The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-07-12
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.!0[:N.F0RC[RY CHARGE
Man Claiming to Have Come
from Norfolk Being Sought by
New York Police.
DEPOSIT TO OPEN ACCOUNT
Stranger Takes Interest in Good
Invention and Puts i'll Check
Declared to Be Worthless.
[spccial to The Times Dispatch.

Especial to The Times Dispntch1
NEW YORK. July little New
York and Brooklyn detective bureaus
were asked to-day 10 find and arrest
for forgery n man passing under the
name Of Robert w. Wibber, who, It is
alleged, tried to swindlc the Title
Guarantee and Trust Company OF
Brooklyn by means of a worthless
check for $4,000 on the Commercial
National Bank, of Washington. D. G.,
to whichl5the name OF the Mark PUB
fishing Company, OF that city, Was
signed. He got only $40 from the Title
Guarantee and Trust Company before
being suspected, but on the strength
Of the check he persuaded Clinton ..
Repp. phonograph dealer, to cash his
check for $500.
The story OF the alleged swindle as
reported to the police, Is that on last
Sunday Rudolph f. Kleeman, Of No.
525 West Ono Hundred and Twenty.
fifth Street, who had invented col
lapsible leather bag, advertised in sew
cral newspapers for man with $4,000
to push the invention, which was al
ready patented. Tho next day n smooth
talking man, about thirty-eiglt years
old, called on ISleeman and said he
was Robert w. Wibber, late OF Nor
folk, Va. The man said he had Just
sold out his tobacco business in Nor
folk. and had come to town with ccr-
titled checks for $1,000 to SO into
something else.
Decided Ia Invest.
Kleeman said that when he told
Wibber about the colapslble bag the
latter was enthusiastic, and decided
to put $4,000 OF his bank roll into the
proposition. Kleenan then took Wib-
Der around town and introduced him
to his friends, including Clinton b.
Repp, the monograph dealer.
Mr.. Repp and his partner were let
III on tho ground floor and Wibber and
kleeman then employed Charles A.
Curtin lawyer. to draw up the pa
.pers OF Incorporation.
Illeeman asked one OF his friends
on Wednesday, FOR advice astto good
bark for Wibber to put his $500 check
IN. This man was a friend of Frank
/. Sniffen. manager OF the banking
department of the Title Guarantee and
Trust Company of Brooklyn, so he gave
Mr.. kleeman note OF introduction to
Mr.. Sneffen. On Thursday Kleeman
and Wibber called at the bank and Wib-
Der handed over his check, which he
said he was using to start his ac-
count.
The check was drawn or the Com
merClal National Bank of Washington,
D. Z. and purported to be made by the
men OF Mark Publishing Company to
the order of r. W. Wibbcr.
The check was signed with what
purported to be the names OF the pres
ident and treasurer of the publishing
company. Mr., Sniffenes made out the
names to be Morrill E. Gales and ]. II.
Huminell. The check appeared to have
been certified by the Commercial Ma
banks teller could not be made out.
Got Only Small sum.
After Wibber had indorsed the check,
and Mr.. Kleeman had also written his
signature on It,, Mr.. Sniffen told Wib-
her that he would have to ask him not
to draw on the check until he heard
from Washington, which, would take
until to-day.
= Wlbber went away, protesting that
he didn't like to have any delay In or
gantzins the company. and the check
was sent to the Washington Loan and
Trust Company for collection. In the
In response to Wibbers APP
peals for money to start things going,
Mr. kleeman, as president OF the Ru-
dolph -kleeman Manufacturing Com
pany, the name of the new concern,
wrote out checks on the Title Guaran-
tee and Trust Company for $4O0 which
he got Mr.. Repp to cash OF this
amount Wibber got $40, and he hasn't
been seen since.
Mr.. Sniffen got n telephone message
to-day from the Washington Loan and
Trust Company. stating that the cer-
titled check was a forgery.
w .