The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-30
SEVEN BAD CHECKS
GEORGE ID. WINFREE rs ARRESTED
CHARGED WITH FORGERY
ON WIDE LINES.
WHAT POLICE SAY HE SAYS.
HE PASSED THE CHECKS TO GET
MONEY TO BUY SOMETHING
TO EAT. =
HAD NO MONEY IN THE BANK
On Which He Made Checks In His
Own Name-Easy Way to Get
Cash.

young man giving the name Of
George D. Winfree, claiming to be
stranger in the city, is locked up at
the central station upon his own con-
fession Of having passed seven forged
checks upon local merchants Friday
and Saturday evenings of last week.
The checks were for small sums, the
largest being for $40. The young man
was arrested yesterday afternoon by
Detective Wells, while endeavoring to
pass another forged check upon local
dry goods house. One of the firm be-
came suspicious of the prisoner after
refusing to cash $40 check and tele-
phoned to the Second National bank,
upon which all of the forged paper
is drawn. The bank in answer to the
inquiry stated that no account was
carried by George D. Winfree and an
effort was made to detain the young
man While the police were notified.
Winfree scented danger and after
waiting few moments went hurriedly
across the street to the post office. De-
tective Wells reached the store at about
the time of his departure and followed
Winfree to the federal building, where
he was placed under arrest. At the
station the young fellow made no at
tempt to deny his guilt and freely adj
mitted having procured money from
different merchants to a total Of $54.50.
Winfree is of pleasing appearance
and intelligent address. He claims this
is his first misstep to which, he says,
ne was driven by lack Of employment
and necessity Of food. His methods
were similar in every case where he
cashed checks. He made a small pur-
chase in each store, rendering the
forged check and receiving the article
and change. One Of the checks has
not yet come to light, but it is estimat-
ed that the prisoner secured less than
SIS. He tried to pass checks in a num-
Der of places where his efforts were
unsuccessful. In every case where he
secured money Winfree is said to have
represented himself as an Odd Fellow.
At the station he denied being affiliated
with the order, but his victims say he
is undoubtedly familiar with its secrets
as in several places when the forged
checks were refused Winfree asked for
employees who were Odd Fellows and
through his representations was Vouch-
ed for as brother. When searched
at the station half a dozen filled out
checks were found in Winfrees pos
session. All OF these purpoft TO nave
been drawn either by K. M. Murphy
or J. E. Harper, in favor of George D.
Winfree.
The prisoner refuses to tell where he
lives, saying his parents are unable to
assist him in his present difficulty and
that he wishes to spare them the
knowledge of his arrest. He says he
is booklleeper and clerk and that he
has been out Of employment since June
last. He claims to have worked in the
harvest fields this fall and to have
reached st. Paul Friday. He says he
spent the day trying to find work Of
any kind without success. When night
came, he said, he had been without
food all day and in desperation forged
and passed three checks Finding this
manner of obtaining money so easy he
employed it again Saturday, and like
wise tried the same plan yesterday.
He will be arraigned in the municipal
court today.