The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-08
AN ALLEGED FORGER
ARREST OF EMMETT c. GIBSON BY
THE POLICE OBJ NEW YORK.
Said to Be the Most Accomplished
Swtndler in the Country, and to
Have "WOrked" Prominent Men.

NEW YORK, Oct. THE police say that
Emmett c. Gibson, also known as George
A Sherin, who was arrested to-day and is
now prisoner at police headquarters is the
most accomplished bogus check and hotel
swindler in the country. Gibson, according
to the police, has succeeded by means of
forgery, bogus checks and dealing in stocks
and bonds and playing his wits on first
class hotel keepers during the last four
years in getting and spending in the neigh
borhood of 100000. Among his victims, ac-
cording to Police Captain McCluskey, are
Henry Clews and John Wanamaker
The police had been getting COM
plants from different first-class hotels
in this city for many days
back with bogus checks that were
laid down by Gibson ia payment of board
bills. The checks were honored in almost
every case, their worthlessness only COM
ing to light when he had made himself
scarce. Complaints reached headquarters
from the police of cities, both in the East
and the West, and the police recognized
Gibson's handlwork. Detectives were put ON
the Clews and they located Gibson
at the Hotel Barthodi. They did not find
him in when they went to the hotel yester-
day to bag the game. He was, however
found in the Grand Hotel. The detectives
saw a tall. slim. sharp-featured man, with
blue eyes, a high forehead and blonde
whiskers. He was we'll dressed and very
cool when the officers invited him to take
stroll to police headquarters, protesting
that the police had made a mistake. At
police headquarters he described himself as
Emmett c. Gibson, unmarried, thirty-nine
years old, of the Bartholdi Hotel, and a
nafiVa Of fbig a said no W. ctyfoa
president of the Akron Street-railway Com
pany, of Akron, o., lawyer, and once upon
a time judge in an Ohio town.
The specific complaint entered on the blot
ter against him was made by the auditor
of the Imperial Hotel. He alleges that Glib
son was a guest at the hotel on Aug. of
last year, and presented a worthless check
for 5000 in payment of a $3.50 board bill. Glib
son 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 Captain McCluskey.
1T was handsomely appointed. He talked
about his connection with the Akron Street
railway Company as winning card to gain
confidence. He won over even Mr.. Henry
Clews. In fact his office was next to Mr.
CleWs. When he had wormed himself into
Mr.. Clewss good graces, he calmly laid
down with him a 81 900 check. MI. ClewS
cashed it only to discover how worthless it
was but Gibson had gone. A paddock was
put on his Office door.
Mr.. Gibson met Mr.. Wanamaker in Phila-
delphia some time ago, and the dry goods
man attracted by him. Gibson sug-
gested a 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 | know. | have not yet
got a definite amount of Gihsons swindles
| am told that they will foot up more than
800 coo in four years, and he operated in
both the East and the West. Among the
hotels here. at which Gibson stopped and
presented his bogus checks. were the Meth
erlands, the Fifth-avenue and the Imperial
He beat the Hotel Netherlands out Of an $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 DILL he
managed to get 50 rebate and the Fifth
avenue saw him no more
Captain McClusky enumerates among the
hotels which have suffered from Gibson's
patronage the Parker House, Boston; the