Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1903-08-10
KING OF F0RGfRS
Carl Becker Will Leave San
Quentin Today
A Most Expert Criminal for Forty
Years-A Story That the Banks
Will Pension Him.

Becker known to detectives the world
over as the king of forgers and to
criminals as the Dutchman," will walk
out of San Quentin state prison to-
morrow after serving a seven-year SEN
tence for the forgery of $4,000 check
on the Crocker- Woolworth national
bank of San Francisco, which was
cashed at the Nevada bank. His term
was reduced to four and d half years
by his good conduct.
Becker has been model prisoner and
has never betrayed the wild beast tina,
is under his calm exterior except at
times when he has talked of James
Cregan, his pal who squealed. He has
amused himself while in prison by
drawing designs for entertainment pro-
grammes and other ornamental work
which shows plainly that his hand has
lost none of its cunning.
There was a report a few months ago
tha, the American Bankers association
would pension Becker literally when he
came out Of San Quentin, but James K.
Branch, secretary of the association,
denied this, as he said the association
depended upon its detectives to protect
its members and not upon subsidiZing
criminals. Despite this denial several
detectives here declare that Becker can
C. mmand q handsome salary if he viii
agree not to forge any more bank
paper.
The crime for which Becker has just
paid By four and half years in San
Quentin was the raising of a check
from S12 to $22 900. Frank S. Seaver.
alias A H. Dean, was the crook who
planned the job.
He came out here from New York in
December, 1885, and with him were
Becker, James CreGan of New York and
Joe McCuster.
Dean had about $500. He opened an
office in this city, deposited most of his
money in the Nevada bank, drew small
checks, made new deposits and in a
skillful way became known to the bank
officers.
Then he went to Woodland, near the
state capital, and bought s12 draft
from the Bank of Woodland. drawn on
the Crocker-W Woolworth bank of San
Francisco. This draft he brought to
San Francisco and it was turned over
by Cregan to Becker, who in five days
altered the date and raised the amount
from $12 to $4,000.
On December II Dean deposited this
draft at the Nevada bank to his credit
and on the following day drew a. check
against it for 500, 900 and received the
entire amount in cash. There was no
suspicion excited by such transaction.
as Dean was supposed to be mining
man and many such men paid their
hands in coin and drew much larger
sums to meet the monthly payroll.
The forgery was only discovered at
the end of the month, when the Crock
~ 1r-
account to the Woodland bank. By
that time the spoil had been divided
among the four men and they had
scattered.
Dean and McCusker were soon caught
in Minneapolis and Becker and Cregan
were arrested in San Francisco. The
latter were released, as no charge could
be made against them. They were pre-
pairing to go to Guatemala when Dean.
who had made vain appeal to Becker
and Cregan for more money to hire a
| lawyer, confessed to Captain of Detec-
tives Lees of this city.
Thereupon Becker and Cregan were
arrested in Newark, N. j., and were
brought here for trial. McCusker was
acquitted, as nothing could be proved
against him. Dean turned states evil
dence, and Becker and Cregan on the
first trial were convicted of forgery and
sentenced to life terms.
On the second trial the jury dis
agreed, and on the third Cregan
"squealed' and was allowed to go free.
Becker saw that the game was up and
pleaded guilty. with the stipulation that
he was not to get more than seven
years Imprisonment. The court kept
faith with him.
Throughout his last trial he main-
| tanned the same calm as in previous
| trials, except on enc occasion when a
newspaper artist attempted to get a
sketch of him in court. He became
wild with rage when he saw the artist
/ drawing outlines of his head, and pick
| ing up a large inkstand threatened to
hurl it at the offender unless he stopped
| his work. He was quieted by his coun-
sci, who feared the effect on the jury
of this savage outburst of rage on the
part of his Client.
1t will be of interest to readers of
! The Republican to know that when
/ Colonel William Herring of Tucson
was assistant district attorney
of New York City he assisted
or rather conducted the prose-
I CutlOn OIL Becker III 1910 IOT an
extensive forgery there, he and his as
sociates having robbed the Union Trust
| company of New York of s64 .225 by
means of a forged check. Though there
was no doubt that the check had been
executed by Becker. there was a lack
of convicting evidence against him and
he was permitted to save himself by
| turning states evidence.
Becker has always been proud of his
skill as draughtsman, but it was on
ly an accident that made him forger.
He was born in Germany and came to
New York with his parents in 1857 when
he was only 10 years old He developed
SO much skill at school with a pen and
pencil that he was apprenticed to an
engraver. He soon developed great
| Skill but the criminal bias was strong
in him and he forged check to buy
an engagement ring for a girl with
whom he was in love. His father set
tied the matter and on account OF MS
youth he escaped prison. He was de-
serted by his sweetheart and after ma
all his associa tions were criminal. his