Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-04-20
BOGUS CHECKS WERE GIVEN
Money Secured on Blanks of
the Equitable Trust Co.
NAME OF THOMAS DAVIS FORGED
Large Quantity of Wine Or
dered by SWindlers.


The police are investigating the work
Of check forgers. which for boldness
rivals anything of the kind that has
occurred in Wilmington for some time.
By using the name of Former Deputy
Attorney General Thomas Davis on
check forms of the Equitable Guarantee
and Trust CO., the forgers have sue
ceeded in realizing neat sum of
money. The checks were passed upon
William Alsentzer, wine merchant, at
No. 308 King street, and ID. Sustillo,
who also deals in wines at No. 519 Tat
nall street, the deception being so CON-
plete that there was very little reason
Tor believing that there was anything
wrong.
Three checks have come to light, and
II is believed there are more in exist
ence The writing, which appears to
be about the same on all three of the
checks, is in bold hand, and Chief of
Police Dolan thinks is the work of the
same person. Two were made payable
to Howard Crossan, one being for S43
and the other for 800, and were en-
dorsed by Crossan, although the police
do not know that there is such person
in the transaction, and the third, which
was for S2S, was made payable to Will
liam Reynolds, whose name appears on
the back. 1t is believed that the
writing is the work of a professional in
each case, as it is in business hand,
such as would not, under ordinary cir
cumstances excite suspicion. The name
OF Thomas Davis appears as the maker
in each case.
The Crossan checks, for $43 and 800
respectively. were passed upon William
Alsentzer, the King street wine mer
chant, on Saturday, in payment for s23
worth of wines which was ordered sent
to George Schaeffer's residence, No.
803 Jefferson street. As the checks
looked all right, Mr.. Alsentzer filled
the order and gave the supposed Gus
toner $40 in change.
On the same day wine worth about
s5 was ordered, presumably by the same
person, at Mr.. Sustillo's liquor store
on Tatnall street, the supposed pur-
chaser directing the goods to be sent to
Mr.. Schaeifer's s residence. Mr.. Sustillo
was not suspicious and gave 1922. 20 in
change, after accepting the Reynolds
check for 1923.
At each of the liquor stores the order
was carefully packed and sent to No.
SOB Jefferson street, as directed. When
the goods arrived at Mr.. Schaeffer's
house, between 5 and O'Clock in the
afternoon. Mr.. Schaeffer refused to ao-
cept them, saying he knew nothing
about any wine being ordered. The
wine was accordingly returned to the
stores from which it had been sent.
The storekeepers thought there must
he some mistake, but were not sus-
picious until after they had heard from
IL al l.. L.. L ur
the Equitable Guarantee and Trust Co.
The two checks received by Mr.. Absent
ger were sent to the trust company to
the one he received in his business.
AS soon as the checks reached the
banking house the attaches of the in
sttution saw at glance that they were
forgeries, as the writing was not in
Mr.. Davis hand, and no attempt had
been made, apparently, to initiate his
| handwriting. Mr.. Davis was notified
and after he had had conference with
the people at the bank the matter was
turned over to the police, who at once
began an investigation.
Mr.. Schaeffer was seen and stated
that the whole matter was mystery to
him. He knew nothing of the trans
action until the wine arrived at his
house in some unaccountable manner.
In fact, it was not plain to him until
be learned of the forgery, and he cannot
imagine why the goods should have
been ordered sent to his residence.
Mrs. Schaeffer, who was seen at her
residence on Tuesday, was also at a
loss to account for the fact that the
wine was sent to the house.
Mr.. Davis was seen at his office on
Tuesday by representative of The
Gazette. He has an account with the
Equitable Guarantee and Trust Co.,
but has no idea who has been using
his name or for what reason it was
used. The whole thing is as much a
Mystery to him as to the others who
We're seen.
1t is said that several bogus checks
were passed on different people last
week, but there appears to be no clue
to the forgers.