The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-08
HIS GAME A BONANZA.
EXPERT IN ALL MANNER OF
FRAUDS CAUGHT AT NEW YORK.

Bogus Check scheme n FnvOrite One.
Henry CIews and Join Wanna
maker Two of His Victims-HOteIs
Suffered Most From His Frauds.
Registered at New YOrlE's Police
Headquarters as Emuset o. Gibson.
Ex-Judge in an Ohio Town.
New York Oct. THE police say that
Emmet c. Gibson, also known as George
A. Sherin, who was arrested to-day and
is now a prisoner at police headquarters, is
the most accomplished bogus check and
hotel swindler in the country.
Gibson, according to the police, has sue
ceeded, by means of forgery, bogus
checks dealing in stocks and bonds, and
playing his wiles upon first-class hotel
keepers during the last four years, in get
ting and spending in the neighborhood of
100000.
Among his victims, according to Police
Captain McCluskey, are Henry Clews and
John Wanamaker
The police had been getting complaints
from different first-class hotels in this
city for many days back. Bogus checks
were laid down by Gibson in payment of
board bills The checks were honored in
almost every case, their worthlessness
only coming to light when he had made
himself scarce. Complaints reached head
quarters from the police of cities, both in
the east and west, and the police recog-
nized Gibson's handiwork.
Detectives were put on the Clews case,
and they located Gibson at the HoJel Bar
tholdi. They did not find him in when
they went to the hotel yesterday to bag the
Grand hotel.
The detectives saw a tall, slim, sharp
featured man with blue eyes, a high fore
head and blonde whiskers. He was well
dressed and very cool when the officers
invited him to take a stroll to police head
quarters, protesting that the police had
made mistake At police headquarters
he described himself as Emmett c. Glib
son, unmarried, SO years old, of the Bar
tholdi hotel, and a native of this country.
He said he was vice president of the Ak
ron Street Railway Company of Akron,
o., a lawyer and once upon time judge
in an Ohio town. The specific complaint
entered on the blotter against him was
made by the auditor of the Imperial hotel.
He alleges that Gibson was a guest at
the hotel on Aug. 6 of last year and pre-
scented a worthless check for $500 in pay
ment of a $3.50 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 build
ing not long ago." said Capt. McCluskey
"It was handsomely appointed. He talk
ed about his connection with the Akron
Street Railway Company as a winning
card to gain confidence He won over
even Henry Clews. In fact his office was
next to Mr. Clews. When he had wormed
himself into Mr.. Clews good graces he
calmly laid down with him a $1,000 check
Mr.. Clews cashed it, only to discover how
worthless it was, but Gibson had gone. A
paddock was put on his office door.
Gibson met Mr.. Wanamaker in Phila-
delphia some time ago and the dry goods
man was attracted by him. Gibson eug-
gested paper to be started and run by
him in the interest of Mr.. Wanamaker's
store.
." Good idea Mr. Wanamaker said to
Gibson, and a plant was purchased. The
next thing Mr. Wanamaker knew Gibson
had sold the plant for several thousand
dollars and Philadelphia has not known
him since, so far as I know.
Il have not yet got a definite idea of
the amount of Gibson's swindles. / am
told that they will foot up more than $780,
600 in four years, and he operated in both
the east and the west
Among the hotels here at which Glib
son stopped and presented his bogus
checks were the Netherlands, the Fifth
Avenue and the Imperial. He beat the
Hotel Netherlands out of $50 board bill
on July "a last. He stopped one day at
the Fifth Avenue and a check was cashed
for him. When he paid his bill he man
aged to get 50 rebate, and the Fifth Av-
enue saw him no more"
Capt McCluskey enumerates among the
hotels which have suffered from Gibson's
patronage: The Parker house, Boston
the Hollenden Cleveland; the Stratford,
Philadelphia; the Bristol Inn, Akron, o.,
and the Cadillac and the Lincoln, Pitts
burg.
A widow in Cleveland is said to have
been defrauded of $1,000 by Gibson.
Among the papers found on him were
papers in a suit instituted against him
by the German American Bank of Pitts
burg.
GIBSON DOINGs SURPRISE AKRON