The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-01-24
CAPTURED FORGERS
ARE IN SELMA JAIL
Two Men Were Landed in Bir-
mingham Saturday
is AN IMPORTANT CASE
Various Foreeries and Evidences OF
Crooked Work Are Traced
to the Men Now In
Custody.

Selma. January 23-(Special) lin the
capture of Jack F. Fountaine and Will
lett Warren Saturday night by the Bir-
mingham police upon kilograms from the
Selma department, the authorities have
made big haul, the extent of which Will
develop to large proportions when the
light is turned upon their operations.
officer Moseley and Mr.. Hugh Eskridge,
who left yesterday morning for Birming-
ham to bring back the two men, returned
this morning and safely lodged their
prey in the new calaboose. They were
arralgned in the mayors court this MORN
ing and their cases set down for Thurs
day Asked by an Age-Herald represent
alive If they wanted to make any state
ment for publication, Fountaine and War
rem both replied that they did not
Nevers Is In City.
Mr.. j. r. Nevers of the Nevers Lumber
company, whose name was signed to the
forged checks to the amount of $3.50,
reached the city this morning. From Mr..
Nevers it is learned that in all probability
the two men were seeking for greater
Friday night the theory is that Fountaine
and Warren had planned to rob the safe
of the lumber company, into which had
been placed the money for the payroll
the next day, amounting to several thou
sand dollars.
Special Inspector Wright of the Louis
vile and Nashville railroad, of which
Gates, where the Nevers Lumber COM
pany is located, is a station, had reason
to suspect Fountaine, and 1t was ne that
tipped Mr.. Nevers that he had better
keep his eyes open. All Friday night a
watch was kept ON the safe, and this
must have become known to the men,
resulting in their determination to cut out
the next day. That the suspicious were
well founded is shown by the fact that
a buggy and a double set of harness were
found yesterday morning concealed In
the woods convenient TO the office of
the lumber company.
Fountaine was employed by Mr. Neyers
about six weeks ago. lie came to the
mill asking for work. and Just at that
time the booSkeeper was laid up with
rheumatism. Fountaine showed that he
was bookkeeper. stenographer, type
writer and telegraph operator, and was
exceedingly bright and intelligent He
was, therefore, made assistant bookkeep-
tI. ne Sdlu that references would be
furnished. and stated that his father was
very wealthy and lived in Sherman, Tex
letter from ST. Louis, or, rather. pur-
porting to be from st. Louis, was re-
ceived by Mr. MEYERS from a party to
whom he was told to write for reference
This letter 1t is suspected was written
by Fountaine, and as he got the mail and
opened 1t there was no trouble in deceiv-
ing Mr.. Nevers.
]. S. Trigg of the Trigg Hardware COM
pany of Sherman, Texas was written to
by Mr. Nevers as a reference for F'oun-
tame. No reply has as yet been received
but when a satchel of rountaine's was
searched by Mr.. Nevers yesterday he
found quantity Of stationery of the
Trigg Hardware company, a draft Of
letter In the handwriting of Fountalne
addressed to the Nevers Lumber company
recommending Mr.. Jack f. Fountaine In
the most complimentary manner imagine
able.
Signed Company's Name.
The way that the Selma merchants got
duped was by Fountaine writing letters of
introduction for himself to various firms
and signing the Nevers Lumber COM
pany's name to them. In these letters he
would authorize the merchants to let
Mr. Fountaine have anything he wanted
and with the checks that were cashed
Saturday amounting to $3.50 the Nevers
Lumber company was supposed to have
written letter re9uestipg the merchants