The Indianapolis journal., 1899-11-15
known as A. j. Whiteman, Frank Ed
munds, John Thompson, II. j.
knox and Charles Stewart.
SOME ARE PRISON GRADUATES
AND OTHERS HAVE UNSERVED SEN
FENCES HANGING OVER THEM.
Career Of Whiteman, a College Man,
Who Squandered S5OO,OOO Before
Beginning His Criminal Career.

NEW YORK, Nov. 14-There is at police
headquarters here a quartet of prisoners in
whom the police of almost every large
American city and many of the leading
business houses, banks and trust compa-
nies have a deep interest. They were
rounded up after being watched for several
months, and were formally held by police
magistrate to-day on the nominal charge
Of being suspicious persons. The police of
New York say that most OF them have been
convicted here and elsewhere of swindlng
that has netted them many thousand Of
dollars. The prisoners are:
ALONZO ]. WHITEMAN, thirty-nine
years old, Of Danville, n. Y, the alleged
head of the gang. He is a graduate Of CO.
| lumbia Law School
FRANK EDMUNDS, forty years old.
| clerk. Of New York.
JOHN THOMPSON, alias William Hart
| ley, alias p Lawton, alias DR.. George w.
| Johnson, thirty-one years Of age, clerk,
residence unknown.
ROBERT ]. KNOX, forty-two years old.
| lawyer, of New York.
There is under arrest at Pittsburg a fifth
member of the gang, Charles D. Stewart,
| alias Charles Ward. about sixty or seventy
years of age. He was arrested there yes
! terday.
| According to the statement given out to-
night by Captain McCluskey, chief of de-
tectives, Hartley. under the name Of DR..
| George w. Johnson, entered into negotia-
| tions with the real estate firm Of John +.
| Ames & Son, in Brooklyn. for the purchase
| of a $4,000 house. "Dr. Johnson" said re
would pay IS, 900 down and would carry the
! remaining $500 on a first mortgage. In ne
| gotiating with the Central Trust Company
| of Brooklyn regarding the interest on the
| mortgage, "Dr. Johnson" managed to Sc
| cure $3.50 on a fraudulent check from the
| company, he having deposited a draft for
| $1,000 drawn on the Hoboken Loan & Saw
ings Institution. This was one Of many
similar cases, Captain McCluskey says, that
Hartley will have to answer for.
A FLOOD OF BOGUS DRAFTS.
Several months ago a man claiming to be
| W. L. Howe, cashier of the National Bank
| of Lawrence, n. Y, ordered ten thousand
drafts of a certain design from a firm Of
| photographers in this city and paid for them
In cash. They were sent to him "Care of
Mrs whiteman, Danvile, N. Y" A few
days later North river ferryboat deck
| hand found one of the books of drafts in the
river. and the book was sent to a detective
|
| gan to pour in from all over the country.
They were all made on these forms and
drawn on the National Bank of Lawrence,
N Y. Investigation by the police traced
them back to whiteman, who lived with
his mother in Danville. n. Y. There, it is
| alleged, he formulated the plans and his
tools all over the country carried them out.
Another alleged swindling operation, re-
counted by Captain McCluskey, occurred on
Oct. last The First National Bank of
| Woonsocket, r. l., paid 5000 on a ten
| thousand-dollar worthless draft drawn by
the Lawrence National Bank, OF Lawrence.
Kan, on the First National Bank of New
York city. This deal, the police state, was
operated by Charles E. Stewart, alias
Charles Ward, aided by Edmunds. Thomp-
son and Knox, and directed from Danville
by Whiteman.
After this money was secured the gang
except Whiteman, went to Pittsburg, where
the next victim, the Tradesman's National
Bank, was to be worked. The scheme there
according TO the police. was to deposit S1oot
in cash, TO open an account and give the
gang a standing. This was done. A bogus
draft for $1,000 was to follow, and then an
effort made to draw 5000. Stewart. alias
Ward, was TO Go the work. He is gray and
venerable. The bank officials were notified
by the police and plans were made for the
arrest of the entire gang when they came
on Monday to draw the $1,000 The plans
miscarried and Stewart alone was caught
The other three escaped to New York. Pitts.
burgs police wired Captain McCluskey and
the men were caught soon after arriving
here.
WHITEMAN'S ARREST.
1 y,
this city on Saturday last, was arrested al
the Hotel st. Marc, on Fifth avenue. where
he had registered as &C. w. Caldwell. o.
Philadelphia He had been sending invi
tations to himself by telephone and tele
graph to occupy a box at the horseshov
and to dine at various prominent clubs
Chief of Detectives McCluskey says White
man is wanted in Chicago, where he wa!
tried a year ago for grand larceny anC
| sentenced 10 serve two and one-half years
he having jumped his bail when he learned
that the Illinois Court of Appeal had af
firmed his sentence. He will be turned
over to the Chicago police, who are believed
to be on their way here already.
The police records in this city charg,
Whiteman with swindling several hotels IL
this city. the Grand Pacific Hotel in Chicago
in May, 1898, the Parker House, Boston, II
June. 1855. and the Isleworth Hotel, In AT
lantic City, in August of the same year.
Thompson will be tried here for swindlinl
the Central Trust Company. of Brooklyn
Among his operations the police credit hin
with swindling the Hollywood Hotel, Lon.
Branch; the Narragansett Hotel, Provi
dence. r. l.; the Russell House, Detroit
and the Spalding Hotel, Duluth.
!; Edmunds will be sent to Woonsocket, II
AL probability. to stand trial with Stewar