The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-31
BARRETT'S BUSY DAY
THE FORGER GETS IN HIS WORK.
ON TWO MORE
GROCERS
EVIDENT WORK OF A GANG
Man Who SwindIed Merriam Park
Merchants Practices the Same
Game on Two Others
With Success.

John Hausener. grocer at 100 North
Dale street, and w. J. Moan 674 Grand
avenue. were yesterday cleverly SWIM
died by stranger by means of forged
checks, and there is no doubt that the
fraud was perpetrated by the men who
about two weeks ago vtctimized two
grocers in Merriam Park
The swindle was well conceived in one
way, but from another standpoint it was
clumsy in the extreme, as the operator
made no attempt to conceal his identity,
signing almost the same name to his
checks, as he did two weeks ago in the
Merriam Park district only the init a s
being different.
About 4:3O in the afternoon stylishly
dressed young man entered the store OF
w. j. Nolan, GA Grand avenue, and ask
ed If the proprietor had time to deliver
groceries to an address on Summit ave-
nue.. On being told that he had, he or
dered goods to the amount of about 80
and ordered them to be delivered to )
Summit avenue C. O. D. On second
thought, he said, he would pay cash, ard
pulled handful of loose silver from his
pocket, which proved to be little short
of the required amount
well, if you care to cash check,
can pay you anyway" he said, and the
unsuspecting dealer cashed one for SIG
signed by B. L. Barrett in favor of I'll
Hope, M. D., for services rendered." prop
erly Endorsed and made payable to
bearer
Then the smooth young man went over
to Mr.. Hausener's place, and asked the
same question Mr.. Hausener could also
deliver the goods in time, and an ord.r
amounting to $2.6S was quickly filed.
The customer appeared extremely fas-
tidious, and did to fancy the quality of
berries kept in stock However, ne
magnanimously agreed to waive his oh
jections on this score and said he would
take them anyway.
Send them c. o. D." he said ooh.
wait minute, I guess I'll pay for them
now" and the show Of counting his sill
Yer was repeated, and ended with the
production of check signed by B. L.
Barrett, in favor of H. Hope, NJ. D. I'm
pressed by the bearing of his customer
Mr. Hausener cashed the check and felt
happy over the promise of regular Gus
tom which the obf;g 'ng young man had
made He was tired of his regular
grocer, he said, and would have to make
a change, for a time at least
Half an hour later the boy returned
with the package of groceries with the
news that no order had been given from
that address, and with the further alarm
ing intelligence that his was the second
package arriving that day under similar
circumstances. Nolan was eommuni-
Gated with by telephone, and after COM
pairing notes the two dealers realized that
they had been done"
WORK OF A GANG.
Mr.. Hausener is firmly of opinion that
regularly organized gang is doing the
work, and gives his reasons as follows:
Shortly before the swindler came to
my store two young men drew UP in
front of my place in an automobile, and
asked for some gasoline. They said that
they had tried to purchase some at Dono-
hue's, on Grand avenue, but found that
he was trying to sell them some that was
half water and that they had had a row
there. l knew this was not true, as no
one dilutes gasoline with water but they
insisted that it was the case and bought
two gallons from me, paid for it, and
left the place. Almost before they were
through, the man who swindled me came
in and chatted with the automobile men
for a second and then turned to me.
This was done for effect 1 feel convinced,
and also [ distinctly remember seeing the
three together at different times in this
city. l was busy, and after what had
happened l did what l have never done
before-cashed check for stranger.
81 telephoned Donohue and discovered
that the men in the automobile had not
Deei To MS pIdce CldI AFTERNOON, anu CnSn
L felt sure that all of them were work
ing in collision"
Mr.. Hausener describes the swindler as
tall man, of dark complexion well
dressed, and about thirty years Of age
He is plausible, and talks as though
money is no object to him. He orders
nothing but the highest quality of goods,
and is fastidious to a degree. So far,
all his checks have been drawn ON the
First National bank of this city. In his
swindles two weeks ago he signed e.
B. Barrett" to the checks.