Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-07-29
A SLICK ARTICLE.
L. o. Hoffman, the Alleged Hotel
SwindIer, Under Arrest.
Story Of His Dealings from the At :
lantic to the Pacific.

Yesterdays Journal contained the
story of the arrest of L. o. Hoffman in
San Francisco Cal, and his arraign-
ment before the Springfield, Mass, po-
lice court, on the charge of larceny.
The Springfield Daily Union of Friday
last contained the following detailed
story Of the manner in which he was
apprehended, which cannot fail to be
of interest hereabouts, inasmuch as
Hoffman. under the name of Walter
Bartlett. some months ago secured s14S
from j. p. Merrill of Hotel North in
the same manner pursued by him in
other places:
After a journey of more than 5000
miles, during which they twice crossed
the continent, Assistant Marshal
Charles M. Wright and Inspector John
Boyle returned, this morning, from San
Francisco, bringing with them John B.
Black. alias l.. 0. Hoffman, who has
been identified as the man who OBJ
tanned from three of the leading hotels
i'm this city various sums of money by
means of worthless checks. With the
party came Daniel p Leary, clerk in
Cooleys hotel, who made the trip to
identify Hoffman. The party reached
this city at sos o'clock, coming over
the Boston &, Albany, and was at once
driven to headquarters, where Black,
or Hoffman, was placed in one of the
detention rooms.
Hoffman, for that is the name under
which the man viii be brought to trial.
was arraigned before Judge BoSworth
this morning, on three counts of lar
Geny The offences are alleged to have
been committed on April p, by means
of worthless checks and forged letter
of credit of the Hotel Keepers Pro-
tective Association. The man who pre-
sented the checks secured from Cooley's
hotel the sum of S1S6 under the name
of L. o. Hoffman,: from the Worthy
hotel $l73, under the name of Albert
Perrin, and from the Massasoit house
the sum of s1S4, under the name of Fl.
s. Johnson.
Atty. Wallace r. Heady appeared for
Hoffman. this morning. He entered
plea of not guilty to each of the three
charges, and argued that $3.50 or $500
for each charge would be reasonable
sum at which to fix the bail. Atty. Z.
C. Spellman, who appears for the Com
monwealth, asked that bail be fixed at
$1,000 in each case. Judge Bosworth
finally placed the bail at S2100, or $500
for each count, and continued them
until Thursday, July 81, for hearing.
Hoffman was unable to secure a bonds
man, this morning, and was committed
to Jail in default. He was driven down
in the police buggy, being guarded by
Inspector GUILTY.
Inspector Boyle detailed to a half
dozen reporters, this morning, the story
of his trip. The trip out, begun June
25. was without incident.
Beginning with the arrival in San
Francisco. the inspector said: I'VE
reached San Francisco at Ais O'Clock
in the afternoon of June 30, and pro-
ceeded at once to the Hall of Justice
There we found J. B. Black, who was
positively identified by Mr.. Leary as
the man who, under the name of L.
o. Hoffman. had passed worthless
check at Cooley's hotel.
Hoffman was arrested in San Fran
cisco on June IS. charged with passing
a forged check on a jeweler. The check
was for 500 and was rendered in ex-
change for a pair of cuff buttons. The
notified the police and the man was
traced to the Palace hotel, searched
and the key to room 552 found on his
person. A grip and suit case We're
found in the room and these We're
turned over to us"
The inspector then produced list OF
the things found in Hoffman's cases
A zinc etching of a certificate of the
Hotel Keepers Protective Association
heads the long list of paper on which
the list is printed. This is mounted or
wood and is an exact reproduction
Bank books were found as follows:
First National Bank of San Jose, Cal.
account of A. Young; Union Nationa
Bank of Oakland, Cal, account of A
Young: State Savings Bank and Truss
Co. of Columbus, o.. account of c. S
Real: Indiana National Bank of In
dianapolis. Ind. account of Hoffman x
Co.: Garfield Savings Bank of Cleve-
land, o., account of G. F. Davis; Amer
lean National Bank of Indianapolis
Ind. account of G.. A. Washington
Bank of California, San Francisco
Cal, account of G. w. Pratt; Denver
National Bank of Denver. Col, accoun
of r.. NJ. Jones: National Bank of the
Republic of Salt Lake City, u, account
of r. l. Smith; Citizens Bank of An.
derson Ind, account of T. S. Steuben
Columbia National Bank of Indianapo.
lis. Ind. account of J. b. Stone; Sc
curity Trust Co. of Indianapolis, Ind.
account of Childs & Co.
In addition to these bank books. tho
detectives found pads of blank checks
purporting to be issued by John A
White & Co.. and G. A. Washington &
Co. two fictitious concerns. besides
many bank drafts and checks from
banks in all sections of the country
All of these papers and bank books
were brought East by Inspector Boyle
Continuing his story, the inspector
said: Il wired Marshal Stebbins a:
soon as Leary identified the man, and
then commenced one of the hottest
legal battles for the custody of {
prisoner that ever took part in. Hoff-
man had seven of the smartest lawyers
in Frisco fighting for him. They com.
menced habeas corpus proceedings OF
the day we arrived and the first tria
came the next morning (Friday). Dist
Atty. Byington and his corps of as
sistants were with US from the frs
and their help was greatly appreciated
The judges before whom the different