The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-10
WALKER WAS LUCKY.
Escape of a Member Of Gang of Dr.
rectOry SwindlerS.
Changed Simple Memorandum Into an
Order for Payment Of $500.

NEW York, Feb. 1O.-One of the most
daring swindles ever known in this city
was that recently perpetrsted on Flint,
Eddy q Co, and a dozen other big hrms,
by a gang of thieves who called themselves
the Edwards Publishing Company. by
getting any firms signature to a soon
tract''the thieves were able 10 change the
body of the paper and make it into an or
der for money. Joseph L. Walker, alias Jo-
seph Welsh, who was indicted for swind-
ling Flint, Eddy II Co., escaped convlc-
iton in the Court of General Sessions by q
remarkable bit Of good luck. He and
the other membrs OF the gang are still AZ
large.
A g~lih-tongued canvasser called at the
office ii Flint, EDDY Il Co., importers, oS
Beaver street, carly last fall and showed a
sample copy or dummy" OF a new bust
ness directory. The firms name and ad-
dress were already IN 1t, OF course, but
the young man said he would have IL
spread in big, nlack type for slo A check
for si0 was given to him. lie wrote the
following memorandum:
Messrs. Flint. Eddy & Co. have paid $40 to
George NJ. Edwards, publisher, etc, for one
page IN Edwards Directory"
al have to tnrn that in at the Office"
said the smooth young man. ITS a
voucher for my work. Won't you please
sign it?'
the paper on behalf of the firm. He
thought no more about IL until October 70
last, when Josepher 4. Walker dropped
in casually with a little bill to collect He
presented this:
Nn.g.s E{ux EI1v g. No wIn IN
George NJ. Edwards, publisher, etc, the sum
OF Five Hundred dollars for page on outside
of book, and one page in Edwards Diroo-
Firm name. FLINT. EDDY s. CO..
Per II. +. CROSBY. Treasurer.
Young Walker showed Mr.. Crosby a
sample of the business directory. The
first Eage of the cover was burdened with
glazing golden letters, telling all about
Flint, Eddy * Company, and inside the
directory was another advertisement COW
ering a page.
"MaKes a good show, doesn't it?" said
Walker.
"But, really, ] don't remember placing
any such ORDER" said Mr.. Crosby, mus
ingly.
"Ah,. you're a very busy man." ex-
claimed Walker. b you recognize
your signature, don't your"
MIR. Crosby certainly did know his
own signature, SO, although much puz-
zled, he directed the cashier, Frank
Abrams, to draw a check for $500. paya bic
to the order Of George NJ. Edwards. This
MIR. Crosby signed and gave to Walker.
A short, slight, dark, thin-faced man,
with a black mustache, enterd MIR.
Crosby's office OF November IL and pre-
sented an order calling for $500.
"Ah, another contract is it?" Mr..
Crosby exclaimed, Indignantly. "The
thing is a fraud. ! shall not pay you a
cent"
"yery WELL" replied the thin man.
be necessary for us to have any legal diff
Guilty. III send our canvasser around to
see you.o Walker soon appeared. He ex-
hibited the contract" He insisted that
it was genuine, and even produced a bit
OF yellow paper, on which was scrawled
a lot of unintelligible stuff. he said this
was the form OF an Advertisement that Mr..
Crosby had dictated to him. Mr.. Crosby
seized the paper, the order for $500 and
the fake "directory'' and sent out for a
policeman. Walker was examined before
Magistrate kudlich, who held him In
$1,000 bail. William Johnson, a man Of
straw, became Walkers's security. Walker
was soon rearrestsd ed.
Flint, Eddy Il Company engaged Derec-
tive L. A. Newcome of 81 Park Tow, to
investigate Walker and his gang, Mr..
Newcome traced the $500 check through
the hands of a well known lawyer and a
clerk of the board Of excise. He found
also hat the gang bad made thousands Of
dollars with the swindle in Boston, Hart
ford, Rochester, Bridgeport, Newark,
PHILADELPHIA, Baltimore, Cleveland and
San Francisco.
Mr.. Newcome found a printing estab-
lishment down in Beekman street, where
the fake directors" were turned out by
wholesale. Upon the examination be-
fore Mag istrate Kuldich, ID. M. Carvalho,
an expert on handwriting, showed that
the 8 ) indlers had changed the original
memorandum signed by Mr.. Crosby by
washing out the written words with acid.
The paper was reglossed and then the
order for the payment Of $500 was written
in above the genuine signature.
BY using acids Mr.. Csrvalho treated
another and similar order so that the
forged words disappeared aud the original
memorandum was res. The super
ientendent OF the Trow Directory Com
psny testified that the directory" was a
fraud. Neither Mr.. Csrvalho nor Mr..
Bates was summoned before the grand
jury until MIR. Newcome explained the
necessity for having their testimony.
Walker wss indicted. He came up for
trial on December "a, before Judge Cow
ing, in the general sessions. The assis-
cant district attorney, who prepared the
case for that trial, was suddenly assigned
to another matter, and Cne Of his ASSOC
ciates, who knew nothing about the case,
wGs assigned to try 1t. Mr.. Carvalho, who
received a subpoena to testify on the
trial OF civilian J.o Walker, was in
formed when he came into court that he
would not be needed, because this was
the trial of Joseph i. WOlker. In the abb
sence OF Mr.. Carvslho's testimony Wal
I.- nacor,I anpyictiAn The Hiractar,