The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-02-15
NUMBER OF BAD
CHECKSPASSED
ON MERCHANTS
ALLEGED THAT TWO NEGRO BOYS
HAVE FLEECED MANY MER-
CHANTS-ONE NEGRO ARREST
ED LAST NIGHT, WHEN HE EN-
DEAVORED TO GET j. G. WILL
LIAMS TO CASH CHECK.

Charged with attempting to have a
worthless check cashed at the store of
J. E. Williams, Dock Hall, a negro of
about twenty years of age, is held at
the city Jail, while the police are
searching for another boy who was
with him at the time.
The negro was caught by Dan Hall,
proprietor of West End grocery, who
shortly before had cashed a check for
the negro in the sum of $3.50.
When the negro was taken to the
station, it developed that the check on
which he had been caught was signed
in the same handwriting as half a
dozen others, which the marshal held,
and which had been passed on a num-
Der of business houses. The names of
the Turner Construction Company, the
Pensacola Gas Company, the Pensa-
cola Electric Company, R. NJ. Cary, l..
S. Brown and J. S. Brown & Company
and other houses, had been made use
of. The amounts ranged from $40
I'd $3.50.
While Mr.. Hall was responsible for
the negroes capture, J. E. Williams was
the man who discovered the forgery.
Early hast night, two negroes walked
into the West End Grocery, on West
Belmont street, and bought lot of
groceries, amounting to $40. One of
the negroes, who Mr.. Hall said was
Dock Johnson, the one under arrest,
presented a check amounting to $14.50
and requested the change. The check
had the name Of L. S. Brown signed to
It. The change was made, the negroes
walked out and carried the groceries
with them.
Half an hour later, Mr. Hall, with
his business partner, J. c. Porter, was
sitting at the store of J. E. Williams,
at the corner of Jackson and Devil
liers streets, when the same two negro
boys who had been in the West End
Grocery, walked in, bought bill of
groceries and rendered in payment a
check, with the name of C. F. Geek
signed to 1t, for the sum of $3.50.
The clerk received 1t and carried it to
Mr.. Williams, who was busy at his
books. AS soon as the latter saw the
check he said it was forgery. I've
got one of them, too said Mr. Hall.
Mr.. Williams also knew the signature
of Mr.. Brown and he at once pro-
nounced the Hall check a. forgery.
Then grab was made for the negro,
who was about that time edging off
| toward the door. He was captured.
Another negro was waiting outside
and he chased off but the gentlemen
followed him. The negro outran them
and escaped. The other negro was
held until officers arrived Policemen
Connors, Henderson and Flynne were
shortly ON hand and they took charge
of Johnson
Johnson said that he could not even
write. While he sat in the office of
the marshal undergoing what the Off.
GERS meant for a rigid examination,
one other victim showed up, and he
believed the negro held was the same
one, or was with several negroes at a
time, recently, when a bad check was
passed ON him. The checks were all
made upon blanks of the Peoples Ma.
tional bank, and were such crude at
tempts at forgery and imitation of
hand writing that Marshal Sanders
was surprised that they had been
cashed by the men who had been so
easily f1eeced. Two groceries, one
drug store, two saloons, and ether
business houses had been victimized.