The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-11-07
SMOOTH FORGERS.
Four Clever Artists Captured-Thelr Meth
DDS of Business.


DDS of Business.
New York, November 6.--The police au-
thorities have run to earth quartette of
criminals who have been flooding the coun-
try during the past few months with dan
gerous forged bank drafts and have swim
died banks, both in New York and Chi
cago. One of the principals of the con-
spiracy. who gives his name as James
Thompson. although that is fictitious
name, has been for two days in the GUS
tody of the police and has turned States
evidence. Upon his testimony the grand
jury found an indictment for forgery in
the first degree against Walter - Peters,
one of the combination, who was captured
today in Chicago 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 important. The COM
bnation to defraud banks by these bogus
drafts was formed in the West. The inam-
bers were Walter b. Peters. Willis Herbert
Connors. W. II. Smith and Thorn. ,son
Peters is photographer and did IN )st OF
the work and is therefore considered the
most dangerous of the four men. For some
weeks Pinkerton men have been following
the four and they have secured a great
amount of evidence.
The plant of the quartette was put in
operation last June when Peters ma ie
Autograph plate of a draft on the Lincoln
National bank of Chicago on the National
bank of New York. Smith and ConnoIs
were travelling through the West, ostensi-
tly as drummers and Peters would fill
out the drafts and send them on to the
two men, who would pass them on hotels
and business houses and even in banks
ONO and Indiana were well worked by the
two men
On September 10 Peters and Smith came
on to New York. They went to the Marl-
borough hotel whore they registered under
the names of b. S. Matthews and C. C.
Jones of Fort Wayne. Ind While there
feters began making a counterfeit draft
of the Park National bank of Cleveland,
OHIO After they had been at the hotel a
few days they became frightened and left,
leaving their board unpaid. Later they
took rooms at the Hotel Albert Peters
was known as William Pierson and Smith
rs William Rhodes. In the Hotel Albert
they finished the stone and then printed
the draft. One of these drafts is now In
the possession of the police. 1t was filed
out for SIPS and purported to be from tho
Park National bank of Cleveland upon the
western National bank Of Nyw York. was
made payable TO +. A. Leslie and was
signed John Sherwn, cashier
Connors was In New York at the time
and was specializing with j. X. Willard 6
Co, bankers, under the name of Frank
a. Russell. Connors owed Willard G. Co
500 and he Endorsed the draft and got $50
In money on 1t from Willard
a number of drafts on the Western Ma |
tonal bank OF New York were filled out
AMI Smith. who was known as Kid"
started out Oh the road to pass them Ho |
got as far as Port Jarvis, y. y, where he |
handed one OF the drafts to q 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 be rented |
out.
Smith moved to Buffalo, where he coun- |
terfeited draft by the Third National |
bank of Buffalo on the Third National bank |
or New York. Then Smith and Connors |
vent to Michigan, where they again posed |
as travelling men, representing 4. l.. Fair |
pauks. advertising agent at Buffalo They |
received bogus letters enclosing the drafts |
These they passed. and Peters kept filling |
them out SO extensive were Conrors on |
erations in Michigan that the police got |
after them and he was finally arrested
ahout the middle of October at Flint, Mich.
lie gave evidence against Thompson and
caused an indictment to be found agangt
him in Michigan. The police OF this CITY
were notified Of the arrest OF Thompson and |
have had him here since Monday On |
Tuesday word was sent to the police of
Chicago to arrest Peters. Extrad.tion
papers have been secured. Smith has
eluded the authorities since his escape
from Goshen Jail.
Arrangements will be made with the
Michigan authorities so that Thompson will |
not be sent back there for trial. 1t has
been found that no less than thirty drafts
Tor $50 each have been passed in the West.