The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-30
FOUR FIRMS SUFFER-
QUARTETTE OF ST. PAUL MER-
CHANTS VICTIMIZED BY FORG-
ED PAY CHECKS.
AMOUNTS WERE NOT LARGE.
PAPER PURP0RTED TO BE THAT
OF THE RRAINERD & NORTH
ERN RAILWAY,
DRAWN ON MINNEAPOLIs DANK.
Fclrgeries Were CIeverIy Executed,
and the Police Think We're
Work of an Expert.

One of the smoothest forgers operat-
ing in ST. Paul in some time victimized
four leading firms Saturday afternoon
within half an hour, realizing by his
fraudulent transactions about S99
From the nature of the checks passed
it is thought he is an expert. In each
store he IAN the gauntlet of suspicion
but clever1y met all questions and sue
ceeded in getting cash for his worth
less paper Three of the firms cashed
checks for $3.50 each, and one for
$2460.
The checks offered were not the reg
uJation bank check, but purported to
be pay checks issued by the Brainerd
&, Northern Minnesota railroad, and
OH the National Bank of Commerce, Of
Minneapolis, a fact which made their
passage easier, as the forger represent
ed himself to be an engineer in the
employ of this road. They were we'll
executed Autographs, bearing the name
Of the road and the signature of e. P.
Wells, as president, and were made
payable to Albert E. Miller, whom the
swindler represented himself to be.
When called upon to indorse the checks
he did so in hand apparently dis
guised and which, on examination, is
thought to be the same that filled out
the amounts and executed the writing
on the face of the instruments, leading
the authorities to the belief that the
fCrger is an adept. He may have had
the blank checks printed or may have
stolen them from the railroad com
pany with the intention of wholesale
sWindling.
Selecting Saturday afternoon, when
the banks were closed, the forger Wis
tied the different stores, making small
purchases and rendering the checks in
payment. When questioned. he ex-
planned that the checks represented his
weeks wages, and related his inability
to get them honored in Minneapolis,
quite frankly giving a fictitious ad-
dress in this city, where he claimed to
be living with his father at 9l9 Walker
avenue He said he had been in the
employ of the railroad for several
years, that he was well known in this
city, and was so unconcerned by the
danger Of arrest threatening him In
the question that finally each OF the
victims concluded the checks were
picion that the vouchers were worth
less was entertained by the houses
which had honored them until yester-
day, when, after passing through the
clearing house of both cities, they were
pronounced forgeries.
The plan of drawing the checks on
| Minneapolis bank and cashing them II
| this city is considered evidence Of
skilled forger, as by this means sew
eral days must have elapsed before
the swindle could be discovered. The
man representing himself as Albert %
Miller was young and well dressed
wearing a light suit of clothes, brown
| fall overcoat and brown derby hat
! slight and dapper in appearance an6
light complexioned, being smooth shaw
Ell. He was a fluent talker, and SC
! thoroughly clever that he was an OBJ
| ject of suspicion only in that all bust
| ness houses are in the habit of investi
| eating to certain extent before cash
| ing checks for strangers. The forgeries
were reported to the police who ascer
tanned that there is no such address
on Walker avenue as given by thu
| sWindler