The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1901-06-06
officers of the County Asked to Arrest
Forgers who Secure Rich Booty
for Clever Work.
MERCHANTS ARE WCTIAIzED.
Forged Checks, Issued in the Name G
Roscoe Torrey. are cashed by Bank
and Business Men.

It was discovered this morning that
gang of shrewd forgers are at work
in the county and that the Stephenson
farm, with Roscoe Torrey as manager,
is the victim of the forgers. 1t is
not known how long the work has been
going on Or the amount that has been
realized on the forged paper, but it is
| feared that the sum will be considera-
bic. The first discovery of the trouble
was made Monday, when Frank Sym
monds, of Pleasant Prairie, went to
the farm to pay for some cattle which
he had purchased. He rendered in pay
ment for the cattle check supposed
to have been issued by Mr.. Torrey to
Herman Stork which had been cashed
by Symmonds. Mr.. Torrey at once de-
clared that the check was a forgery
and refused to honor it. This started
an investigation which showed that
the man or men had done most e1ab-
crate business IN the false check line
and many people in the county have
been caught on the forged orders for
money.
The forgery is a splendid one and
the way was made more easy for the
forgers from the fact that in some
manner they managed to get hold of
Autographed check book which was
the property of Mr.. Torrey. 1t seems
that they also had check which had
been signed by the young lady who
has charge of the books at the farm,
and the forgeries show that the work
was carefully done and the imitation
of the writing of the bookkeeper is so
good as to almost defy detection. At
the same time every little popularity
in. the making out of the checks was
closely followed so that the checks had
every appearance of being genuine.
When the first forged check was dis
covered an investigation was at once.
begun and the matter reported to the
police. AS near as can be determined
twelve checks had been taken from the
Iycheckbook, and it is feared that the
men have been able to make away
with quite SUM of money collected
on this paper. ese AZ has ssy.,
Two checks, supposed to have been
| forgeries, are now held at the bank,
having been cashed there Monday.
The bank officials, however, will not
admit that these checks are forgeries
1 until after they have been submitted
to Mr.. Torrey for his decision. The
amounts of these checks are not large,
land it is evident that the fellows
thought they had a good thing and
were opposed to working it too strong.
Most of the checks are thought to
have been cashed by men IN the
:. county, but the men invaded Kenosha
Monday evening and went to the dry
! goods store of William Fisher. Here
they made a small purchase and pre-
sented a check for $25. The book
keeper and clerks at the Fisher store
had cashed several checks from the
Stephenson farm and they never ques-
ltioned the Stork check, supposing that
he was one of the men employed on the
farm.
/ IT is quite certain that Stork had
some assistants IN his crime, as other
checks are made out in other names,
but it is also evident that all were
made out by the same party. Those
cashed at the bank were not payable to
Stork, but the officials there refused to
give out the names of the men who had
cashed them.
It is claimed that the men were IN
Kenos1a Monday morning and secured
a rig from Henry Brothers livery
stable to go out into the country and
it is supposed that they made round
of all the stores and got rid of all the
checks. The police have an excellent
/, desert ption of the men wanted, but as
yet they have not been able to locate
them.
Up to 3 O'Clock this afternoon the
following checks have been cashed and
all are thought to be forgeries with the
possible exception of the checks cashed
at the bank:
Check cashed by William F. Fisher,
SIS.
Check cashed by Casper LANCER, of
Pleasant Prairie, $3.50.
Check cashed by Frank Symmonds,
of Pleasant Prairie, SIP.
Check cashed by First National
Bank, $3.50.
Check cashed by First National
Bank, SIS.