The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-12-01
FORGERY NO 2.
Is Pastor Cook Responsible For
the Latest?

III attendance at the BaptlSC general
Association of Virginia, which was in SEES
sion short time ago in this city, was
Rev. Leslie Cook, who was for some time
pastor of the East Roanoke Baptist
Church. Mr.. Cook having lived here for
some time,wds well and favorably known
by many OF our citizens, and, when one
day he sauntered into Oyerstreet & Thur
mans furniture store on Campbell ave
nue. and asked f. A. Thurman to cash n
check for him that gentleman, knowing
Mr.. Cook personally, FASTENED TO comply
with his request and Mr.. Cook after
thanking hun left the store.
The check was in favor of al. Cook
and drawn by 7. w. Hood 4 Co. for
$21.5O on the Security Bank of Rich
mond. The check was duly deposited in
the First National Bank in this city to
the credit IF OversJreet Il Thurman and
was then sent to Richmond for collection.
When presented at the Security Bank
for payment the teller refused to pay it,
claiming that it was u forged check. 1t
was then taken to the ce of Messrs.
Hood & Co, who also saiu it was forged.
The check WAS thereupon protested and
sent back to this city
AS soon as Messrs. Ovcrstreet & Thur
man were informed that the check had
gone to protest and was said to ue forged,
they,wrote to Messrs Hood Il Co., and
yesterday they received the following an
swer, which explains itself:
Richmond, Va, Nov. 80, ~.
"MessrS. Overstreet s. Thurman, Roam
oke, Va.
Dear Sirs:-Your letter of the Goth is
received. We at one time had in our
employ man named Leslie Cook. We
have never seen him, and it is only con
lecture on our part that he is the party
-l,nI ,l,o \.
purnorting to have been signed 10y us
was drawn on the Lincoln National
Bank, OF Washington, and n number of
| checks have been drawn on the Securit
Bank of Richmond. If you would write
| to the CHER of police Mt Richmond giving
him full description Of the party who
negotiated the checks, you, perhaps,
might help to catch the swindler. The
! chief of police of Fredericksburg and the
chief Of police OF Richmond are doing all
they can to catch the party, and they he
lieve they now have II good description of
the man. AS we stated above we have
never seen the party, and know nothing
about him except that the checks are
forged. Yours truly,
w. /. HooD & CO."
A Times reporter having seen the
above letter on the fila at police head.
quarters about noon yesterday ut once set
forth TO find out all the particulars pos
sible and went immediately to Overstreet
| ~ Thurman's store. where he saw MIR.
Thurman. In reply to II question Mr.
Thurman said that he had known Rev.
! Mr.. Cook for some time, as they boarded
III the same house when Mr.. Cook had
charge of Il church here, and that it was
Rev. Leslie Cook who presented the check
and got the money. Mr.. Thurman then
| handed the check to he reporter and told
HIM to examine it. After looking at it
for some time he came 10 the conclns ion
that the handwriting on the face ard ell
dorsement Of the check was the same and
especially the name 81. Cook" on 10th
face and back.
Mr.. Thurman also stated that Mr.
Cook took supper at his boarding house
the night OF the day on which he cash cd
his check.
MIR. Cook has many warm friends 10
this city who will no doubt he both as,
tonished and grieved to hear or his down.
fall AS far as could I've asccrtaned Mr..
Cook has not at present, charge OF any
church ami it could not he learned where
he was living
OF course Mr. Cook may lie entirely in
noctnt in regard TO the forging OF the
check, but the fact that the writing oil
both the face and Endorsed name of the
check are Identical gives the affair n
mighty ngly look. The facts remain
however, that the check has been pro
nounced Il forgery; that Rev. MIR. Cook
cot the money on it, and that OverSireei
x Thurman are out OF pocket $2; 90
Mr. Cook may NOT only not have forged
the cneck. but he may not have known il
was forged when he uttered it,