The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-01-07
MAN ARRESTED ON
 CHARGE IF FORGERY
Passes Several Checks Alleged
 to be Worthless
A QUESTION OF IDENTITY
Prisoner Gives His Name as Weber, But the Police Think His Name Is Bennett-Boueht Musical ln-
 struments and Whisky.

What appears to be an important ar rest was made last evening, when man giving his name as John Weber, but who | the police say is G. H. Bennett was locked up in the city jail on charge of forgery.
 l It is asserted that Bennett came to Br- mngham about December 27 or 2S last. and since that date passed eight or more checks on local merchants. These checks are alleged to be worthless, the aggregate amount involved being already ascer- tained to be as high as $16s7 .05. To the checks the name of J. T. Webb & Bros. had been signed, the firm being prominent in north Alabama.
 As the checks were cashed by the banks upon which they were drawn, the local merchants will be losers unless the goods for which the checks were given in pay ! ment are recovered which. however. is assured in a number of instances.
 Musical Instruments. The charge is made that Bennett pur- chased pianos, other musical instruments and a lot of whisky, rendering the checks which were later pronounced forgeries. Only small amount of cash. probably not exceeding slOO, is said to have been obtained.
 The checks which 1t is alleged were passed by Webb, Weber or Bennett, and which brought about the mans arrest. were as follows:
 Check for $250 drawn on the Exchange bank of Rome, Ga. payable to G. H. Ben nett; one for $s4O drawn on the First Ma tional bank of Chattanooga, also payable to G. H. Bennett; one drawn on the First National bank of Birmingham for s15. payable to T II. Brent; one on the First National bank of Birmingham payable to Meyer-Marx company for $l10.5O; one on the Exchange bank of Rome for S61 55, payable to the T. Williams Music com pany; one on the Exchange bank of Rome for s4O5 payable to the Cable company; one on the Exchange bank of Rome for $500, and another on the same bank for $5, payable to the Jesse French Piano and Organ company.
 Detectives Patton and Murphy have been at work on the case for some days, and are continuing their investigations with a view of learning the full extent of Weber's transactions. and also to deter mine the identity of the prisoner more clearly.
 Weber or Bennett, would say nothing to the newspaper men when questioned. He would say little to the police, either rea- tive to his own identity or personality or to the passing of the checks except to announce that he had not committed forgery.
 It Is stated that in addition to passing the checks enumerated above the man dations to the amount of $26.60 from the Ellis hotel; s2 from Y w. Ray and s5 from brother of MT. Ray.
 Mr. Holcombe's Statement.
 ]. H. Hocombe, manager of the local office of the Jesse French Piano and Or gan company. which concern accepted two of the checks, last night related this account of the several charges made against the prisoner Mr. Holcombe said
 "The man entered our store Friday last a week ago, and approached our MT Chamberlain. He introduced himself as J. T. Webb member of the firm of J. T. Webb & Bros, of Hurley, Ala. a town about seventy miles from Bir- mingham. He stated that he wanted to buy the finest piano in Birmingham for his niece, and also that he wanted to buy church organ He said further that he did not want to purchase the organ at once. because the church people want ed to select it and to pay part of it's cost But he did want to select piano and get 1t at once.
 
 office and introduced him to me, after ward taking him upstairs. He purchased small Steinway piano for $500, ordered that it be shipped to Cedar Bluff. and gave check for $500 in payment MT. Chamberlain had known of the firm of J. T. Webb & Bros for years, and knew that 1t was solid and strictly reliable After giving us the check, the man left.
 T deposited the check with the First National bank here, and instructed the bank to find out by telegraph if it was good. it having been drawn on the Ex- change bank of Rome. The Rome bank replied that the check for s500 signed by J. T. Webb & Bros. was all right, so we shipped the piano.
 "I have learned since that after leaving our store, the man now under arrest went across the street to the Williams. Music company, and purchased stringed instru- ments and other articles to the value of s61 55, giving them check Then he returned to our store, said he was some what short of ready cash, and asked if we would cash his check for $5. which we did.
 Check Reaches Rome.
 "When our check reached the Rome bank it happened that a member of the Webb firm was In the bank. He an- nounced that no such check had been issued hence the bank was saved. AS soon as we learned of this we began a search for the man, calling in the po- lice to assist us, and having nearly all of our salesmen in the search.
 "We have been hunting the man three or four days and this afternoon I saw him in the wholesale department of the Meyer Marx Co. I summoned police man and the man was placed under ar rest In the last day or two l have been informed of the passing of the other checks and all but one of them have been placed in my care. We intend to | tk,at tIaa .ffo ofr fa pd n ha