Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-06-13
WORK BOGUS CHECKS
MAN FROM PHILADELPHIA PASSES
ONE AND IS ARRESTED.
DRAFT GIVEN Hin In CHANGE NOT PAID
Payment On Ii Stoppcd-Another
Stranger Tries tn Pass Paper, Sup
posed to lie Worthless, Upon Scvc-
raj of the Hotels, but Falls

favor with citizens with whom they
sought to have business transactions.
One Of them, giving his name as John
A. Kelley, and claiming to be from Phila-
dephla, occupies cell at tho Second
Polce-Station. where he is charged
with having obtained seS7 nom Messrs.
John r. Williams & Co. under false
pretences. The other gave divers and
sundry names, and said he was from
several places, and he has disappeared
from this quiet vicinity about as mystic
riously as he came into it.
Kelley, the man claiming 70 hail from
the Quaker City. is not pleasant man
to meet when he is in adversity at best,
and when Dispatch man called upon
him yesterday, after he had been con-
signed 10 Cell No. 3 of the Second Sta
tlon, and partaken OF Il moderate lunch
from nearby restaurant, he was about
as grun as his murigy disposition would
allow him TO be. lie read clipping,
taken from an afternoon paper, regard
ing his arrest, handed 1t back TO tho
Dispatch man, and walked quietly 10 an-
other corner OF his cell without saying
n word
do you care TO make a statemeutr'
asked tho scribe.
Il will say nothing" was the response
where are you from. Mr.. kelleyH
the news-gatherer ventured TO ask.
II guess Mr.. williams has told you all
about that" said the prisoner.
When assured that Mr.. Williams had
done nothing Of the sort. Kelley simply
gazed at the wall and said nothing.
ROIf(tTfT nTr on CT.AT'r
Kelley arrived IN the city, as far as
can be learned. on Friday afternoon. and
registered at Murphy's Hotel, where he
was assigned to Room No. Sc. He was
quiet and reserved in his manner. and
had little TO say to any one. lie called
upon Mr.. John r. Williams. Of the
buckingham Slate Quarry Company. No.
Is north Ninth street, yesterday morn
ing. lie presented the card OF Kelley Ss
| Otinger, skaters and cornice-workers,
Philadelphia, and after n general talk.
purchased slate amounting TO S2Ji.63. He
presented n check for $500 on the Central
National Bank OF Washington, and Mr..
Williams presented his in change for
1851. Kelley asked that the check be
endorsed payable 10 him, which request
Mr.. Williams readily granted, and tho
customer left.
After the departure OF Kelley Mr. VII
/ liams began TO suspect that the trans
action with the stranger was no. en-
| tirely ctraght and taking up tho $500
| check. he enclosed It ia a letter 20 the
/ cashier Of the Cent-ol National Bank.
! Of Washington asking him X e was not
/ good 10 wire him at once. Mr.. Will
/ liams then mailed the letter at the train
/ himself. and notified his bank here not
to pay the check IN Kelley's possession.
and instructed the bank officials 70 tell
the man 10 come to his Office when he
presented the check.
Yesterday morning Mr.. williams re-
ceived a telegram from a. r. Run.
cashier Of the Washington bank, which
read as follows:
Check for 500 no good"
THE ARREST MADE.
A telephone message was NJ once sont
! 10 police headquarters by Mr.. Williams.
asking that an officer be sent 10 his Of
/ fee at once In the mean time. Kelley
walked into Mr.. Williams's place OF
business. and Policeman b. 9. Angle,
who was on duty on Main street, was
called in. and made the arrest. Sergeant
A. " TOmlinson arrived upon the scole
a few minutes later, and Kelley was
taken 10 the Chiefs office Major How
/ ard questioned the prisoner closely but
he would say nothing about his case.
/ Kelley was finally taken 10 the station
house. in the patrol-wagon, and locked
up.
lie was registered at Murphys as John
A. Kelley from Philadelphia, Pa. When
searched about SiS IN money and a gold
watch and chain were taken from his
clothes. Kelley says he will come out
all right. lie has not yet engaged coun-
sell
Kelley IS about 40 years OF age, stout.
/ short. and nicely dressed. lie has large,
gray eyes, and his hair and stubby NOUS
|. tache are OF an iron-gray hue. lie walks
I quickly. ana appears to be very intelli-
gent. There Is a defect in one OF his eyes.
( FAILED TO GET CHECKS CASHED.
The other person referred to IN the in
troductory OF this article did not sue
csed in getting any money on any OF
the checks offered by him. and there
were several Of them. This young man
was well-dressed and nice-mannered. Hs
registered az Murphy's last Monday as
/ O. W. Robinson, Memphis. Tenn. He
carried no baggage. and had little TO say.
| He tried 10 get the clerk 10 cash u
| check for so, saying he was out OF money
for a few days The hotel refused To
! accommodate the stranger.
He took dinner Thursday at the Lexing-
ton, and modestly asked the clerk to
cash a check for $i5. but the clerk at
that hostelry felt, also, compelled TO de-
cline to grant the request. Hero the
young man registered as T.. V. Lewis.
Vicksburg, Miss, and he went from tho
! Lexington 20 FOrds. and took supper FRI
| day night under the role OF George West,
Vicksburg. The stranger explained 10 tho
| clerk that he was suddenly called TO
| Washington, and asked 20 have check
for Sij cashed. This was declined, and
he left the hotel
The young man first excited suspicion
about noon on Thursday by going 70 tho
ST. Clair Hotel and asking FOR mall for
L. A. Brown. a letter was handed him,
and he opened and read II. taking n
| check for SIS therefrom, which he asked
Mr. @. G.. Petit 10 cash. handing him
the correspondence 10 read. Mr.. Petit
saw that the misslve tended to show that
the man was travelling for a rubber
| goods house, but did not care 10 cash the
! check. though he agreed "a let tho
stranger have dinner and supper, and
walt for his money.
HAD TO GO TO WASHINGTON.
The drummer" said he was obliged
10 90 on 10 Washington. and begged to
get $40 on his check. and let Mr. Petit
send the other $i5 TO the Ebbltt House,
but this the latter also declined. After
! the young man had his dinner and left
Mr. Petit grew suspicious. Mr.. Phelps,
a gentleman from Charlottesville, was
! present, and said young man had been
doing" the hotels throughout South
| west Virginia IN this manaer. ana IN
! some towns had met with considerable
! success. Mr.. Petit than began TO teie-
phone 70 other hotels. and soon found
that the stranger had made oyertures at
the Lexington. Murphy's. Ford's. and. per-
haps. other places. When the stranger
left Richmond is not known. but he Is
being sought by Sergeant Alex. Toml!n-
son Tor board bills left unsettled.