Los Angeles herald., 1906-06-06
THINK PRISONER
CLEVER FORGER
POLICE SEEK FOR VICTIMS OF
SCHWERIN
Man Arrested on Request Of Hardware
Merchant Believed to Have
swIndled Many other
Dealers

In the arrest OF Harry Schwerin yes
terday on a charge Of passing fictitious
checks the detectives believe they have
in custody the man who has beer
swindling' hardware stores for severa
weeks.
Complaints have been made to the
police by several merchants on Central
avenue that a smooth stranger had i'm
posed on their credulity and succeeded
in purchasing goods for which he ten
dered checks for a much larger amount
than the bill.
Yesterday morning J. F. Carter, clerk
IN the hardware store of George -
Batty, 1907 Central avenue, trailed the
man who had previously bought bill
of goods at Batty's establishment and
rendered a check in payment.
Young Carter followed Schwerin to
the hardware store of e. L. Brown,
Seventh street and Central avenue, and
notified Patrolman Wallace that sup
posed crook was inside the store.
Although protesting his innocence,
schwerin was taken to the central sta
tion and there searched.
Merchant Grows Suspicious
In his possession were found checks
for various amounts and signed with
several supposedly fictitious names.
Schwerin was arrested just as he was
attempting to pass a check on Brown.
A few hours before he purchased
goods amounting to $12.75 at Batty's
establishment and gave check for S25
in payment. He gave plausible rea-
son for having the check in his posses
sion and secured the change, amount
ing to $12.25.
Mr.. Batty was suspicious of the man
soon after the transaction and called
al. -Ao 10 NC fr1f
by Detective Capt.n Flamner that
man answering the description was
wanted on a charge Of passing fictitious
checks.
Batty told his 19-year-old clerk, ]. F.
Carter to run after the customer and
see where he went.
Carter proved successful as an ANA
teur detective and located his man at
Browns store.
The detectives assert that Schwerin
has passed numerous worthless checks
on hardware merchants.
Police Work on Case
They say one of his methods was to
buy a refrigerator and tender a check
in payment. After receiving the change
he would ask to have the refrigerator
delivered to certain address. When
the delivery man called at the given
address he would ind that no Sucn
person lived there.
A complaint was made to the police
Saturday by H. B. Ball, a hardware
merchant at 1852 Central avenue, of a
man giving the name of H. Curtis. Mr.
Ball said he was swindled by the man,
who passed a worthless check on him.
Curtis is supposed by the police to be
one of many aliases used by Schwerin.
The checks found on his person yes
terday were drawn on the First Ma
tional bank One was for $25 and the
other for 500 Each was made payable
to P. Wernicke and signed by Haas &
Meyer. The suspected check passer
told Batty and Brown that his name
was Wernicke and that he worked for
Haas & Meyer, alleged contractors.
Schwerin's record will be looked up by
the police and they say they expect to
find the man is a noted crook. Other
Central avenue merchants have been
asked to visit the prisoner and identify
him.
Both Brown and Batty are positive
he is the man who passed worthless
checks on them.