Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-10-22
FORCES J.E. 7. HUNTERS
NAME TO BOGUS CHECKS
wssh.na,sn Brokerage Firm and Jew
e,er Victims of Sehem--.Lieut''
Commander Knowles" Uses borro"
ed Stationary and Mails Letters 10
hin self.


and boldest swIndlng games that has
emo IN the attention OF local bank
ers in years. daring and ahaple con
fdence man. who posed as heu'eh'
ant commander OF the United states
navy. and who was In this city Tues
day. Heeced a Washington brokerage
firm ont of $4,000 worth OF uhiteu
states government bonds and Jew
elrv firm of the same city out OF n
diamond ring worth $3.50 Wednesday.
In exchange for the bonds ana Inc
ring. the confidence man gave forged
cashiers checks on the Powell lrus'
Company. Inc, of this city. That the
checks were worthless was not ais
covered until they were presented 10
the trust company for payment
Thursday In the meantime, the
swlndler had twenty-four hours start
M the notice and had made good his
escape TO parts unknown.
shortly before 9 o'clock TUESDAY
morning a we'll dressed. good looking
man abont 35 years old walked into
tho office of the Powell Trust Com
many and introduced himself to Secre-
,ary.Treasurer ]. +. 7. Hunter as
Lieutenant Commander Henry knowt
SON Il. 6. N. and stated that he want
ed to open n checking account anu
n savings account Of about S3,0O0, lie
said that he had been stationed I'D
tho Mediterranean for several years,
hu, that he had been ordered home
and assigned TO duty at the shipyard
here He told Mr. Hunter that ne
was Shaving at the Chamberlin hotel.
Mt Old Point. but that since he was
10 work here he would IKE TO move
over to this city and asked about the
warwick hotel. Mr.. Hunter assured
him that II was good hotei.
Writes Letters In Bank.
In the meantime Vice-President w.
Lee Powell came into the bank ana
was introduced to the stranger.
Knowlson asked for some stationary
and was invited into the Office OF the
hank and furnished with paper. en-
velopes and pen and ink. He wrote
several lct$ers and later left the BANK.
saving that he would have MS ac-
count transferred from his New forK
hank to the local bank.
Nothing more was seen or heard OF
the .lieutenant commander" until
Thursday when two forged cashiers
checks on the Powell Trust Company.
ono for s.. 200 and the other for $3.50,
were presented at the trust com
pany's office for payment. Oihciais
of the company Immediately pro
nounced the signatures OF j. r. l.
Hunter. secretary treasurer, as
forgeries and refused to hon
or them. The checks had been
sent TO Schmelz Brothers Bank
by the Commercial National Bank, oil
Washington, for collection. the brok'
ersge and jewelry firms In Washing
ton having deposited the checks with
that bank.
Details Are Received.
Al that time nothing was known
here about Knowlson's transactions
In washington. but the details were
contained In the Washington papers
reachinr this city yesterday morning.
II seems that on Monday Knowlson
went to Crane, Parish a. Company,
brokers, and made arrangements Tor
buying $4,000 worth of government
bonds. with the understanding that
he should pay 5000 for them. Later
he went TO Gait & Company. 5ewet
ers. and picked out a $3.50 diamond
ring. He told each firm that he was
going to the Pacific and would com
municate with his bankers in Virgil
Fla and have checks for the pur-
chase price Of the bonds and the ring
forwarded to him.
Leaving Washington Monday night
BY steamer, Knowlson arrived here
Tuesday morning and went TO the
warwick hotel where he engaged a
suite Of rooms and took bath. Later
he appeared at the Powell TruS, Corn
pany's Office and introduced himself
While IN the ofrcc Of the companv he
wrote letters to himself. stating that