The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-07-18
WOULDN'T WORK.
Money Order Department Has
Narrow Escape From Fraud.

Shortly before time for the money
order department at the postofhce to
close last Saturday afternoon a nan ap-
peared at the window and presented a
money order for $40 for payment. 1t had
been sent from Douglas, Butler county.
to George NJ. Wallace, and specified To-
peka as the paying Office. The post
office advice which is sent to the
postmaster of the paying office, showed
that the order was sent by George Rose
The man claimed that he was Wallace
and got John McLucaS, who runs a res
taurant at 424 Kansas avenue, to iden-
tify him. He also showed a telegram
from George Rose, the sender, telling
him that the money order had been sent.
Wallace said he had received the letter
containing the money order just a few
minutes before.
AS the mans representations and
identification appeared to be correct the
order was paid, but a few minutes later
Postmaster Guthrie received a telegram
from Rose telling him not to cash the
order. Judge Guthrie Immediately dis
money order department, after both
Wallace and McLucas, who had not
gone far, and they promptly returned
I have just received a telegram" said
Judge Guthrie to Wallace, ''instructing
me not to cash that money order. want
you to pay that money back"
Wallace did as ordered without a muir
muir, and received his money order in
return. Judge Guthrie supposed that
was the end of the matter and he let it
drop after notifying Rose of the Incl
dent.
Wallace, however went to A. SamuePs
clothing store and picked out an 81
suit of clothes. 1t was then past time
for closing the money order department
at the postohice and he offered the
money order in payment. To prove his
identity he showed the telegram ne had
received from Rose and also the letter
in which the order had come. Mr.. Sam
would taken
paid Wallace the S29 difference, but
luckily for him he did not have SUI
ficient change to do so. Wallace said
he had to have the suit and a little
change and if Samuels would let him
have the suit and a little money he
would leave the money order and cash
at at the pOstofi1ce on Monday. Samuels
agreed and gave him $3.50 in addition to
the suit.
Mr.. Samuels waited all day yesterday
for the supposed Wallace to turn up.
but he saw nothing of him. Last even
ing he presented the money order in
person at the postofice and then learned
to his sorrow that payment on it had
Postmaster Guthrie today received q
letter from Rose stating that after he
had sent the money order to Wallace
at Topeka he learned that the real Wsv-
lace was at Hope in Dickinson county.
He had then telegraphed the postoffice
here to stop the payment OF the order
Mr.. Rose did not state why he did this
out ne eNlQenLly suspected that some
one other than Wallace would get the
order and try to cash it. Rose said he
thought the man who tried to cash the
order was really named McCune.
Mr.. McLucas states that the alleged
Wallace has been taking his meals at
his restaurant since the middle of last
week and he has known him as Wallace
so that he had no hesitation in Identify
ing him. He is glad that his identifca-
ton worked no more harm than il did
Judge Guthrie now thinks that the
imposter knew that Rose intended to
send money here to Wallace and that
Wallace would be somewhere else: that
he obtained the telegram intended for
Wallace and also secured Wallace's mail
at the general delivery window at the
postoffice. IN this way it was very
easy to identify himself as Wallace. and
had it not been for the telegram from
Rose stopping payment on the order, his
scheme would have succeeded