The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-11-20
SHARP F0RGER
Takes in Ssysral People in Co.
Eumbia For Small Amounts.
LOOK OUT FOR Him.

sSSN W. SgS sssstEa
The amounts Which He Got Wer
Not Very Much in the Aggresat
But There Were Several Crooke
Deals Which Showed Rare Persis
tence and Nerve on the Part OF th
Forser, =. w. Bentley.
The State say F. W. Bentley. VII,
is branded as forger by his forrne
employer, by Columbia banks and b.
half dozen business men about the
city, is apparently possessed of con
siderable nerve. and has managed K
stay N Columbia Tor two weeks with
police officers, detectives and Others
: looking for him, all anxious to give
him a berth in the county jail. Bent
ley managed to pass forged checks
upon one bank and half dozen
business men Of Columbia. beginning
his operations about Oct. rs. and, al
though the matter was promptly re-
ported to the police department, ne
is known 10 have been in the city
Thursday night and attempted to
work Gervais street merchant with
one Of his worthless pieces Of paper.
Bentley went to Columbia about
June /, from Dubuque, Iowa, to work
for John Neill & Co., pToprletors OF
the Capitol City market. 1916 Main
street. On October 10 he was dis
charged by Mr.. Neill and his crooked
deal was pulled of shortly therear-
ter, when he went to one Of the Co
lumbia banks and asked to borrow
s25 on his note. He was told that
he could not get the money unless
Neill & Co. endorsed the note. Sent
lev. it is said, took the note and went
out, coming back few minutes later
with it bearing the alleged endorse
of John Neill & Co. He got the mon
ey and it was not discovered that Ene
signature was forgery.
Several days later Bentley walked
;nto the same bank and presented
check for SIS signed John Ne1li &
Co.. and payable to himself. he IN
formed the teller that he wished 70
oct the check cashed and apply So on
his note at the bank. The $50 was
counted out to him and he passed 81
hack to be applied to his note.
On November l Bentley cai4eo al
+he parlor restaurant and asked tne
proprietor, Mr.. Ben David, to casn
small check for him, which was oo.e,
Tho amount of this check was ~
.nd il was signed the same as :''e
o+her. drawn on the Bank Of Coiu"'
bia and made payable to hlmseM.
On November y Bentley "aihe,I
,n-o one of the leading hotels of the
ciTv late n the afternoon and present
~ check for SIS, drawn on Tue
Ca-o,ina National bank, payable 10 =
Rentlev and signed John Neh, q
c." He stated that MI. Mem Aa. :.
eivAn him the check and tna1 aS :.
Gas after banking hours ano ss u
needed the money badly ne Sou,e ae
nave to have it cashec oS SOM
a,sa M The check was cashed al rlsas, ~
e.d +he next morning 1t was 'usAee
saU GO a. the Carolina Nationai as
Sesn & Co. had no account ~ ~
The check was then taken ooa-v ~ w
l-ai,, Who branded it as a 1ofseAs
AZ 80 So;1l informed the hotel man 'Hss
~ ss NOV the first check WHICH
pent,ev had forged against hlH ~,
several others had already oeen eN
ad TO his attention eor e.
eo " eaw aays later check for %
med up which Bentley had soeIeeo
~, in passing upon a small mst s s+;ll
:. the outskirts Of the cit! anu ,.s;ch sto
IL o+ser .,s one for like amount, Wnlsl ~
ahosas, s worsed off on a man In 'he
o1vmpia ~ r village came to hga., o,nrs
Two checks for snai Da--o an
,;cn Bentley gave on The PatnsSso a't
S..;ana, a-. sank. signed by hlmSeI.
N 49, -urned down by the BANK 'os
lacs of funds, he never n'''e
an account there tor $40
- - - On Seill and Co and sent ~, ~ ~
osS outside of the city, 'hro"s"
snorher bank, was turned 49, w. the
me Of the banks, beAetsS 0
author of it. .o,;ca station
II Ts5 naa,Isv was in town THURSDAY
sishe sti and attempted to pass s.o s;.
Sa1 sa5 on a merchant on
street. o -aren in b,
.s,o,- win his worthless cnesN.
nns have refrained from repo' 'AA7
.he cases for fear OF notoc1e.s, ,;r
Inc = is said that Bentley has been Nv
:. .;.s =. . woman on Main street an'
.;,;s .;,3 woman made inquiries over ~ .se
tc,enhone Of Neill & GO. stn.s olso
e-st forgeries came TO hght. que 80, al,
Nd MS ~ af,er getting Bentley run
!ooAe acrioa was immediately re,
.-ad az 70 the police. 1t was thousu.
W. she and Bentley were p1ep"--= o;-s.
~ hoard a train and ieaVe en ,l,aa va.
70 70 w., hut the depots were Wa,eheu ~
lossSn ,,. = IS said and neither OF sneh'
was seen. Rantlev TO!
several years and at one ~, ua''s with Ar
:, the same Office with MN, an "at~ penr1e,
raour =, & Co. He states tnas .;ta GsD,ly, ;s nov
is married and that MS ls,.s V,le 9sat - unit n
Bentley Be- .lt began forging his a5nsv hi II
had never heard any5hins asasnSs arsS hin IN
csaracter cha and always considered "s''
g stright. honest man. y, :, ~
panrIev is thought to be N IN