Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-07-23
BOGUS TELEGRAM
GOT The MONEY
PAUL q. PHELPS, CROOKED TELE-
GRAPH OPERATOR, SOUGHT
FOR FORGERY.
DEFRAUDED WATERLOO BANK,
PLANNED SECOND hoLD-uP
Sends Fake Telegram instruotins Pay
mont Of $50 on Presentation Of Check
- Negotiations for Larger Sum
Arouse Suspicion = Police Conduct
ing Search.

's'teiroo, July So.-t1aul II. Phelps
aged 10. who was recently released
from the county Jail. where he was
awaiting his preliminary hearing on a
charge OF embezzling something like
$3.50 from tho Great Western early In
April and arrested In Cedar Rapids
where he had fled on a motorcycle. is
again wanted by the police. this time
for passing worthless checks on the
Blackhawk National Bank for the sum
OF $780, Phelps is out under a parole
and all efforts to locate him were fruit
les. Late In the afternoon 1t was
learned that he had left the city and
the authorities in the surrounding cit
les were notified to be on the watch for
him.
Phelps method OF swindhng was
clever. A telegraph operator by pro-
fession, he was we'll acquainted with
the various manners of handling mes
sages. and with this knowledge he
succeeded in securing $40 from one
bank and was completing arrange
ments for securing s341 from the Com
mercial National Bank In the same
1i6IA2l0l WuSIl lIlS IEduu was exposed
and the police notified.
Sends Fake Telegram.
Early in the month of July the
Blackhawk National Rank received
telegram from bank in Muncie. Ind
asking them to honor the check for
$50 which would be presented by Har-
old Foster and for them to waiver
Identification. stating that they would
remit the following day. The mes
sage was written out with typewrit-
er on the regulation blank and In the
usual way. The message was delivered
to the bank officials by a regular
messenger boy and signed for in the
regular 1naner
A few days later Phelps. alias Fos-
ter. appeared at the bank with teIe-
gram from the bank In Indiana ident-
flying him as the man. Unsuspecting
Of wrong. the bank honored the check
and paid Phelps the $40 The fraud
was not discovered by the bank Off
cials until late yesterday when an in
vestigation had been started by Chief
Of Police Dinneen after the CONNER
cial National Bank had reported the
receiving OF fake telegram.
Another Effort Failed
A few days ago the Commercial
National Bank received telegram
similar to that which the Blackhawk
National Bank received with the ex-
ception that the amount called for was
$341 instead of $50 and the name Of
the man given as NJ. NJ Pope The
telegram was delivered in the regu-
lar manner and from the same bank
as the other.
The bank officials were suspicious
Of the message and at once telegraph
ed to the bank at Muncie asking them
in regard to the genuineness of the
telegram. Yesterday they received n
reply from the bank stating that the
message in question was a fake Tho
bank officials at once notified the po-
lice and In the investigation started
by the CHIEF among the banks. the loss
Of the BlackhAvk National was ex-
posed.
Phelps. alias. Pope. failed to appear
at the bank to present his check and
all trace Of him was lost. Later 1t was
learned that ne had left the city over
the Great Western. When the matter
was reported and a search for Phelps
began. his rooming and boarding place
was visited. He had been boarding at
the home Of Mrs. Tuttle, $50 Lime
street Here 1t was learned that he had
left owing q board bill OF $12. ALI his
clothes and personal belongings were
still in the room, just as he had last
left them.
Robbed Great Western.
Phelps. who is a mere boy. came TO
the city early in April and began work
at the East side Great Western depot
as ticket clerk and telegraph operator
He had worked but few days when
a shortage of the funds was discovered
ed At that time Phelps insisted that
he had been held up and robbed by
two unkn own men.
While this was being investigated.
Phelps secured the balance of the funds
In the ticket drawer. amounting to In
the neighbohrood of $3.50 and left. He
spent practically the entire amount for
a motorcycle and started to make his
escape In this manner. His description
was wired to all the surrounding cit
les and few days following 4 he rob-
berry he was arrested by the CedarI
Rapids police.