Omaha daily bee., 1897-08-22
uIcycLE THIEF AND FoRGER.
4. n. smith Confesscs 60 Being Much
More Than Common Thief.

More Than Common Thief.
Special Oflcer shoop made a good catch
Friday afternoon Yhen he arrested man
who gave the name Of A. II. Smith. Ac-
cording TO his own confession, the prisoner
is a bicycle thief and forger on very
large scale He has admitted that in few
hours Friday he opened an account at
bank with a forged check for S225, real
lied $3.50 in cash from this account and
stole six bicycles. In addition to this he
has confessed to similar extensive opera
tions at other points
Friday six bicycles were stolen from
the New York Life building. Four OF these
belonged to c. A. Goss, w. A. DeBord
Charles S. Lcbingier and o. C, Olson, all
of whom Office in the building. The police
have mot yet secured the names of the
owners Of the other two wheels. Smith
Grated three OF the wheels and shipped
them to an auction dealer in Kansas City,
but they were stopped on the way and were
brought back, Two Of the others he sold
to pawnbrokers, and the third he disposed
Of in a Douglas street auction house.
Goes reported his loss to Officer Shoop and
the latter located the wheel in pawnshop.
He secured a description of the man who
sold it, and later picked him up on the
street The arrest was made just in time,
for the prisoner admits that he intended to
leave the city last night When he was
of A. r. Smith but he has been known in
the city as George B. Barnes. He has been
here since last May and has lived in a nat
at Twenty fourth and Farnam streets. He
has been occupying. the position OF law etu-
dent in the office of W. II. DeFrance.
Yesterday Smith, or Barnes, not only
admitted the theft of the bicycle, but also
confessed to a forgery he committed Fri
day. He forged the name of Henry Good
man to a check for S225 the First Ma
81 bo nd dpppsited II in the CONNER
cial National bank. Upon THE account ne
later drew a check for $3.50 in favor or
James f.. Boyd and received the money lie
also purchased $50 worth of mileage from
the Chicago, Burlington e. Quincy railroad
with another check on this account, He also
confessed to some Gorgeries he committed
in Doylestown, Pa, his home town. He sald
he forged his unces names to two notes,
one for $3.50 and the other for Sl5O. He also
forged another mans name to note Tor
$50 and forged signatures to four notes of
$35 each. All of this paper was passed upon
the First National bank Of Nurtown, Pa,
seventeen miles from Doylestown. The pris-
oner's work smooth in these opera
tions that some of the notes were renewed
three times. He was threatened with eX-
posure last May however, and he therefore
departed for the west.
Barnes says he makes this confession be-
| cause he desires to be taken to his home for
trial He has wife and a son years of age
there and also a host OF friends. His de-
sires in this regard are not likely to be full
| filled, however as the local police are de-
termined to prosecute him here for his oper-
atons in this city. de asserts that he has
confessed to all the criminal work he has
done but the police doubt this statement,
| They say that they have found evidence in
| the prisoners documents which shows that he
| is an expert bicycle thief even If he has
committed no other forgeries. Among other
things he had list of auction dealers, par
ticuarly these handling bicycles, in all the
large cities of the country. 1t Is believed
that he has been sending to these dealers
stolen bicycles from various points, just
he sent the three to the Kansas City dealers
from this city yesterday. He also had in
his possession a check of $3.50 from an auc-
tioneer in Trenton, N. j., and another for
S1OO from a New York dealer These
checks are supposed to have been the pro-
ceeds from bicycles sent to the dealers.
In his work the prisoner has apparently
| found it necessary to change his name fire.
quently. as letters were found cn him ad-
! dressed to Barnes, Smith, Wyland, Brown
and Bennett When arrested the prisoner
| had on his person 5000. The parties
| who suffered from his forgery operations
| have attached this money. ..
| 1t was later learned that Barnes had also
| done some criminal work in Philadelphia.
! In that city he some time ago bought a
| couple of watches with forged checks. One
| of the watches was on his person at the
| pawned the other in Salt Lake, where. 1t
is said, he before he came to this city.
He also stole a bicycle in Philadelphia. This
| wheel is stored here.
Late yesterday afternoon the prisoner was
arraigned before Judge Gordon cn seven
different informatiCns. One of these charged
| him with forgery, and the other six with the
| grand larceny of bicycles, each valued at
| $50. The latter informations were sworn to
| by the following attorneys, all of whom
| Office in the New York Life building: NJ. A.
| Hall N. c. Platt. Charles s. Lobingler, W.
| A. DeBord. c. A. GosS and o. c. Olson
| Barnes waived examination in each case and
was held under $500 to the district court
| on each.