The evening times., 1899-06-14
A CLEVER SWWDLE
WORKED ON BANKS
The Alleged Scheme of Mar
win G. Sperry.
Police Claim That He Has a Bad
Record
His Supposed AccOmpIice, Mrs. Mar
Earet W. Warreli. Turned Over
to the Marshal.

The arrest OF Marvin G. Sperry here last
| week and the subsequent developments in
his case. have brought to the attention of
schmes that has ever been worked in
Washington and il is said that sperry and
his alleged partner in crime. Mrs. Mar
garet W. Warreil. have followed the plan
in almost every large city in the East.
Mrs. WarreiI, II will be remembered. was
apprehended in Philadelphia on the same
day that Sperry was arrested in this city
and was turned over to the United States
Marshal for the District of Columbia yes
terday afternoon. at his office in the City
Hall. TIE pair are said to be well known
throughout the country for their alleged
swindling operations and the police are
very much elated over having both of them
in custody.
The scheme they are claimed TO have
worked consisted in the uttering of bogus
checks in such a manner that by the time
their wrongdcings could become kno-n
they would have had time to put hundreds
OF miles between themselves and the Off
GERS CT the law. II is claimed by the police
that the woman would draw a check on
some bank and turn it over to the man.
He would then deposit the check In another
bank with small cash addition and would
draw the entire sum represented by the
money and checks in small amounts In
this way the checks he would give would
be of a genuine character. but those on de-
posit were bogus II would require some
little time for the banks to discover that
they had been beaten and in the interval
the swindlers would escape. The scheme
was one OF the easiest TO work that has
been brought to the attention of the police
for some time and it is claimed that large
sums were realized and many banks vic
tinizsj by it.
Sperry was arraigned in the Police
Court yesterday but owing to the fact
that Mrs. Warrell could not be brought TO
the city until late in the afternoon the
case was continued until Friday, when a
number of witnesses will be summoned
from other cities to appear for the prose-
cution. 1t is said that at the time OF her
capture in Philadelphia Mrs. Warrell told
the police all about the scheme she and
Sperry had been working. and further re-
veaied 10 them her connection with me af-
fair. She is said to have a very question
able reputation in Philadelphia. where she
has lived for some time. II is also al
legged that she has been arrested there
several times for shoplifting and for vari-
Gus other offences. but in some manner
Always managed TO escape the penalty
like reputation is said to be borne By
Sperry, who is very well known among
the influential politicians of Pennsylvania.
1t is said that when his paper. The New
Age" was first published. he was ''infiu-
enced" to support the machine. This was
done in the first issue. 1t is claimed. but
when the second edition came from the
press the editor was strongly endorsing the
opposition candidate. 1t is also claimed
that Sperry operated extensively among the
clothiers and merchants of Philadelphia.
He is said to have opened accounts at all
of the principal stores in the city and to
have purchased large bills of goods on
credit. These goods. it is said. he would
sell. and live on the proceeds. Several
times. the police allege, he has teen Obliged
to leave Philadelphia. but he always came
back after the affair had been adjusted.
and went on with his schemes as though
nothing had happened.