The San Francisco call., 1896-07-01
BANK FORGERY
As A HIGH ART,
A Jury in Judge Wallace's
Court to Try Creegan
and Becker.
PROSECUTIONS THEORY.
Graphic Outline of the Secretive
Course Pursued by the Sus.
pected Criminals.
STRONG EFFORT TO CONVICT.
Attorney Dunn Objects to 7. v. Gators
Testimony as to Becker's
Former Record.
STRONG EFFORT TO CONVICT.

The work of securing jury to try Cree
gan and Becker, charged with the Nevada
Bank forgery, was begun and ended yes
| terday in Judge Wallace's court.
In the forenoon eight jurors were OBJ
! tanned, and in the afternoon when eleven
men had been accepted the original panel
was exhausted, and the court had to take
a recess until the Sheriff got trial jury,
from which the twelfth man was soon
| selected. Following are the twelve men
who will decide the guilt or innocence of
| the defendants: Joseph I. Twohig, Milton
Lambeth, Michael Flood, w. Y. Kellogg,
| Charles Wollpert, julius E. Klemm, E.
| w. Scott, w. Hobson, w. Z. Balcom,
| Harry Heacock, w. w. DooIittle and II.
| Z. Bennett.
| The ssistant District Attorney, in his
opening remarks, went over the main
facts of the case and outlined the proof he
would offer.
1--WE will show" he began, "that a
conspiracy to commit this forgery was
Matched at New York in November, 1894
and that by this conspiracy A. 81. Dean
was to come to California and select
bank upon which to pass raised note.
| Creegan suggested that Dean first open an
account with some bank, and that later he
| (CIeegan) would come on to California
| with Becker, an expert forger, who was
known variously as Scratch and The
Dutchman.' Creegan also made arrange
ments with another of the gang, Joe Nc
Cluskey, { meet him in this City.
| "Dean opened an account with the Ne
vada Bank" continued the District Attor-
ney, ION December A, 1895. He went to
Woodland and bought from the Woodland
Bank a check for S12 on the Crocker- Wool
worth Bank. On his way back Dean un-
expectedIy met Creegan on the boat and
gave him the $12 check, which Creegan
! raised to SO, 900 and returned to Dean a
few days later. He deposited the check to
| his credit in the Nevada Bank. Two days
later he withdrew 1000 from the San
| Mint sacks.
'Dean and McCluskey divided the
money between them and then both left
for the East, Dean going day later than
McCluskey because as be was on his way to
| the ferry with him he met the cashier OF
the Nevada Bank and feared that he was
looking for him.
"Creegan and Dean met later in New
York by means of personal advertise
ments in the New York Herald. When,
shortly afterward, Creegan and Becker
were arrested in Philadelphia number of
new $40 pieces, bearing the mark of the
San Francisco mint, were found among
| their baggage.
In Becker's trunks was also found 8
! complete forger's outfit which he claimed
he intended to use to alter playing cards
in connection with gambling house he
intended to open III South Africa. As soon
as he was released by the Philadelphia au-
| thoriiies, however, he threw this forger's
outfit into the Schuylkill River.
'All this" concluded the District Attor-
ney, "we will prove beyond the peradven-
| ture of doubt. We will establish con-
vincing chain of facts proving that these
two men are at the bottom of this W hole
forging scheme, aud we will accordingly
ask you to render a verdict of guilty"
Thomas V. Gator was the first witness
called. He knew Becker and had seer
him In New York in 1878 or 1879. Attor-
ney Dunn objected to the District Attor-
ney's question as to whether Becker had
| admitted to Gator that he had been
engaged in a forgery, on the ground
that anything that he SAID had hap
peened eighteen years ago was not
sustained Attorney Dunn's objection and
| witness Gator was allowed to depart.
Before adjournment Attorney Dunn
made demand upon the prosecution to
produce certain documents in their pos
session, Including statements made by A.
II. Dean, Joe McCluskey or Wiley Lytle
| to Captain Lees. The court then ad-
journed until 10 o'clock this morning.
A letter has been received by +. ]. LIE
Breton, President of the French Savings
and Loan Society of this City, from Joseph
Council of the American Bankers Asso-
citation in New York, urging him to take
energetic steps against the forgers now on
trial. In the letter Chairman Hendrix
says:
.The association has been at heavy ex-
pense in this matter, and it has spared no
efforts, realizing that this is probably the
most dangerous gang of forgers In the
world. 1t is to the interest of all banks
that they should be thoroughly prosecuted
and, ii possible, convicted and imprisoned
for long time"