New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-21
REGISTERS AS ELKlNS.
CHARGED WITH FORGERY.
Man Who Impersonated Vest TU-
cinia Senator's Son arrested.

A man. who gave his occupation as gentleman.
and is alleged TO have mpersonated the son OF
Senator Elkins of Virginia and TO have reglstered
under that name at the Fifth Avenue Hotel was
arrested IN the corridor OF the Waldorf yesterday
for passing a check signed with the name OF the
son of the West Virginia Senator 10 the ponce
officials the prisoner gave his name as Lieutenant
Alfred Crosby Owen, admitted that ne was
casbiered in the Naval Academy at Annapolis for
falling TO pay debts. but loftily insisted that
although he had passed the check. the whole al
fair was a mistake. that he knew the Elklns ram
iv intimately and would out all right
The check which occasioned the arrest was
PASSED at the Fifth Avenue Hotel on Wednesday.
An attempt TO repeat the operation yesterday ieu
to a conference between detectives OF the t"o
hotels. and the man was Identified as having al
tempted to pass a $50 check at the Waldorf he
was taken in custody by house detectives of the
two hotels. who found him in the lobby OF the
Fifth Avenue: the detectives escorted him 10 the
Waldorf and there he identified and turned
over to a couple of detectives from the ceh'rai
office.
The story OF the alleged exploits OF the prisoner
is rather remarkable one. The version secured
at the Fifth Avenue last night was as foHo"s'
The man arrived at the hotel on wednesday hs'''
registering as Stephen B. Elkins, jr" OF ElKlns'
" Va and retired to his room. Later he went to
the office and had a check for s., drawn on the
National Bank of Elkius, w Va, casheo' atter
which he returned to his room. Later in the night
he was taken sick the hotel detective declaring
that his complaint intoXication. AS soon as
he became i'll the guest sent for Dr. 2. B. F1nch'
Of No 9 West Twentieth-st., the house physician
OF the hotel
Al this point was the first discrepancy in the
mans actions for. although he had registered as
S B. Elkns. jr. he sent word to the doctor that
il was Lieutenant owen who was ILL., The doctor
happened to know officer of that name IN the
navy and FASTENED over only to find that the man
had been attended by Dr. Brooks. He discovered
also that the man was not the Lieutenant Owen
he had imagined him to be. and listened to the
patients story his acquaintance with the Elkins
family.
Yesterday when Mr. Lloyd the cashier. went to
his desk he found the record of the check and was
struck with the strangeness of the presence or Sen
ator FlkiDs's son there, he had been a clerk at
the Waldorf and knew that the EllHnses usually
stayed at that hotel. He also remembered that he
had heard of a man who had been passing Forged
checks signed with Elkns's name IN Chcago' ana
was on the watch for developments Presently the
man came and asked to have blank check This
was given him. and he signed it with the name OF
ElISins again.
I can't cash that. Mr.. Elkins, said Mr.. Lloyd,
who saw at a glance that the man was not Senator
Elkins's
why not?" demanded the man Indignantly. i
am Senator Elkins's son. and my check is good
anywhere"
well I know the Senator and ! don't know
you" returned Mr.. Lloyd, and the man retired
Mr. Lloyd then called a detective and sent the
check to the Waldorf to see If it were all right
Comparison with the genuine signature Of Mr..
FIlxins the Waldorf register indicated that the
check signature was forged. The detective re-
turned and took with him a detective Of the wal
dorf They found the reputed son Of the Senator
and asked him TO accompany them TO the WALDORF.
There he was identified the man who had regis
tered at the Waldorf last week Elkins. and had
ATTEMPTED to pass a check for $50. He was then |
turned over to the detectives from the Central
Office. Later he was arraigned in jefferson Market
Court and remanded TO Jail for twenty-four hours
CAPTAIN Ilangan Of the Detective Bureau said last
night.
The prisoner told me that he was native Of
81 at the Naval Academy lie said that MS name
was Alfred Crosby Owen. that his oecupa tlon W.
a gentleman and that he a resident or WASH
ington D. c. lie insisted that he had done none
Of the things charged. and that the whole affair
was a mistake He also admitted thal ne PlsSSu
the checks at the two hotels. but claimed that he
knew the Elkins family well and that he "oulu
come out all right.
Mr. Little, of the Waldorf-Astoria made the FOL
lowing statement last night:
This man owen came here about two weeks ago
and registered S. F. Elkins il, OF Elklns, W
some of the clerks not satisfied with his ap-
pearanCe. and commented on it. He discussed the
Elkins family freely. and knew what he was tax
ing about for they all well known here. we
finally asked him TO leave the hotel lie came here
again last night and asked of the clerks to cash
a check for him. The clerk refused to do 50
Washington. Aug. c0.-The name of Alfred Cros-
by owen is in the city directory and no one
appears to know anything Of the man here.
SEEK PEACE TOO LATE,