The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1903-04-25

George T. st. Clare, stone mason
who has been working for Coral Grey
on the Dr.. Bartlett residence on West
Pike street for some time past, forged a
check on his employer Friday afternoon
and not very long after he had commit
ted the forgery he was in the custody
OF county officers, and was later placed
in Jail. 1t seems that he was about half
intoxicated when he did the act, and this
morning when he came to full realiza-
tion of his misdoing, he was more than
sepentant for his rash trick. His case
Is a pitiful one, in that he has wife
and three small children, who are en-.
tirely dependent upon him for support,
and that heretofore he has borne an ex-
ccllent reputation as hard.working and
honest laborer, and had never been in
any trouble of like kind.
On Friday Mr.. Gray gave St. Glare
check on the Merchants National bank
for $50 in payment for some work that
the latter had done on the Bartlett resi-
dence. 1t appears that st. Glare got to
drinking. and this was no doubt the cause
OF his ofEense. He procured blank
check on the Merchants bank and made
out check payable to himself, with a
fac simiie signature of Mr.. Gray's; he
used the check his employer had given
him as copy and followed the delinea-
tion of Mr.. Gray's handwriting as best
he could. He then took the forged
check and went to the office of the West
Fork Oil and Natural Gas company. on
Fourth street, where he offered it in pay
ment of gas bill of about two dollars.
Mr.. George Ogden accepted the check
from him in good faith, cashed- it for
him, deducted the bill and gave, him the
balance Of the amount in money.
That was probably about $50 o'clock
in the afternoon, and the check was tax
en- to the bank with deposit before
the close of banking hours. The officials
at the bank knew at sight that the
check was forgery, and the payment
of it was refused.
Mr. Ogden then went before Magistrate
Samuel W. Gordon and swore out war
rant for the arrest of st. Clare, on the
charge Of forgery. The warrant was
placed in the hands of Constable Mort
McClung, and he started Immediately on
q search for the man. Il was thought
that st. Clare went over the Glen Elk
bridge towards the depot, and Policeman
Simms was called up by telephone and
told to be on the lookout for the man
and arrest him. The constable went over
that way also. The policeman found St
Glare and placed him under arrest, and
as he was bringing him to the city the
constable met them on the Glen Elk
bridge and the warrant was served on
him.
McClung brought the man over to the
office Of the gas company, where St.
Clare, when confronted with the charge.
broke down and wept like child. He
confessed that he had committed the
forgery and begged Mr.. Ogden to be
merciful. his drunkenness had worn of
to certain extent, and he was thrice
sorry for his misdeed. He begged Mr..
Ogden not to prosecute him on account
Of his wife and three small children. He
took S2l5 from his pocket and said that
was all that he had left of the money.
He was then taken before Magistrate
/. Gordon. When searched by the officers
there Ss.45 was found in his pockets. BE
confessed that he forged the check and
broke into tears again. The magistrate
held him under bond of $500 to appear
at the next term of circuit court, and
zst being able to furnish bail, he was
II = handed to Jail. The constable took
I'M TO the temporary jail building and
locked him up. While the constable was
doing so st. Clare said that he was go
ing to die Of remorse in the night, and
bade the constable goodbye. He said
that if he couldn't die, he would kill
himself.
Saturday morning st. clare's wife and
two small children went to the office of
the Natural Gas company. They live in
a cottage out near the tin plate mills,
and one OF the neighbOrs had told her Of
her husbands troubles. She begged the
official Of the company to dismiss the
charge against her ,husbandi she told
Of how he had always borne good rep,