Evening star., 1896-12-02
CHARGED WITH FORGERY
Two Men Alleged to Be Engaged in Bogus
Advertising Scheme.
A Contract Presented to an Street
p IN n = 1 80
Real Estate Dealer, Which Was
Followed by Police Action.

The arrest of William H. Wese for pre-
sentirg a forged contract yesterday to
Redford w. Walker & Son. real estate
brokers, at 1OO6 street, reported in
The Star, has brought to hight what the
local police authorities believe to be an
unusually carefully planned and brainy
swindling scheme The name of the man,
1t has been fornd, is not Wese, but Will
liam H. Bateman. Another man, supposed
to be an accompl!ce, has also been placed
under arrest and his name on the first pre-
cinct station blotter reads r. A. Bowen.
He is held at the station while Bateman is
behind the lars at the sixth precinct sta
tion. The men will be given hearing to-
morrow in the Police Court. Attorney
Shtllington was today devoting himself to
an effort to secure the release of the men
on bail.
From an investigation. conducted by De-
tectives Horne and Weldon, it is believed
ny the officials that Bateman and Bowen
nave carried on swindling operations in
several OF the larger cities of the east.
Bateman, 1t is charged, entered the Office
OF Walker & Son about noon yesterday and
pres ented contract showing the firm to
be indebted to the Trades Publishing
Company CT New York. in the sum of so.
1t was set forth that this amount was due
Tor Advertising in the Merchants and Man.
ufacturers' Business Directory. The di-
rectCry containing the advertisement was
exhibited. but Mr.. Walker the head of the
flrm, failed to remember the transaction.
ana he at once declared the signature of
the firm attached to the contract to be a
forgery. 1t was recalled by Mr.. Walker,
however, that s. had been secured from
MIN In similar way in February last, and
he at once became suspicious.
There must be some mistake" said
Bateman when. informed that the alleged
signature of Walker & Son was a forgery.
Inc canVasser who turned it in, however.
will be responsible"
BOT Ix.Tk
lowed by Mr.. Walker and one of his clerks,
Mr.. William L. Lanning, and was over
taken a 10th street and Pennsylvania ave-
nue. and induced to return to the Office He
Detectives Boardman. Weldon and Horne,
who had been summoned by telephone.
Just as ne was accOSted at 10th street and
Pennsylvania avenue Bateman was seen to
hand package of papers to another man,
who afterward proved to be Bowen.
At the detective office Bateman stated TO
Inspector Hollinberger that he is employed
AS collector for the New York publishing
firm. If anything of criminal nature had
been perpetrated. he added, the soliciting
agent must be the guilty party. The New
York address of the firm was given by
Bateman as 1893 Broadway. Inspector Hol-
linberger wired the New York detective
bureau request that the case be investi-
gated He received reply to the effect
that no such concern the Trades
Publishing Company is located at 1893
Broadway. There is a firm of that name,
however, at 631 Broadway, but no person
by the name of Wese is in their employ,
SO twas telegraphed.
From the description furnished, Detective
Horne succeeded in locating on Pennsyl-
vania avenue the man who afterward
turned out to be A. A. Bowen He was
shadowed to the Hotel Raleigh. On reach
ing there Bowen at once repaired to a room
he has been occupying in company with
Bateman. The detective waited outside
and Bowen soon reappeared. having COM
pletely changed his attire. He was greatly
surprised when notified that he was wanted
at police headquarters.
Bowen admitted that he has known Bate
man for several months. He understood
advertising business. He accompanied him.
he said, merely because he is fond Of travel
Bowen Is educated and has every appear
ance of a polished gentleman. He
came to this city with Bateman Monday,
he said, and they at once engaged accom-
modations at the Raleigh.
search of the room occupied by Bate
man and Bowen disclosed the fact that the
men used single trunk in common. In
the trunk were large quantity of printed
leaflets containing the names and addresses
of prominent business firms of all the large
cities. The leaflets were similar to ad-
vance pages of a directory, and it is sup
posed that they were shown by the alleged
swindlers to prospective customers.
Among the Washington business men
whose names appear in the directory found
in the possession of Bateman and Bowen
are: Frank l.. Dyer, the Ohio National
Bank. the Columbia Title Insurance Com
pany. the Washington Loan and Trust
Company, George E. Lemon. Butterworth
& Dowell. Wood. Harmon & Co.. Tyler &
Rutherford. H. Clay Stewart & Son. L. NJ
Saunders Co.. Andrew Lipscomb Robert
o. Hoffman and Thomas G. Hensey & Co.
Several parties called at the detective
office today and stated that the men had
attempted to work the same game on them
that Bowen is not the innocent party he
claims to be, for, he says. Bowen presented
a forged contract to him yesterday after
noon.
in the city temporarily. visited Inspector
Hollnberger this afternoon and explained
that an attempt to swindle on precisely
similar lines to the present alleged scheme
was discovered at Butte a year ago, and
two men were arrested. 1t was found
however. impossible to prove that any
money had been obtained. Mr. Thompson
believes that he can identify the men who
operated at Butte, and will have a look at
Bateman and Bowen some time this after
noon.
The men who were arrested at Butte. 1t
was found had also tried to secure money
by the same plan at Cincinnati.
Unless 1t can be shown that Bateman
and Bowen succeeded in collecting money
here they can be charged only as suspicious
characters.
Attorney Shillington stated to a Star re-
porter this afternoon that his clients are
entirely innocent Of the charge against
them, and he said he expects to have no
trouble in securing their discharge when
taken into court. Mr.. Shillington made in
quiries al police headquarters in regard to
photographing for the rogues' gallery per-
sons placed under arrest.
If Bateman and Bowen. he said, are pho
tographed against their WILL and they are
not convicted. suit at law to recover dam
ages will surely be filed. Inspector Holm
berger informed Mr.. Shillington that sus-
pected parties are not photographed for
the rogues' gallery. unless convicted here
or it is found that they have a criminal
record elsewhere. s-.- .E... ....
Carroll Institute Lectures.
A course Of complimentarv la..nros ;s