The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-30
BOLD YOUNG FORGER.
Only Eleven Years Old and Passed
seven Forged Checks.


Although only II years of age. Will
liam W. O'Callaghan of Atlanta has
within the last three weeks successfully
passed seven forged checks in sums
aggregating $125. He was arrested yes
terday by Detective Stark upon tcie-
graphic instructions from the chief of
police of Macon. Five of the forged
checks, amounting to $95, were passed
in that city.
The youngster lived with his parents
on Young street, in Atlanta, until three
weeks ago, when he forged two checks
for SIS each and went to Dublin. He
is a bright boy and writes a clear
hand in the vertical style. In Atlanta
he became friendly with telegraph
messenger boy, and says that the lad
employed by the Western Union Com
pany as a messenger first put him on
to the easy manner in which he could
take in money. Both he and tile mes
senger forged checks in Atlanta and
left in different directions. The ines
senger boy has never. been arrested.
O'Callaghan went by the name of VIII
lie Robinson and played his game
heavily in Macon. An account of the
passing of the worthless checks was
given in the Geographic columns of the
Morning News yesterday.
With plenty of money in his pocket
in Macon and an apparently easy way
of getting more, the boy made several
purchases before coming to this cry.
He bought a chainless wheel, watch
and chain and a ticket to New York,
via the Ocean Steamship Company
Line. The boy then purchased ticket
to this city and arrived Wednesday
evening. The Central agent at Ma
con had wired Mr.. w. G. Brewer and
asked him to look out for the young
ster upon his arrival. The railroads
passenger and ticket agent at this point
had a man at the depot to meet OCal-
laghan, and he was shown to the Pu-
laski House, where he was to have re-
manned until the departure of the New
York steamer. During the morning
Mr.. Brewer received a telegram ask
ing that he inform Supt. Reilly of the
whereabouts of the boy.
O'Callaghan had purchased another
wheel from T. A. Bryson and offered to
sell one of them to Mr.. Brewer. The
railroad man agreed to make the pur-
chase and made an engagement with
the youngster. Supt. Reilly was noti-
fed at once. and the matter was placed
in the hands of Detective Stark. That
officer waited for the boy to show up
to complete his trade with Mr.. Brewer
and then placed him under arrest. lie
hardly changed the expression on
his face and accompanied the detec-
tive to police headquarters without a
whimper. After he had been searched
and placed in the big room on the sec
ond floor of the station house the JuV-
emile prisoner had brief crying spell.
Later he held up his head and talked
freely to superintendent Reilly and the
detective. He admitted all of his crimes
and seemed unconcerned about his fu-
ture.
He declared that $50 of the money
that he had gotten by means of the
forged checks he had buried at the root
OF a tree in Dublin. The exact location
of the tree was given, and the authori ..
ties at that point have been asked to
try and locate the money. A check for
$25 to which he had signed the name
of D. H. Clark was found on the boy
when arrested. He stated that he saw
the Bryan street lawyers office sign,
and decided to forge his name to the
check. He had made no effort as yet
to cash the paper, but would have done
so before his departure for the North.
Both of O'Callaghan's parents are
living, and his father is employed as
a Waterman by the Southern Railway.
The father has already paid the $50 OBJ
tanned on the two worthless checks
floated in Atlanta, and there will be
no prosecution there. The boy expects
tc have matters arranged, and says
that he will return home and behave
himself. He wanted to go to New York,
he claims, to see relatives.
Detective Jenkins of the Ma
con police department, arrived over the
Central for the young forger, and left
for that city with him last night. The
officer is of the opinion that because
of his youth the prosecution will be
dropped.