Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-30
MONEY ORDER RA|S[RS
Arrest of Two Men Charged
With the Crime.
CON Meeting LINK
BELIEVED THE PARTIES ACCUSED
WERE WORKING TOGETHER.
One Arrested Here the Other In Balti-
more-Regarded as Impor-
tant Captures.
CONN Meeting LINK

The Post Office Department Is congratu-
lating itself upon the capture of two men
believed to be leaders of the gang of
money-order raiscrs that has been operat-
ing all over the country for the past few
months. As stated exclusively In The Star
yesterday. Post Office Inspector Little, as
sisted by Detective Parham of the local Of
flee arrested at the Benning race track
man who gave his name as James A.
Backus Post Office Inspector Hooten Of
the Baltimore Office arrested yesterday
man In Baltimore giving the name of Harry
A Gage, and while nothing has been de-
veloped to show conclusively that these
two men were operating together, the post
Office officials feel certain that such will
prove to be the case.
Backus will be given a hearing tomorrow
morning before United States Commissioner
Arson s. Taylor. In the meantime he Is
being held at the sixth precinct police sta
ton subject to the wishes of the inspectors.
The prisoner gave his name as James A.
Backus when he reached police headQuar-
tiers yesterday afternoon, and the detectives
nave his aliases recorded as A. B. Cameron,
c. Cameron and c. w. Dryden. It was un-
der the name of C. W. DRYDEN Il Is alleged.
that he went to the store of Lansburgh
brothers and gave a money order for $50. in
payment for two dozen towels The money
order, 1t Is alleged, had been raised from
IS cents to $780, and the purchaser OF the
towels was given the differences between
the price of the towels and the face value
OF the money order.
Declines to Make Statement.
The prisoner declined to discuss the mat
ter and refused to give the detectives any
information about himself further than to
say he had recently become the husband of
young lady in this city and that he for
merly lived In Boston.
Il will explain the case in court" he told
the officers WV
The name Of the young lady he married
given as Miss Strait. Mr.. Strait called
at police headquarters last nIrht and saw
capt. Boardnan- He said he had but little
information about the prisoner, and that he
nao known him only about two months So
lar as ne was concerned, he stated, he dis
owned his son-in-law. Copies of the pris-
oners photograph have been mailed to a
number Of cities. and Capt. Roardman ex-
poets to hear something about his Identity
by tomorrow.
The inspectors found on the prisoner two
money orders from which 1t Is said the
amounts had been erased. The orders were
purchased In Buffalo. N. Y. and the inspec-
G eSr IN S cnarse OF the Washington division.
1aps. smith, telegraphed Immediately to
buHalo Tor the applications on which the
orders were sold. These applications were
received IN Washington this afternoon and
snow sn the orders to have been issued one
Tor 10 cents and one for 10 cents The AZ
cent cen. orGer was made payable to a Mr.. sc.
BIRD and the Accent order was In favor
N q Mr.; a D. Wood" They were issued
,nos. 1nIs q. SO very little time
was iosl IN transmitting them to Backus
View Of officials
Inc off1cials are of the opinion that
Backus and Gage. the Baltimore SUSPECT.
nave peen operating together, as all the ap-
quotations for the orders that have been
raised are In the same handwriting. Post
once Inspector Soranson of Cincinnati was
In Washington today and he Identified tg,a
handwriting on the Buffalo applications as
the same as that on one or two Cincinnati
applications. Inspector Soranson came east
On On the trail of Gage and knew nothing of
backus, consequently he thinks he has the
connecting link, to show that both men
have been operating together.
inspector SoranSon has been after the
gang ever since 1t broke loose in st. Louis,
and its operations have been detailed In the
newspapers for the past two months 1t is
| the idea of the officials that one of the
| members of the gang purchased the orders
ana erased the amounts. wtdle the other
member or members cashed the orders after
hiling In the fraudulent amount.
Backus was captured in a manner that
the ohcials think will preclude any de-
MAI or Identity LanSburgh & Brother
sent the raised money order in to the
local money order Office yesterday morn
ing, and the attention of the inspectors
division was called to it Immediately In
spector Little was assigned to the case.
and he proceeded at once to the store and
got the clerk who had accepted the order
These two in company with Detective
Parham, went to the race track believing.
that the man wanted would go there too.
They arrived at the track early and sta
toned themselves ON either side of the
entrance. Presently a young man about
thirty years of age came through the
gates, and the clerk pointed him out to
the inspector and detective
That Is the man." said the clerk, and
Backus was arrested. Consequently the
department thinks 1t has pretty good
case.