Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-12
ARMY OFFICER HELD
Lieut.. Lefort Faces the
Charge of Forgery.
NOTES AGGREGATE $3.50
Several Other Officers Are Named in
the Case.
MAJ. MARSH COMPLAINANT
Bankers Concerned Located in
Wheeling. w. Va.-The First
Suspicious.
NOTES AGGREGATE $3.50
MARSH COMPLAINANT

/ NEW YORK. October 12-Charces Of
completely in th, forgery of thrc, notes,
, aGgrcgating in value 81, 80 were brought
yesterday against man who SAYS he Is
FRS Lieutenant Alan Lefort. stationed
with the artillery company at Fort slo-
cum. but now on sick leave. He WIS
rested in the Grand Union Hotel. New
York, last night. lie says he has been
staying at the Is ~ Edward Apartments,
No. 155 West 47th street.
.aaj. Fredcricl Marsh of the Coast
Artillery, stationed in San Francisco, is
the complainant. The bankers chiefiy
concerned are Norton & Co. of Wheeling.
w. Va. firm which makes a speciality
of lending money to army officers, The
American Exchange National Bank OF
New York is also concerned. having. II
is said, paid a dTaft from Norton x Co.
on one of the forged notes.
The prisoner declared that all he had to
do with the case was to go to the Grand
| Union last night for a letter for one Buck,
| a private, who had deserted.
| Several other army officers are named
| in the case, their signatures having been
forged. 1t is charged, as applicants and
indorsers to notes made to Norton Il Co.
| Among these are Lieut.. Col. III. +. Hedges
| of the Engineer Corps, now working on
the Panama canal; Col William l.. Mar
shall and Maj. II. Jervey. both OF the
| Engineer Corps and Col c. a. p. Hat
| field, 18th Cavalry. at Fort Myer. Va
| An application for loan, apparently
| from Capt. G. r White Of the 9Th Cav
airy, in the Philippines. written from
| New York. aroused suspicious and an In
vestigation followed.
| The case has not yet been brought to
| the official notice Of the War Department.
and probably will not be until after 1t has
| been acted on by Gen. Grant, command
| ing the Department of the East, who has
| original jurisdiction in the premises. IL
| there is prima facie case against the
officer he will be tried by court-martial.
MAJ Sylvester and Inspector Boardman
| are interested in the arrest OF Lieut.. Le-
| fort. having had occasion to have their
| detectives participate in the investiga-
| ton Of the case last month. They were
| interested in the alleged attempt to get
| $1,000 by forging the name OF Col. Z. A.
| 2. Hatfield of Fort Myer. 1t Is stated
| that Lieut.. Lefort made arrangements to
have the checl. from the loan brok RS de-
livered to him at the st. James Hotei.
this city, but that the receipt of a dis..
patch a few days before the arrival OK
the check frightened him away.
Dispatch to Fort Myer Officers.
Friends of Col Hatfield tell OF the re-
ccipt of a dispatch at the hotel, which
was addressed 10 the Fort Myer officer.
1t was stated in the message that an
agent Of the loan broker would appear
here to see him efore the deal was nm
ished and the alleged swindler, IT is be-
lieyed, fearing his identity would be dis
covered left the city. The check Tor
81, 200 reached the hotel few days after
the receipt of the message, but the man
bn had irnnerSnn1ted
not call for 1t. After it had been at the
hotel several days, IT is stated, 1t was sent
to Fort Myer and then Col. HATFIELD re-
ceived his first knowledge of what was
going on. The police were consulted ana
Detectives Hartgan and Evans were oe.
tailed to make an investigation here. -
tectiye Evans was sent to New York 70
ascertain what he could there about the
supposed swindle..
What he learned in New York was re-
ported to Inspector Boardman, and the
local detectives have since been on the
lookout for the man who was TO nave re-
ceived the check which was made payable
to Col Hatfield Police officials here were
surprised this morning when they learned
that an army officer had been arrested.
Credit for Apprehension.
Maj Sylvester said to Star reporter
this afternoon that he thought the local
department is responsible for the apprs-
hension of Lieut.. Lefort at this time.
the credit for the disclosure her being
due to Col Hatfield. Maj. Sylvester said
that Col. Hatfield turned over to him the
special delivery letter he had received
from l.. Silverman the New York broker.
the letter having been addressed TO him
at the St. James Hotel. The Letter was
sent to the War Department. from the no
tel, and it finally reached the command
ing officer at Fort Myer. 1t was ap-
parent from the contents OF the letter
that the money represented by the check
was to have been paid as an advance
on the pay account of Col liatheld
When the letter reached Col. Hatfield
he WAS astounded at its contents He
had had dealings with the loan brok-
er and the whole affair was mystery to
him. The colonel had never drawn upon
his account during all the years he had
been in the service, and he realized that
th5 was a mystery to be solved.
Local Detectives to New York.
Upon being acquainted with the facts
Mai Sylvester lad Inspector Boardman
send Detective Evans to New York He
consulted the broker and others and 40
Quainted them with the fact that the
name OF Col. Hatfield had been forged.
the forgery not even being similar to the
signature of the colonel. 1t is believed
that the information given in New York
by Detective Evans started the investiga-
ton which resulted in the arrest of Lieut.
Lefort last night. To what extent the
game has been worked in New York
Mai. Sylvester said he did not know. and
in order that something more definite
might be ascertained he called upon Gen.
Sniffen, paymaster general of the army,
and conferred with him.
The conference held this morning will
result in putting army officers on their
guard and prevent considerable trouble
and annoyance. Banks will also be noti-
fed Of the operations OF the alleged
swindler. The disclosures in the New
York case, 1t is believed. will be followed
by the issuance OF strict orders to army
officers forbidding the practice Of getting
advances on Their pay accounts. 1t Is
stated that Lieut.. Lefoyt has not yet been
identified as the Individual VINO forged
the name of Col. Hatfield but the nvesti-
cation In New York. the police think.
will soon disclose the identity OF the
person.