Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-28
MERCHANTS SEEK
SCH0OLBOY CROOK
Appears as if Just Coming from
School and Passes Fic-
titious Checks
DESCRIPTIONS OF LAD VARY
Smiling Youth Identifies Sigma
ture by Showing Clerk Name
on FIyIeaf of Book

Attired in tailor-made clothes of
college cut" and having the appear
ance OF an intelligent schoolboy, a
young man representing himself to be
Lawrence Gray has maintained sue
cessful career for the past eighteen
months and defrauded more than a
score of merchants out of amounts
ranging from $3.50 to $40 by means OF
fictitious checks bearing the name of
S. A. Gray. The detectives have been
searching for the clever youth since
January, 1909, but despite their efforts
the bogus schoolboy continues to pass
the checks and get the money.
The last check that came to the mo-
tice of the police was passed by the
young fellow on Norton Brothers, shoe
dealers, at Fifth and Main streets,
July 21. The check was for $5, made
out to Lawrence Gray and drawn on
the Security Savings bank. The
check. as in all other cases, bore the
signature of rs. A. Gray"
According to the police the young
swindler has a system that has fooled
every person to whom he has presented
a. bad check. The method of young
"Gray" is to enter place. carrying
a few school books secured by a small
strap. and represent himself to be a
schoolboy and present check with the
remark that his father just handed 1t
to him to buy q few articles. II the
merchant hesitates and asks for 1den-
tification the young man unstraps his
books and shows his name written In
the inside. This always convinces the
victim and the young fellow buys
goods of a small value and receives
the difference In money.
The young crook does not conf1ne
his operations to any particular class
of stores. He plays no favorites and
money from a florist Is just as good
as that obtained from auto supply
At times young "Gray'
shows n rare sense of humor in order
to attain his end in getting the money.
On one occasion he cashed check by
buying bouquet and having the Horst
send them to O. sick mother" at the
California hospital. When the mes
senger reported no such person at the
hospital the suspicious of the florist
were aroused, but 1t was too late for
the boyish crook was gone with $2 In
good money. Another time the smiling
schoolboy purchased sack Of flour
with a bad check, receiving several
dollars in change. The address given
for the delivery of the purchase proved
to be a vacant lot in Vernon.
DESCRIPTIONS VARY
Although every person who has been
defrauded by the young man has re-
norted the matter to the detectives
and given them a description or the
youthful crook, no two descriptions
are alike: except that the self-styled
schoolboy is young, Of slim build ana
good looking.
The descriptions range from young
man 5 feet inches, 125 to 100 pounds
medium build, dark hair, clean shaVen
and wearing dark clothes, to feet y
or 10 inches in height, weight 165
pounds, fair complexion, rosy cheeks'
pug nose and wearing light clothes.
The attention Of the police first was
brought to the case January 23, 1909,
when the manager Of the Beacon Snoe
company at 313 South Spring street
reported to the detectives that
schoolboy, giving the name OF Law
renee Gray, entered the place, pur-
chased a pair of shoes and then ten
dered a. check for So. When a clerk
insisted on Identification the lad pro-
duced several school books with the
name Lawrence Gray written on the
f1v leaves. This convinced the shoe
salesman and he accepted the check
and gave the lad the difference. Later
it was returned by the Central Ma
tional bank, on which 1t was oraWn'
marked mo account"
The detectives theE began a search
for the young crook, but were unable
to find a trace of him. The next time
their attention was drawn to the mat
ter was the following month, when on
February 16, 1909, the lad entered
Jones book store and cashed check
for $3.50, drawn on the Central Ma
tional bank.
The following are some of the checks
which have been returned by the
banks marked mo account whlcn
the young man passed since his start
in crime:
May II, 19O9 check for So, drawn on
the Central National bank, and passed
on Mrs. Norma Mcdonald, S13 West
May 2S, 1909 check for 50, cashed by
Aloha ice cream factory, 2313 South
Union avenue.
NAV a. 1909, check for $3.50, passed
on the Green Marshall company, 3lS
West Third street.
June 26, 1909, check for $6, drawn
on the Metropolitan Bank and Trust
company. and cashed by H. H. How
ard of 1901 Jefferson street. AT this
place the young man purchased a pair
of shoes and received several dollars
in change.
The Young man evidently was afraid
of being detected and no more checks
came to the notice of the police until
January II, 1910, when Gray passed a
check for 81 on Bingham G. Browning,
1862 West Adams street. Since that
~ ind
fourteen checks at intervals of from
three to five weeks, the last two
checks being passed this month on
July Ii and July 21.
= merchants are so eager to sell their
goods that they do not use much judg-
ment in the matter of checks, espe-
ciaIly when presented by schoolboys," :"
said Captain Of Detectives Flammer.
1--WE are looking for this lad, but so
FAR have been unable to catch him,
because of the conflicting descriptions
given u.s."