Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-11-20
MORE ABOUT KIRBY. THE FORGER.
Prisoner in County Jail Has Wide Reputa
tion Among Police Officers Of the
Northwest.

Readers of this paper will remembe
tha description given of the captur,
and arrest by Sheriff Qualley of
noted forger several months ago. VIII.
had a long record of crimes and haC
served two or three times in penlten
tiaries
An extended article in Saturday =
Des Moines Register and Leader gives
some more information concerning
this clever crook, which will be reaC
with general interest 1t is as fol
lows:
City Detective Ed Johnston, who
has been trailing one of the biggest
forgers in America for six years, has
landed him in the penitentiary once,
and after long search and intricate
trail, landed his man yesterday al
Decorah, Iowa.
The right name of the forger is H.
e. Kirby. He is noted as one of the
finest penmen in America. During
the four years in which Kirby has
been out OF the state prison he has
passed as a millionaire aud has rolled
in luxury gained through the use OF
his clever pen-signing other people,
names to checks and getting the gold
over the counter at the banks.
| Kirby is in Jail in Decorah. The
officers there claim first right to try
him on two counts-one check for $50
forged upon l.. o. Reed. live-yman,
and check for $50 signed with the
forged name of Fred Boyd, saloon
keeper.
Sheriff T. J. Qualley of Decorah,
who assisted Detective Johnston in
tracking the man and who went to
Taopi, MInn. and brought him back
to Iowa, was in the city yesterday.
| The forger was trapped by means of
the Bertillon system of measuring
and identifying criminals Detective
Johnston first captured Kirby in Des
Moines in 1901, when he represented
himself to be an agent OF the Ackley
Lumber Co. and passed number of
checks upon prominent business men.
The checks were forgeries.
Kirby has passed under various
names. Some of the latest are H. E.
Wilson, alias Crabbv, alias Morris.
etc. He came originally from Chica-
go. He was sentenced to two years
at Fort Madison May 8. 1901: he oc-
cupied cell as prisoner No. 1872.
He was sentenced by Judge w. f.
Conrad
| Among the business men of Des
MoineS whom Kirby secured money
from on forgeries are John Monarch,
livervman. and Fred Rollins, saloon.
keeper. There were many others.
The usual method of Kirby is to
jump into town where he is un-
known and engage a livery rig to
make quick drive into the country.
He represents himself to be land
agent, or horseman. cattle buyer or
trader. He drives about for several
days until he gets into the confidence
of the liveryman. paying all bills
promptly and passing few good
checks on some account with which
he has previously supplied himself,
then makes quick job of several big
checks and makes his getaway.
Kirby has ALWAYS lived like prince.
He was popular with women and has
left a trail of broken hearts clear
across the American continent.
A year ago Kirby passed checks here
signed Minnesota Land Co.," upon
fine Autographed paper. The hand
writing is superb, and the checks
passed easily about the city. They
were usually for $25. $50 or $75, and
were never for large sums.
County Clerk Coffin recently drew
the attention of Detective Johnston to
several checks bearing the signature
Of the Minnesota Land 90. and by
means of sample of Kirby's hand.
writing which Johnston had it was
discovered the writing was identical
with the signature to the checks. A
quiet man-hunt WAS commenced, re-
sulting in the locating of Kirby, but
the Decorah officers nabbed him while
the local officers were on the way,
and this gives Decorah first chance at
Kirby. He is held in Jail at Decorat
and will be brought to trial this
month.
Detective Johnston gives the credit
for the big catch to the Bertillon syS
tenn of measurements and identified.
tion. He originally took them wher
Kirby was in Jail here. and the
records. together with the devices by
which the measurements were taken,
will accompany Detective johnson
when he is called TO testify in the
case at Decorah.
Kirby claims he is not the same
man formerly held in the penitentiary.
He has been passing under another
name. Sheriff Qualley of Decorah was
shown a photograph of Kirby by The
Register and Leader yesterday and by
it he recognized Kirby-positively
identifying him as the man.
Detective johnson Will. however,
take all the devices by which he
originally secured the measurements
here in 1901 tc Decorah and measure
the prisoner with them. If he meets
the description he is doomed TO face q
bleak situation. for there are many
counts hanging over his head.
Kirby was 26 years of age when his
record was taken in 1901. He is ex'
ceptionally clever, and not bad look
ing young man. He has keen eye
and is always alert He made no at
tempt, however. upon either of his
former arrests to harm the officers
He has remained longer out of Gus
tody while practicing wholesale for
geries, perhaps, than any other CROOK
in the country.
Herbert Nj. Smith of Tripoli, a stu