The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-21
GOT 100000 ON BAD CHECKS.
CAPT. WHEELER'S NAME FORGED
BY NIECE'S HUSBAND.
He Opened Account In second National
Bank With an IS, 500 Flyer and Mutual
Dashed Everything Till He OVerdrew
Account Arrest After q Junket.

Arthur c. Babbitt, who described him
self as a consulting engineer. wa arrested
at the Hotel Navarro last night. charged
with uttering checks for nearly seO. 900 to
which was forged the signature Of Capt.
William H. Wheeler. a retired army oficer,
Of 90 West Fifty-frst street. whose niece
Rabbit married. Police Inspector Nc
Laughlin arrested Rabbit at the in
stance of the Pinkertous and the officials
Of the Mutual Bank. Broadway and Thirty
third street.
Inspector Mclaughlin said that Rabbits
bogus checks might have kept on going
into the Mutual Bank for some time to
o if Capt. Wheeler had happened 10
have more money in the bank. The swindle
was discovered only when Rabbit overdrew
the account.
Rabbit went to Philadelphia with a party
Of friends in an automobile early last week
for a few days lark. He sent from there
for deposit in the Second National Bank, at
100 Fifth avenue, with which he opened an
account last spring, when. the police say,
he started his Wholesale system OF forgeries,
a CHCNh W w " ~ gBtbVNs iiiNiCEJCl
by him and bearing the forged signature Of
Capt. Wheeler. The Second National as usual
sent the 5000 check TO the Mutual, and
when the cashier Of the Mutual, Hugh N.
Kirkland, came to ooh into Capt. Wheeler's
account he found that there was only
81. 200 left.
The Mutual's officials then became sus-
piciousof all the checks that had come to them
from the Second National, and when they
found that Capt. Wheeler's account had
heen rapidly vanishing since last March
through the same channel they notified
their lawyers, Stern a Rushmore of 40
Wall Street.
Eldon Bisbee, a member Of the firm,
went to work on the case. He learned
that Babbitt had opened the account with
the Second National in March by de-
posting a check for %, 500, which was drawn
to his order against Capt. Wheeler's account
with the Mutual and appeared to bear the
signature OF William H. Wheeler. When
the check was sent to the Mutual it was paid
without question, and. according TO the
police, Rabbit then grew bolder, began
spending money freely, and issuing other
bogus checks for big sums on Capt.
Wheeler's account whenever his funds
ran low.
The lawyer Immediately called in the
Pinkertons. They traced Babb,tt and a
party Of friends to the Continental Hotel,
Philadelphia, where they had gone to see
the Corbett-McGover fight, which took
place on Thursday night. The detectives
reported to Mr.. Bisbee that Rabbit and
his friends were coming back to New York
yesterday. Inspector Mclaughlin was in
formed of the whole case yesterday after
noon, and learning that Rabbit had been
staying at the Hotel Navarro since last
June went there looking for him last night
with Detective Sergeant Lyons.
Rabbit didn't seem much surprised over
his arrest, the inspector said.
Il guess the jig's up, all right, was his
comment, the inspector say Il felt a
little bit squeamish when l sent in that
last IS 900 check and heard that Wheeler
only had 81 200 left. I've had a good time
with the money while it lasted. so there is
no Use worrying about it,"
After Babbitt had been taken to Police
Headquarters, where he was locked up,
he confessed, Inspector Mclaughlin said,
that he had drawn nearly 500, 900 in Capt.
Wheeler's name.
He sa i'd he had spent all he wanted to
and had lost the rest in Wall Street and at
the racetracks. He said that he had a
balanc e of Sl45 in the Mutual Bank. He
had slS7 in his pockets when he was searched.
Capt. Wheeler, who is said to have other
hank accounts than the one that was the
subject Of Rabbits forgeries, has been in
Europe since last fall, and returned yester-
day on the America from Hamburg. He
was met at the pier by representatives OF
the bank, and was made acquainted with
Rabbits doings. He was stunned when he
realized the full extent OF the robbery.
Cant. Wheeler did not go to his home last
night, and could not be located.
Inspector Mclaughlin said that Babbitt
was a native Of Chicago, where he has a
mother living. He met Capt. Wheeler's
niece there and was married In that city.
The inspector was given to understand
that Mrs. Babbitt left her husband some
time ago.
Rabbit had forged checks on Capt.
Wheeler before and was forgiven" said
the inspector. Il know OF one instance
where he got S., 100 in this way. lie was
still living with his wife, and on her account
Capt. Wheeler forgave him. l understand
that Babbitt became very hard UP this
spring, and forged a check on Capt. Wheeler
for $3.50, which was cashed by Charles G.
Gates 4 Co. He got this so easily that he
opened the account with the Second Ma
tional Bank and started out TO lead a gay
life entirely upon the strength Of Capt.
Wheeler's bank account"
While Rabbit said that his business was
that Of a consulting engineer, he couldn't
tell Of any firms in this city he had worked
for. He said he was employed for a time
last winter when the building strike was
on here.
James S. Case, cashier OF the Second
National Bank, said at his home, 27o
Jefferson avenue, Brooklyn, last night, that
the loss would all fall on the Mutual Bank
unless Capt. Wheeler was willing to shoulder
1t himself. He said that Babbitt turned in
another check for 81 800 for certi1cation
before his 5000 check from Philadelphia
had gone through the Clearing House. This
check was held up.
Capt. Wheeler is a member Of the Union
and Manhattan clubs. !