The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-01-16
HAS BEEN IN PORTLAND.
Rice Bought a Suit Clothes Of
Allen & Go.
HE PROMISED TO PAY AND THEN
NEGLECTED TO CALL.

WV LILO 40 III SuStOut III DObLOQ WIN
Four Charges Against Him-Another
Story of Young Man Who Has Gone
Wrong-He Is Suspected of Ha wing
w orked Maine Banks.
Boston. January 15-The identity Of
the young swindler caught by the police
Inspectors after hot chase through the
tanking district yesterday afternoon was
established this morning.
His name is Frank III. Rice He is
Maiden boy, who comes from a:.respectable
family, and had almost every advantage
to make his mark in life. When but Il
mere schoolpoy, through the companion
ship of evil-minded boys, he turned from
the path Of honesty and disgraoed his
parents. He was wild youth" at 10
years, and vas mixed up in several
matters in Maiden which blackened his
career.
He was arrested in Boston In January,
ing, and on February IA was sentenced
to an indefinite term in the Concord re-
formatory. 1t was the first time he had
been taken into custody. This, when
taken into consideration with the fact
that the boy had received good eduDa-
tion. and might reform, caused the court
to be lenient with him. Otherwise, the
police say, he probably would have re-
| ceived heavier sentence.
| At the reformatory, superintendent
| Scott took a liking to young Rice. There
he was what is known MS q good prison
err" and to all appearance had reformed
He expressed intentions Of leading an
honest life when released, and on Febru-
airy 20, 1895, WAS liberated.
This morning Rice confessed to Chief
Inspector Watts aud Capt. Dugan, telling
them all about himself, howShe happened
to be in the bold swindling kbusiness
in which the police found him. - EEs;ssjs'
He was arraigned in the municipal
court this morning. There were three
cases of swindling against his name and
one case OF forgery. He was held in $500
bonds. Being unable to furnish the bail,
he was committed to Charles street jail
The forgery comes from transaction
which Rice had with Hagop Bogigin, the
| imported rug dealer. Rice called at that
establishment for the purpose of pur-
chasing rugs for his room. He selacted
what he wanted, and in payment for the
goods rendered the proprietor check for
$50 on the Metropolitan national bank.
The bill was $50, Mr.. Bogigin in change
gave Rice personal check for $50, the
difference, intending it as a precaution
for himself He did not know whether
the check which Rice had given him was
of value, and thought that he would
know by the time the check he gave in
return was presented at the hank. The
next morning he was at the bank and
learned that Rioe's check was bogus and
stopped payment of the other check.
! The cases of swindlng were that of
| Landlord Harlow, where Rice had board
ed and gave bogus checks in payment of
his board. the charge brought by Tobias
& WALL Cornhill, from whom Rice got a
dress suit case, and that of Charles e.
Harvey, Boylston street, the firm from
which Rice hired piano and gave bo-
| gus check.
In his confession Rice said that on
coming cut of the reformatory he tried
hard for weeks to get employment but
all doors were closed to him. After 81
while he got discouraged, and being in
need of money began his swindling
game. In all he says he passed about
twelve orsffteen checks In Boston. The
police have the names of the parties from
whom he obtained money, and will in
vestigate the matter.
The police are strongly inclined to be-
lieve that he is responsible for many Of
the bogus checks which have appeared in
Maine banks of recent dates One reason
of this suspicion is that Rice was in
Maine on January 6, and for some days
previous to that date. This he admits.
and says he bought clothing at Allen &
Co. Is establishments This morning in
talking with the inspectors, he wanted
to know if anything which he had done
outside of the state would be brought
against him: