The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-02-11
BACK TO LANSING
Lure OF Old Life Too Strong for
George Willets.
Sixteen Year Old Bride Weeps
as He Is Led to Jail.
FORGED TWO CHECKS.
Admitted the Fact But Wanted
''tO Fix 1t Up"
Police Are Conducting Cam
paign Against FOrgers.
FORGED TWO CHECKS.

Back to Lansing from the caress of
a weeping wife of but four weeks, is
the fate of George Willets, a paroIed
convict who has yielded again to the
lure of his old and original crime of
forgery for which he was sent to the
penitentiary from Topeka about two
years ago to serve a sentence of from
two to seven years
The description of the man who
passed two forged checks fits Willets
who has been in the city since his
parole and he was captured this
morning by Detectives Summers and
Hopkins at the home of the parents
of his newly married wife and taken
to Jail to await the coming of the
parole officer from Lansing when he
will be taken back to serve out his
time.
Both of the checks are for $1,000.
The first one was drawn February 9Th
on the Merchants National bank
payable to George Hunt and signed
7. a. Beck. 1t is endorsed by Hunt
and by A E Jones who attempted to
cash it. Mr.. Beck refused to pay be-
cause it was forged and the check
was turned over to the police with the
description of WilletS as the Mr. Hunt
The detectives went to the home of
Willets who is living with his father
in-law at 519 East Third street yester-
day morning but Willets was not
there. 1t was said that he would be
home for dinner. Again they went
down at 1880 and waited until 1870
but he did not come and last night he
was not home when they called This
morning, however, Hopkins and Sum
mers went again about z o'clock and
hopkins who has known WilIets since
he was boy paid his old friend an
early morning call at the front door
While summers watched all the ave-
nueS of escape. Willets himself
answered the quiet unassuming little
knock in his night clothes opening
the door only very little but the
detective pushed his way in and sat bv
the stove while Willets dressed and
drank cup of hot coffee.
At the station he was asked to write
several names and among them George
Hunt which he wrote identicaliv IKE
the name on the check and when shown
the check admitted to having made il
and offered to fix it up but was search
ed and locked up after sending for a
messenger boy to carry a message to
his mother. Recalling the similarity of
the details in connection with the mass
Ing of a check on the Thomas lumber
company which had been reported at
the station, Detective Summers went
to the office of that company and
brought down another check for $40 IN
payable to Sheridan Fustern signed
j. Thomas Lumber Co." and written
on the 1nOfnaS company checks on the
Shawnee State bank. The HANDWRITING
correspondent exactly with that on the
other check and with that in certain
papers which he had in his poclxefs
Two men had gone into the office of
the lumber company a few davs aeo
and asked to write some notes ar tbe
desk. When the men had gone it was
discovered that two checks had been
torn from the blank book. These were
numbered $40 and 81 and the payment
was ordered withheld by the COMPANY
This check is numbered $40. so is one
of those which the two men got and
on which money was refused them
1t was the intention of WilIets to re-
pay Jones the $1,000 which he secureo
from him and go peacefully on his Way
and that was the purpose in sendin1
for his mother, but in the meantime
the chief telephoned to Parole Offcer
Higgins at Lansing that one of his
men was dabbling his feet into the old
stream again and Higgins expressed