fred Rupp, the clerk
OF whom the purchases were made was
acquainted with Fish and when Mr.
HOFFMAN, saw the check and asked hin, ~
he knew the person who had presept ,sn Il Il
He said he did. Mr.. Hoffman, then ordered
the check cashed, $3.50 with which he left
u tne store. From subsequent developments
1t appears that he went at once to Browning,
King & Co. and the Plymouth with two
other checks for the same amounts and suc-
ceeded in getting them cashed in similar
manner.
Fish had been gone but few minutes when
Mr.. Hoffman, began thinking about the
check which he had just cashed and then he
remembered how he had been defrauded IN
an exact facsimile couple of months sro
He asked his bookkeeper If the first fraud;I-
lent check had not been drawn by R. Witty
d Son, payable to Fred w. Fish and upon
that gentleman recalling that such had been
the case, sent him at once to see Mr.. Witty
Mr.. Witty examined the check which had
been passed yesterday and pronounced 1t a
forgery. The police were then notified Of
Fish's operations and soon located him in a
restaurant at No. GA East Fourth street
where he was placed under arrest. At the
central station the young man was found to
have $S9 IS in hts possession. He denied hav-
ing passed checks on any firm other than
L. G. Hoffman, and accounted for the money
by claiming that friend had given him SIS
during the afternoon.
Mr.. Witty and brother Of young Fish
called at the police station last evening to
pvthing could be done to get him out
OF his predicament. Mr.. Witty stated that
he had learned that Fish had victinfzed
both the Plymouth and Browning, King &
Co.. and that he had made arrangements to
refund the amounts secured from these con-
Germs. He also willing to settle with
l.. G. Hoffman, & Co. II he could protect
Fish He took this action, he said because
he had known the young man since his boy
hood and from desire to save the lads
parents, who were emfnently respectable peo-
pie, from the shame which would ensue from
the sons criminal acts.