The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-07
CAPTURE OF FORGERS
QUARTET OF CRIMINALS RUN TO
EARTH BY NEW YORK POLICE.
Banks, Hotels and Business Houses in
Indiana, Ohio and other States
Swindled by the Gang.

NEW YORK. Nov. 6-The police authori-
ties have run to earth quartet of GRIM
inals who have been floating the country
during the past few months with danger
Gus forged bank drafts and have swindled
banks both in New York and Chicago. One
of the principals of the conspiracy, who
gives lis name as James Thompson, al
though that is a fictitious name, has been
for two days in the custody of the police
and has turned States evidence. Upon his
teAimony the grand jury to-day found an
indictment for forgery in the first degree
against Walter Il. Peters, one of the COM
bination, who was captured to-day in Chi
cago and is now under arrest in that city.
He will be extradited to New York for
trial
The operations of the gang showed great
shrewdness and while the sums of money
they have secured have not been large
their arrests are considered most important
The combination to defraud banks by these
bogus drafts was formed i'm the West. The
members were Walter b. Peters, Willis
Herbert Ccnnor, w. II. Smith and Thomp-
son. Peters is a photographer and did most
of the work and is therefore considered
the most dangerous of the four men. For
some weeks Pinkerton men have been fol-
great amount of evidence. The plan of the
quartet was put into operation last June,
when Peters made photographic plate of a
draft of the Lincoln National Bank of
Chicago. on the Lincoln National Bank of
New York. Smith ard Connor were travel
ing through the West, ostensibly as drum
mers. and Peters would fill out the drafts
and send them 20 the two men, who
would pass them on hotels and business
houses and even i'm banks. Ohio and In
diana were well worked by the two men.
On Sept 10 Peters and Smith came on to
New York. They went to the Marlborough
Hotel where they registered under the
names of b. s. Matthews and c. G. Jones,
of Fort Wayne, Ind. While there Peters
began making Il counterfeit draft of the
Park National Bank. of Cleveland, o. After
they had been in the hotel a few days they
became frightened and left. leaving their
board unpaid. Later they took rooms al
the Hotel Albert Peters was known as
Rhodes. In the Hotel Albert they finished
the stone and then printed the draft. One
of these drafts is now in the possession of
purported to be from the Park National
Bank. of Cleveland, upon the Western Ma
tional Bank, of New York. was made paya-
BILE to f. A. Leslie and was signed John
Sherwin. cashier" Connor was i'm New
York at this time and was specializing with
j. X. willard q Co., bankers, under the
name of Frank A Russell. Conner owed
Willard & Co s65 and he indorsed the draft
and got $50 in money on Ii from Willard.
"A number OF the drafts on the Western
National Bank of New York were filled out
and Smith, who known kid
started out on the road TO pass them. He
got as far as Port Jervis. n. Y. where
he handed one of the drafts to hotel
keeper. The hotel man was too sharp for
him and had him arrested. He was sent
TO Jail at Goshen. N Y, but managed to
break out. Smith moved TO Buffalo. where
tional Bank of Buffalo the Third Ma
tional Bank of New York. Then Smith
and Connor went to Michigan, where they
again posed as travelling men. representing
a. l.: Fairbanks, advertising agents in
Buffalo. They received bogus letters in
closing the drafts. These they passed and
Peters kept filling them out.
So extensive were COnnorS operati in
Michigan that the police got after him and
finally he was arrested. This was about
He gave evidence against Thompson and
caused an indictment to be found agains.
him i'm Michigan. The police of the CITY
were notified TO arrest Thompson. and have
had him since Monday. On Tuesday word
was sent to the police in Chicago to arrest
Peters. Extradition papers have been
cured and detective Valley will leave Sat
urday TO bring him back here. Smith has
eluded the authorities since his escape from
Goshen jail. but his three pals are all In
custody.
Arrangements will he made with the
Michigan authorities so that Thompson will
not be sent back there for trial. Ii has
Deen round that no less than thirty drafts
Tor S5o each have been passed in the West.
no great amount OF money has been lost,
TO the bankers, and the arrests are consid-
cred 10 be of vast Importance