Evening journal., 1896-11-09
WASAGlGANTIC SCHEME
Half Z Million Dollars Secured
by Forged Checks.
ONE OF THE LEADERS CONFEssBs.


Notes Sent Broadcast over the Country.
New YORK, Nov 9. 9.-Thomas, Peters
and Connors, the men arrested for utter
ing and passing forged checks in the west
surn out to be very unimportant factors
IN gigantic scheme TO swindle which has
been carried on for the last six months.
The headquarters Of the leaders of the
conspiracy was at 30 Pine street BY their
operations it is estimated that they gainod
more than $500, 600 by fraud. william u.
Valentine, one Of the leaders Of the gang,
bas made a confession, In which he reveal
I'd all the facts. More than a score Of ar
rests will lie made as soon as the police in
various cities can catch the men they are
after
As consequence Of the acts Of the
swindling syndicate, the firm of J. II.
Bakor & Co, forwarding agents. IA South
stroot, is completely ruined, and Charles
II. Abbott the junior partner, Is a fugi-
tive from Justice J. II. Baker is left with
out cent
Several arrests have taken place here
and the prisoners are now in jail awaiting
trial. It was suspected that the men were
members of a gang when the arrests We're
made but their full history was not
known until Valentine made his confes-
sion.
The following are the names of the men
under arrest, al but Rice and Mclaughlin
being merely minor agents Of the heads
Of the conspiracy: Isaac Heidenheimer,
Edwin Knowles G. II. Mclaughlin. Big
Ed Rice, Rolindale Smith. II. X White.
White was the last man arrested. He
was held in the police court last Friday 10
answer to the charge of passing two
checks, to which the name Of ii. Better
man was forged, on a grocer When he
was arraigned for trial, the Siegel- Cooper
company and nearly 20 other firms identi-
led him as the man who passed forged
checks upon them. In all he realized
about 50, 500 from his transactions.
c. II. Mclaughlin was indicted early
In the summer for passing forged checks
and is now out on bail The police are
looking for him on other charges.
Big Ed Rice is the most notorious man
of them all. He is known TO the police Of
every city in the country as a skillful con-
fidenoe man He was arrested on that
charge in this city and it was not until
Yesterday that the police had any suspi-
oion that he was connected with the gang
Of forgers.
Isaac Heidenhsimer was arrested for
forging the name of Hyde & Behman to
check which he induced down town
merchant to cash.
Rolindale Smith is also held on the
charge of forgery. He was a clerk for tho
junior partner, whose connection with the
case will appear later
Edwin Knowles was the only man in
the party who failed to obey orders He
passed forged checks successfully, but he
did foolish work on his own account It
was his custom to represent himself as
an actor and to order large bills Of goods
at various stores and order them sent to
theaters where he said he was playing. It
WAS the very wantonncss of crime which
fnaue MIN 90 THIS, as be never called Tor
the goods, which, of course, were refused
by the theaters. Eventually this act led TO
his arrest, and 1t was not uRtil Valentine
made his confession that his connection
with the forgery was made known.
Headquarters In Pine street.
Now, all these men and more than 90
others were acting strictly according to in
structions Their orders came from 20
Pine street, where Valentine sat In an Of
flee furnished as finely as any in the city
1t Is estimated that 81, 500 was spent IN
fixing up the three rooms which the fore
going syndicate used. With Valentine was
c. H. Mclaughlin. John Baugh, a former
convict and bank burglar, used to drop in
occasionally, but he was most always
found standing near the corner of Cortland
street and Broadway Big Ed Rice would
visit the Office once In awhile, but his face
was too well known as that of a desperate
criminal to make frequent visits safe.
The men in the Office posted as builders
and were rated by the commercial agen-
oies as such. To keep up this pretense of
occupation they employed men who were
acquainted with building operation and
would often bid ON jobs that were about
TO bo begun. Their bids were always high,
however, and Valentine says that none
was ever accepted. Many young men Wis
tied the Office from day to day and 20 OK
plain their presence the syndicate assert
ed that it did business out Of town to a
large extent, and that these men were its
agents
1t was in this Office and among these
men that all the swindling schemes were
envelopod. They wero all clever, but ons
Of them bears the palm as being the most
Ingenious to defraud the public ever con-
ceived. BY It they gained most of their
money, and il is doubtful If they can be
punished for It, In this they needed an ao-
oomplice Of a certain business standing.
They found him.
Abbott Brainy schooner.
This man was Charles ii. AbDott who
had been a partner in the firm Of J. II.
Baker & Co, forwarding agents at IA
South street. Their business had been
bought by J. H. Baker, a simple minded
old Irishman. He took Abbott into part
nership with him.
Abbott had formerly been a clerk in the
Lehigh Valley road, had a good business
training, a wide acquaintance and great
ability. Baker trusted him in everything
BY some means Abbott obtained q rat
ing for the firm of J. H. Baker & Co. oi
$50, 600 capital in the commercial agen
oies This was much higher than thoy de
served In fact. Mr.. Baker said the firm
should not have been rated at all.
This rating and other means which Alb
bott used secured a high credit for th'
firm. Their notes were eagerly sought fo
by note brokers and looked upon with ia
vor by the banks
Various telegraphic inquiries came t
New York last summer from dlfferen
places in the country, which read as fol
lows:
ttTc n o. - = - %.