The age-herald., 1897-10-08
WANNAMAKER IS A VICTIM
Lived in Fashionable Hotels and De-
 irauded all of Them He Could.
WAS A STREET RAILROAD MAGNET
Gained the Confidence of Henry Clews, and Beat
 the Wall Street Man With Bogus Check ] for $l000-Left a Trail of Creditors From the Ohio to the Sea.

New York, Oct. 7-The police say that Emmett c. GTbson, also known as Geo A. Sherln who was arrested today and is now prisoner ait police headquar- ters, is tihe most accomplished bogus check and hotel .swindser in the country,
 Gibson according ito the police, fpas succeeded by means of forgery, bogus checks and dealing dn stocks and bonds and playing his wiles upon first class hotel keepers during the past four years, hood of $400,000.
 Among hfs victims, according to Po- lice Captain McClusky, are Henry Clew,s srd John Wana maker.
 The police had been getting complaints from different first~class ha,tels in this city for many days. Bogus checks were laid down by Gtbson in payment of alrs bills. Tine checks were fonored in almost every case, their worthlessness only coming to light when he had made him self scarce
 Complaints reached hea'dquarters from the police of cities, both in the east ard the west, arld ltIhe police recognized Gib- son's handiwork. Detectives were put on the Clews case, and they located Gibson ait the Hotel Bartholdi. They did mot firad him in when they went to the hotel yesterday to bag the game. He was, however found in the Grand hotel The detectives saw a tall, slim, sharp p-fea- turetf man, with blue eyes, high fore- head and blonde whiskers. He was we'll dressed and very cool when the officers invited him to take a stroll to police headquarters, protesting that the police had made mistake.
 [ At police headquarters he described himself as Emmett c. Gibson, unmar- { ried, 39 years of age, of the Bartholdi hotel, and a native of this country. He said he was vice-presdent of the Akron Street Railway company of Akron, O., lawyer, and once upon a time judge in an Ohio town. The specified com plaint entered upon the blotter against him was made by the auditor of the Imperial hotel He alleges that Gibson was a guest of the hotel on Aug. G, of last year, and presented a worthless check for $620 in payment for a $265 board bill. Gibson put down. the check and went away with the balance
 in cash. He was seen no more at the Imperial.
 "Gibson had an office in the Mills building not long ago." said Capt. Me Closkey. Tt was handsomely appoint ed He talked about his connection with the Akron Street Railway com pany as a winning card to gain the con- fidence. He won over even Henry Clews. In fact, his office was next to Mir Clews. When he had worlned him. self into MT Clews' good graces he calmly laid down with him-a check for $1000 MT. Clews cashed it only to dis cover how worthless it was, but MT Gib- son was gone. A paddock was put on his office door.
 "Gibson met Mr. Wanamaker in Phil adelphia some time ago and the dry goods man was attracted by him. MT Gibson suggested a paper to be started and run by him in the interest of Mir. Wanamaker's store.
 "'Good idea MT. Wanamaker said to Gibson. and plant was purchased. The next thing MT. Wanamaker knew Gib- son had sold the plant for several thous- and dollars and Philadelphia has not known him since as far as I know.
 "I have not yet got d-finft= id:a of the amount of Gibsons swindles.. I am told they will foot up more than $4OO. .00o fin four years and he opsrated in b.tlr the east and west.
 Among the hotels hare at which Gib- son stopped and. presented his bogus checks were the Netherlands, the Fifth Avenue and the Imperial. He beat the Hotel Netherlands out of sS0 board bill on July last. He stopped one day at ths Fifth Avenue and a check s was casfsd for him. When he paid his till he managed 10 get s9 rebate and the Fifth Avenue saw him no more"
 Capt. McClcgkey enumerates among the hotsrs which have suff red from Gib- scn's patronage the Parker house, Bos- ton; the Hollsnden. Cleveland: the Strat- fo.d, Philadelphia; the Br.atol Inn, Ak ron, O., and the Cadillac, Detroit, and the Lincoln, Pit'sburg. A widow in