Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-07-24
POS|0FF|C[ SN|NDL|NGG
A Smooth colored Man Buys
Money Orders Here and Raises
Them in Des Moines.
Succeeds in Securing Face VAL
ue and Making $40 on Each
-Four Victims.
Man Is Not Known to the Local
Postoffice Officials = Is a
Clever Game.


postotficc swindling brought to light
in Iowa for I; number of years, is re
/ ported from Des MoineS. MarShall-
town is interested in that the money
orders, for 80 cents, afterwards raised
to $10.5o and their values secured i'll
| Des Moines, We're purchased here. The
this morning tells of the details OF the
case as follows:
The Des Moines business men dur
ling the past week have been treated
to Il new swindIe. They have been
taken in on raised postotlice money
orders a coored man who gave his
name as William Wilson and William
Garter did the business. His plan
showed cunning. In the swindling line
! it is :; new departure for this locality.
1t is the first time local business men
have had reason to suspect the gen
uineness of Il money order.
Garter or Wilson was in MARSHALL
town Il few days ago, and while there
he purchased money orders on the Des
Moines postoftice. How many he Sc
cured is not known, but so far four
orders have turned up. He went to
the office at Marshalltown and signed
the application first as William Garter
and purchased a money order payable
to William Wilson. Then he went as
William Wilson and bought an order
payable to William Carter. He contin-
ued his process until he secured four
or more money orders, all for fifty
cents. All We're drawn against the Des
Moines postoftice.
Garter then directed letters to Will
liam Carter and to William Wilson in
city, in which he stated Enclosed YOU
will find money order for $1,000 | owe
YOU" etc. After doing this he used an
acid to remove the ink line drawn thru
the blank. leaving a clear space in the
center, and in this he wrote the word
Ten" on each of the orders so that
it would appear that the money order
was for $1,000 instead of for so cents.
The letters With money orders raised
We're mailed and coming to this city
Carter or Wilson went to the general
delivery and secured them.
Last Friday evening he purchased
pair of trousers at the retail store of
the Glasgow Wooden Mills, 40 West
Walnut street, and when he came to
pay told the clerk that he did not have
any money, but that he had a money
order for $1,000. With this he produced
the order and the letter and handed ii
over. The clerk read the letter and
looked ut the money order 1t looked
all right and he received the trousers
and IS in change. The Glasgow people
banked the money order and it was not
discovered that it had been forged un-
til it was presented at the postoffice
money order department for payment
Later in the evening the colored
man went to a second hand man named
Cohen on West Third street. He told
him that he was anxious to get out of
town, but that he could not go unless
he could get a money order cashed. He
said that he had an order for $1,000 and
produced it and the letter accompany-
ing it. This one was made payable to
William Carter.s He told Cohen he
would give it to him for $3.50. Cohen
was willing. but did not have the mon
sey. He had friend, tho, who would
like to make dollar easy, and so he
accompanied the colored fellow to j.
Levett's loan office at West Third and
Walnut. Levett looked oyer the letter
and money order and cashed it.
Later in the evening, Wilson showed
up at the second hand store of NJ. Lee
gich, at 222 West Walnut street and
made small purchase. This time he
presented a letter addressed to Wilson,
in which was one of the raised money
orders in payment. A clerk looked it
over and thought it all right. He got
little over 50 here.
"rhe same day he visited another
secondhand store in the same neigh
borhood. where he bought merchandise
worth rs cents and secured 500 on the
raised money order.
1.-The postal authorities are expecting
more forged orders to turn up. They
have reason to believe that he bought
orders at other points than MARSHALL
town with the intention of working
them off in the same way. They are
satisfied that he has concluded his Ia
bors in Des Moines and that if more
raised orders are passed they will be
heard from at other points.
THE fellow either has a confederate
or is very cunning. for the victims say
the letter was written in a scrawling,
illiterate hand, while the letters insert
ed by him in the raised order are good
limitations of the handwriting of the
postal clerks who issued the orders.
He is described as Il very black ne
gro. about five feet eight inches in
height, weight about $50 pounds,
dressed in neat black suit with an inn
itation Panama hat white shirt, turn
down collar and black string tie. He
was of good address and looked fairly
prosperous.
.'Postoffice Inspector Stewart is
working on the case, but as yet has not
succeeded in securing a clue that Will
aid him in locating the Whereabouts of
the man
Deputy Postmaster Mcfarland was
seen this morning concerning the local
phase of the case and said that col
ored man giving the name of Henry |
Miller called at the office on July ), and |
purchased two money orders for 80 |
cents each. made payable to George
Watson and William Carter. He gave
his address as the Pilgrim. On inquiry
il was found that nothing of suchaa I
person WAS known at the hotel. \ few
days after the orders had been Issued
from the local office inquiry was re-
ceived from Des Moines requesting fur
Their information regarding the orders.
which We're presented there calling for
$lO.50. ON July Z a negro was arrested