The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1908-08-15
.FORGER v|CT|MRES
NUMBER Of BUSINESS
MEN IN THE DISTRICT
Thought to Haze Made Escape
litter Daring Nights W0rks. Used
Salt Lake Printers Union Card
to Start Ball Rolling.

AS a result of a carefully planned
system of securing money in hurry
without scruples as to virtue of hon
esty, Frank Potter, printer by
trade, but in recent months Jack of
All Trades" has disappeared from
the city after brief but highly in
teresting visit. AS one result sew
eral of the business men of the dis
trict are mourning depression in their
bank accounts.
As far as known, Potter forged six
checks between sunset Thursday
night and sunrise yesterday morning.
The name of Mrs. A. G. Cleveland,
for whom Potter worked short time
last summer at her ranch, was in
volved in the forgeries, her name
being signed to each of the bogus
checks, all of which were endorsed
by Potter in different handwriting
from the disguised hand used in
drawing the body of the spurious doc
uments.
Potter was bold in his attempt to
secure the money, one check being
presented after the other almost un-
der the very eyes of the man who
had honored the first one. The de-
nominations of the checks varied
from $46 to $76 and he encountered
little difficulty in cashing any of
them AS reported at the sheriff's
Office yesterday, checks were honored
at the following places: Apex sa-
loon, $54; Northern hotel, s76; H.
o. Hail, at the Southern Club, $5S;
b. Geary, $50; TEX" Rickard, $64,
and the Antlers saloon, Ely City, $4S.
Owing to the prominence and finan-
cial standing, of Mrs. Cleveland and
the knowledge that number of har-
vest hands have been working at her
ranch. Potter encountered no diff
Guilty in getting cash on the bad pa
per.
In securing the money. Potter dis
played card of Salt Lake Typo
graphical union, of which he claims
to be a member in good standing,
this assisting him materially in his
work. He was recommended to one
of his victims by a fellow printer on
the strength of the card, this check
being the first he cashed. Potter was
seen at the depot yesterday morning
before the forgeries were detected
and it is believed that he left town
on the early train.
He came to this district little
over year ago and secured work
as printer, He worked at his trade
a couple of months and then, II is
said, found employment at the ranch
of Mrs. Cleveland. He worked at the
Cleveland ranch for a few months as
as harvest hand and then disappeared
from the district He had evidently
studied Mrs. Cleveland signature
considerably as that on the checks
was fair likeness. Potter told
those who cashed his checks that he
left the Cleveland ranch Thursday.
but it known that he was seen on
the streets. here several days ago.
When he made himself known to a
printer whom he told that he had
just come from Reno, having beat his
way in on a freight train.
Yesterday morning Potter was seen
at the depot at Ely City by this same
printer about an hour before train
time. He then told him he intended
beating his way to Salt Lake on the
outgoing train. Shortly before the
departure of the latter Potter was
seen at the depot by Deputy Sheriff
Jake Fulmer, who had cashed the