The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1907-07-18
Running Down a
FOrger.

49,
was a witness for the defense. Her
| testimony cleared his prisoner, al
| though he had good case, but he did
not hold it UP against her, as would
| have been natural.
For long weeks I kept tab on Hogan
as a citizen. TIe acted just as another
man would His admiration for the
little wido npelled him to seek an
| Introduction. After that he was hard
hit. He became a frequent caller, and
| in time we all came to know that he
was one of her suitors and the favored
one. 1t seemed funny that he should
send her bouquets and don a dress suit
and accompany her to the theater.
One day 1 was surprised out of my
boots by the detec4Ne sitting down
with me and giving me his confidence.
Don't imagine it was about any off
cial case 1t was as a man that he
wanted to talk with me about being in
love with the widow. A very young
man or an old bachelor will often do
that. She hadn't accepted him in so
many words, but he was sure that his
love was reciprocated. He was low
ing her as man, but he had sized her
up as a detective. From his reading
of her character she was close upon
the order of angelic He had looked
for flaw in vain. He was satisfied,
and more than satisfied, and naturally
he wanted all others to be so. I could
tell you here that l differed with him
in many respects, not orally, but men
tally, and thus make out that / was
possessed of superior acumen, but ]
am not posing in that direction. To
some one else / might have said my
say, but not to Hogan. He would have
been down OH me at the first word
The case in which the widow had
been a witness for the defense was
one Of forgery. About the time Hogan
gave me his confidence three banks
were victimized the same day. Sigma
stures of depositors were counterfeited
and over $4,000 hauled in. In each
case the check was presented by
woman, fairly tall woman, wearing
glasses and supposed to be over mid
die age. AS her identity was vouched
for. the teller had to count out the
money. The case was given to Hogan,
and he took it up with the utmost
ardor and confidence. A week passed.
and there were two more forgeries.
Then, few days later, two or three
checks were kited. 1t was all done
by the same woman, and yet Hogan
10 ~ 49,
ON the trail, however, that she changed
her tactics. She intrusted the checks
to an old man and raised $4,000 in a
day whats the matter with Ho-
gan?' was being asked at theadquar-
ters; but, bestir himself as he would
BY forgery and check raising the gang
scooped in nearly $4,000, and not one
Of them was spotted.
Then occurred what some of us call
ed laughable thing and made merry
over. Hogan was thrifty man. He
had saved money from his salary, and
he had specialized, and his bank ac-
count stood very close to $4,000. He
was depoSitor at a state bank, and
one day the same old man presented a
check for $4,000 and drew out the
money. 1t was Hogan's signature as
plain as day, and he had not only
vouched for the signature Of the 9th
er, but had sent along brief note.
The teller tried to reach him at head
quarters, but failed to get the con-
nection, and the check was paid. Two
hours later Hogan was roaring around
that bank like an angry lion. He had
been done for. 1t was only natural
that he should call on the widow that
evening to relate his loss, and, her
sympathies being aroused, the climax
came-that is, she leaned her head on
his stalwart shoulder and murmured
that she would be his. She was sorry |
for his loss, but she had enough for
both.
Two evenings later he went up to |
make sure of the date of the wedding |
day, and she was out. He did not go |
again for week, being busy on his |
case, and when he next appeared the |
house was empty and had been for
several days His petite fiancee had |
fed. For day or two the man fought |
hard against the belief that he had !
been duped. Then the man took a |
back seat. and the detective came to |
the front, and 1t did not take him long |
to figure out things. The cute little
widow was no widow at all, but the
wife Of an adventurer. She had been
an actress, and she knew all about |
makeups. She had been driven to ev
cry bank in carriage in shoes that |
increased her natural height by six |
inches. Pencil and paint had put on |
wrinkles and lines, and she had taken
care to dress for the occasion. Hogan
himself would not have known her on
the street Her husband had been
just as artfully disguised, and when |
the point Of safety had been reached |
the field had been abandoned.
The thing must have come hard on |
the man, but he was full Of grit, and |
he braced up. He was given carte |
blanche as to his movements for a l