Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-23
BUCKET SHOP DUPE
Explanation of Potts Alleged
ENLIGHTENMENT.
HIS OTHER HABITS GOOD
Police Expect Arrest in Arizona Be-
fore Long.
TELEGRAM DELAYED BY STRIKE
Certificates Missed Two Weeks Ago
and Bank Carefully Searched
for Them in Vain.

Many persons residing in Loudoun county,
Va, more especially those about Leesburg
and Hillsboro. were greatly shocked yes
terday afternoon when they read in The
Evening Star an account of the all eyed
wrongdong on the part of Edwin H. Potts,
who Is charged with having stolen S11 coo
worth of Erie railroad stock from the sale
of the American National Bank.
Many of his friends knew he had gone
away from this city, but they had not re-
ceived the slightest int.mation that he was
wanted by the police to answer a criminal
charge.
Potts was well and favorably known in
Loudoun county and his troubles were freely
discussed by his friends after they had
read The Star. Expressions of regret and
sympathy were heard on all sides. 1t was
known by his friends that he had a good
business in Virginia short time ago and
they also supposed that he could have re-
turned to his position in the Leesburg bank
If he desired to do so.
He dressed we'll always seemed ready
and willing to spend money on others and
his general conduct was such that his
friends We're led to believe that he was
exceedingly prosperous Even if his lavish
expenditure of money had been questioned,
1t Is said, his friends would promptly have
met the questioning with the statement
that his father was supplying him funds.
given to dissipation. He was not a drink
ing man, nor did he gamble on the races.
His is one case, they say, in which liquor,
women and horses did not figure.
Gambled in Bucket Shops.
His affairs have been fully ventilated,
and it is charged that his losses resulted
from his frequent visits to bucket shops.
Inspector Boardman said this morning that
any man who patronizes bucket shops may
expect to lose his money.
1T is practically impossible to win from
them, he declared, and in my opinion,
they are liable to cause more trouble than
any other games of chance
Police officials are doing what they
to cause the apprehension of the missing
man. They have filed message to be sent
tc the authorities at Tuscon, Arz., asking
that he be arrested, but the strike of the
telegraph operators, they believe. has
caused a delay in its delivery. The fact
that Potts wired the bank officials from
Tuscon, his friends believe, indicates that
he expects he will soon be in a position to
make good any loss the bank may sustain.
They express themselves being confident
tiIat he will do the best he can to make
good the loss, believing he probably thought
he could use the certificates of railroad
stock, and then return them before the
bank officials learned anything about the
transaction.
Search for Certificates.
1t is said that the disappearance of the
certificates, which represent about $11 900
worth of stock, was discovered about two
weeks ago by Bank Examiner Owen T
Reeves and his assistant, when they made
examination to report upon the condi-
ton of the bank. Such examinations are
conducted by the government at regular in
tervals, and the only unusual thing about
that examination was the discovery that
the certificates were missing. President
Harper could not believe that the certif-
Gates had been taken, feeling confident that
they had merely been left in some other
place than that where they were usually
kept. He had the bank employees make a
thorough examination of the vaults, and he
was finally forced to the conclusion that
they had been taken. Then the question Of
who had taken them. and what had be-
come of them was to be considered
The police were appealed to, and a brief
tificates and the names of the holders was
prepared. The circular shows that Nos
24,6l5, 24,616 and 24,G17 were in the name
of Arthur S. Leland & Co.; No. 22,4S5 in
the name of N. G. Campbell & Co, and No
25,051 was credited to Charles Minsheimer
& Co.
Two of the certificates turned up in the
Exchange National Bank of Baltimore,
where, it is reported, $1,000 had been
loaned on them. 1t was stated in the cir
cu!ar that the certificates had been lost or
stolen since July "a. Maj. Sylvester stated
in the circular, after describing the stock:
Bankers, brokers. financial agents and
their clerks are respectfully requested to
cooperate in locating this stock, and should
il be offered for sale or as collateral. kindly
notify your local police authorities and
cause the arrest and detention of any one
in possession of same
Sold Brokerage Business.
Potts was employed In the American Ma
t.onal Bank for about two years, during
which time his exemplary conduct won for
him the confidence of his employers and the
friendship of many patrons of the institu-
ton. He resigned his position to engage in
the brokerage business. which he sold some
time ago. 1t is stated that he has been
patronizing other brokers since he went out
of business and his friends believe the
brokers got his money.
1t stated at police headquarters this
afternoon that Potts had not yet been ar
rested Inspector BOardman said he ex-
pected he would seen be in custody, and
that until something additional Is learned
respecting his whereabouts descriptive cir
culars similar TO those in the Kemp case
will not be sent to the police departments
OF other cities.