Evening star., 1909-06-12
CHECK FoRGERS GET OFF EASY
EIGHTEEN-Y YOUTHS
GIVEN LIGHT SENTENCES.
Court Hopes They Will Understand
the drievousness of Their Of
fenses When They Get Out.

Frederick O. Russell and Saul HofY-
man. eignteen-year-old boys. who both
cred banking circles recently by passing
worthless checks aggregatine a total OF
$113.So. were hailed before Judge Null
lowny in Police Court this morning
where they admitted the offenses and
were sentenced.
Russell was committed to Jail fol
eight months in default of $3.50 in fines
in four cases Hoffman received a sen
tence of ten months in default of $20C
in fines in five cases.
The Potomac Savings Bank was duped
for three checks, amounting to $76.15
the Farmers and Mechanics was q
victim on one check for $22 co. and the
Second National Bank on one check foI
N45o. The names OF men whose sigma.
lures we're forged, were ]. W. Offuti. H
w. Offutt, Charles r. Moran and Samuel
Goldenberg.
The illegal acts were committed dur.
ing period Of little over three weeks
from May 13 to June 5.
Several witnesses testified. including
Detectives Berman and Cox. who made
the arrests. The operations Of the pair
were described as daring. the cashine
or the checks being accomplished with q
confidence which totally disarmed THEFT
victims. When questioned as to where
the checks were procured. the youths, II
was said. gave plausible storieA
You boys seem unable to appreciate
the ,enormity Of your offenses,' said the
court before passing sentence. 1T Is pos
sible you won't realize 1t until you are
older and appreciate what one man owes
to another and the narrow lines upon
which the conduct Of society is based.
THE brunt of your wrongdong falls
upon your parents. your mothers and your
fathers and sisters and brothers. il you
have any On them now lies the ignOminy
Of your acts. 1t is they who will suffer
az you two are never likely TO suffer.
I'm view of the confessions and your
ages I am going to impose light SEN
tence. with the hope that when the man.
dates Of the law are fulfilled you may
again take your positions in the world
with new resolutions and determinations
to live upright, honest and commendable
lives
After the imposition of the sentences a
pathetic scene was enacted. when the
Russell boys mother and the parents Of
to talk to the defendants. The grief OF
Mrs. Russell was pathetic
My boy. my boy. she cried. "wha,
did you do IT for? II YOU had onl,
stopped and thought"
Young Russell is the eldest of three
children and the sole support Of hi,
mother, who is widow. The family
came to this city about fifteen month,
ago from Baltimore and live at 6O4 h
street. The father of the Hoffman youth
is q ladies' tailor. whose address is giver
as 73S 9th street.
What induced you to forge those
checks"" young Hoffman was asked be-
fore being removed to the Jail.
Il don't know exactly. replied tn,
boy. Il guess it was an editorial l reat
in New York paper about a month ant
a half ago about how easy 1t was tt
forge bank checks and have 'em cashed
The article told about how a man signed
his name to whole lot of checks and
then imagined how rich he'd be If hs
had enough nerve to set the money OF
them.
NO. Fred and I weren't intimate up Il
April. he replied to additional questions
we just got together somehow, and tha
first thing we knew we were cashint
checks"
The money was spent for most any
thing appealing to a youths heart, rang
ing from cuff buttons and shoes to theatel
tickets.