The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-29

no card playing or dancing, of course
but refined and moral entertainment:
Some few Of the older citizens Of
Hampton, sour, bilious, carpirg, pessi..
mistic persons professed to have heard
rumor that George 3. Henry, some
made a toboggan-like slide from the
path Of virtue and had expiated q
youthful indlscretion in the Joliet peni-
Tertiary, but they never mentioned 1t,
and were forced to admit to themselves
that Mr.. Henry had lived down his
early mistake and had fully redeemed
himself in the eyes Of his fellow citi-
zens.
Mr.. Henry's business took him away from
home great deal. He would be gone for a
week or two at time, settling claims for
railroad company" he explained, and ev-
cry one knew he must be competent claim
adjuster because he always returned with
substantial sum of money, token OF the
railroad company's appreciation OF MS IN
valuable services.
In Aberdeen, S. D.. lives S. w. Narragang.
an investment broker and land agent, ana
last August he received a telegram from II.
Milwaukee railroad, informing him that a
Mr.. R. c. Myers, of Decatur, ILL.,. wanted to
buy farm in South Dakota, and would ar
rive In Aberdeen shortly and call on him.
Mr.. Narragang, of course met the Decatur
homeseeker and in very short order ne ntted
Mr.. Myers with an excellent farm, ana IN
part payment thereof Myers presented
draft for $500 on the American exchange Ma
tional Bank of New York, from the Farmers
National Bank of Pennsburg. Pa. AS the
cash payment for the farm was only $ooO, MT
Narragang accepted the draft, Endorsed IT
and deposited 1t in the First National Bank OF
Aberdeen, and gave Mr.. Myers his check for
5000 on the same bank The draft was also
Endorsed by r. c. Myers
When this altogether pleasant and profit
able transaction was closed Mr.. Narrasang
drove out into the country to see anotaer
client and did not return until late at nlght,
when he found that Mr.. Myers had cashed
the $500 check and departed. saying he was
going to Andover, S. D.. to visit a friend.
few days later Mr.. Narragang was I'M
pleasantly surprised to learn from his bank
er that the American Exchange Natonal
Bank Of New York, which the $500 draft
of Mr.. Myers was drawn, had notified the
Aberdeen bank that the draft was forgery:
But the faithless Myers was gone ana hau lett
no trace of his destination.
Mr.. Narragang worried good deal over
his loss, as was natural and he notlhed the
police of Minneapolis and other cities TO
keep a lockout for the forger, but without
avail and all might have been we'll win
Nh Myers but for one fact, ana that was
that the New York bank was member OF
the Bankers Protective association, ana was
therefore under the watchful care or the
Pinkerton National Detective agency. ne
case was drawn to the attention OF Supt. Z:
NJ Weber, in charge of the st. Paul office OF
the agency, and he secured without oelay
a facsimile of the forged draft and fuli
statement of the case from Mr.. Narragang.
An examination of the draft was made by
the officers of the agency, and it was found
to correspond with the forgery work OIL no
torious but mysterious person VINO Gnaer
the names of P. A. Sullivan. E. A. Collins
Charles A. Adams w. S. Sweeney, l.. NJ.
Palmer and other aliases, had yictimlZed
numerous persons at different times by means
of bogus drafts.
But the identity of this man of many aliases
was not known, although his work was ia
miiar, and with view to running down tnis
dangerous criminal Mr.. Narragang was IN
duced to inspect the rogues' gallery IN me
office of the Pinkerton agency at Chicago.
There he selected photograph of one George
b. Henry who, in 1880, was convicted of com
hitting a forgery on Rock Island, III, pank
and sentenced to three years in Jolet peul-
Tertiary. This Henry was then about % years
of age and during his Imprisonment he had
chewed soap so industriously that the prison
authorities were really sorry for him, and DIS
term was shortened on account of the precari-
GUS condition Of his health. The fact that
Henry was a married man, with two little
children also influenced the governor to par
don him, and he was returned to the bosom
of his family.
brief investigation showed that George
B. Henry was living at Hampton, ILL.,, and
preparations were made to round him up.
All TIE different forgeries in which the indi-
vid2al was suspected of being concerned were
looked up and the list contained, among
others the following:
First-On Jan. %, 1895, George B. Henry, as
P A. Sullivan, deposited a bogus draft for
$3.50 with the National Bank of Atlantic, To-,
drew part of the money and fed.
Second-In May 1885, as E. A. Collins,
Henry deposited bogus draft for $3.50 in the
First National Bank Of Denver and secured
the money.
Third-On July 6. 1896, as Charles A. Adams,
he obtained $3.50 on a forged draft from the
Peoples Savings Bank of Grand Rapids,
Mich.
Fourth-on Feb. 27, 1897, as W. S. Sweeney,
he secured $500 from the First National Bank
of York. Neb.
Fifth-on May 49, 1897, as A. NJ. Clayton,
he secured $3.50 a bogus draft from the
State National Bank of Fort Worth, Tex.
SiXth-In August, 1897, as R. G. Myers, he
secured $500 from the First National Bank
of Aberdeen. S. D.-the Narragang affair.
Seventh-On Sept. 20, 1897 as L. NJ. Palmer,
he swndled Elliott's Business college, of
Burlington, To-, out of 1915 by means of
forged draft.
In all these cases. except the York, Neb.,
affair the banks were not the actual losers,
as the swindler was introduced by responsible
persons, who were the victims Of his opera
tons. And as the bank at York is member
of the American Bankers association the
Pinkerton agency proceeded to secure him for
that swindle. In this case, which was a pc
culiarly aggravated one, Henry had repre-
scented himself as W. S. Sweeney. and repre-
sented himself as member of a beneficiary
order. the Home Forum, and completely won
the confidence of F. r. Clark. the state man
ager of the order in Nebraska. Sweeney
made a great display of piety and took in Mr..
Clarks Sunday school, where he made d
lively talk to the young people, and through
his acquaintance with the unsuspecting Mr..
Clark he got an introduction to the president
of the National Bank Of York, Judge George
w. Post. Then followed the deposit Of
bogus draft for SIS, COO. and after little ex-
hortation work at Judge Posts church the
wicked Sweeney. or George B. Henry iii real
ty. drew $465 from the bank on his check
and disappeared.
Judge Post was summoned to Chicago. and,
with Assistant Superintendent 1rle. of the
Pinkertons Chicago office, went to Hampton,
was away from home, but expected back on
an incoming train. AS matter Of fact Henry
was returning from his swindling excursion
to Burlington, To- Messrs. Irle and Post
therefore returned to Rock Island to watch
the trains and as the train for Hampton drew
up they walked down the platform inspecting
the passengers through the windows. AS
they did they noticed a man at one Of the
windows who suddenly covered his face with
atey recognized by Judge Post as the over
pous Sweeney. Arrest followed and in
few hours George B: Henry was on his way to
York. Neb. to stand trial for forgery.
And so the town of Hampton. H.. lost
leading light, and the places which knew him
once shall know him now no more-or. at
any rate, not for some years. There has sell
dom been more successful criminal than
this man. His methods were unique and his
detection was difficult, but from the nature of
his crimes and the forces which were set in
force to protect his Victims ultimate discov-
cry was inevitable.
The Annual Exhibit