Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-09-16
BOY SMILES WHEN
He IS ACCUSED OF
4 MANY FORGER|ES
Geo. W. RittenhOuSe,
19, Held in $4,000
Bail for Trial.
HE is SAID TO BE UNDER
INDICTMENT IN 4 STATES
Alleged to Have Swindled by
Means of Many
H Aliases.


A dapper, self-possessed, Well-euu-
Gated boy of 10, youthful appearing
even for that age, stood before Judge
Hahn in the First Precinct Court
TODAY and smiled as he heard HIM
self accused of forgeries amounting
TO thousands of dollars, said to nave
been perpetrated in half dozen
cities.
When, on his entering formal plea
of not guilty, George w. Rittenhouse'
of Orange, was held in $4,000 ball 1or
the grand jury, he calmly gave ms
arm to the officers who had him IN
charge, smoothed down his halr'
which had become slightly disar-
ranged as he stood in court, ana
walked smilingly to cell. once pe-
hind the iron bars, however. his con-
fident demeanor disappeared ana
placing his face in his hands he wept
piteously.
Specific Charge Is for $40.
The charge on which young Ritten-
house was held was the cashing OF
forged check for $40 on the Ironbound
Trust Company, of this city. This, py
the way. was the smallest by seVerai
hundred dollars of the swindling
operations the youth is alleged to
have conducted.
The check on the local bank was
presented in Rittenhouse's own name
and was signed with the name OF
John G. Duggan, general manager of
Gimbel Bros New York store.
Rittenhouse was arrested on Mar
ket street, Saturday, by Samuel II.
Brannigan, a Burns detective, ein :
ployed by the department store. he
was taken to police headquarters anu
taken in charge by Detectives Nee
han and Donovan, who had been
looking for him for the local authorl-
ties.
In court today he was represented
by Howard sherwood, a lawyer,
with offices at 1923 Broad street.
Rittenhouse, it is said, is under In
dictment for forgery in New York,
cleveland, Baltimore and Philadei-
phia. In his alleged wholesale des-
polling of banks, the police say, he
has made use of many aliases.
The first reported coup of the youth
was consummated while he was en-
ployed by the Ceramic Engineering
Company of Cleveland about eighteen
months ago. He had made an ex-
cellent impression on the officers or
this concern and had been rapidly
advanced from clerk to assistant
manager.
Saw He Posed as ice-President.
Then. according to the police, he
represented himself to the Postal
Telegraph Company as Charles f.
Lang, vice president of the company,
and sent a draft for $500 on the en-
gineering firm to New York. When
he learned t#at the money had been
telegraphed, it is said, he hurried to
New York and collected 1t there.
Besides the charge on which he
was held today young Rittenhouse
is accused of one other forgery In
this county. He is alleged to have
cashed a check for $52. signed with
the name of the Gimbel manager at
the First National Bank. West Or
ange.
Under the name of George Herbert,
Rittenhouse is said to have cashed a
forged check for $500 on trust COM
pany in Cleveland. He is accused of
securing payment of $425 by the Title
Guarantee and Trust Company of
Philadelphia, using the name Leonard
r. Wilson and as Sidney r. Parsons.
is said to have gotten the same
amount from the Continental Trust
Company, of Baltimore.
In his alleged operations in New
York. Rittenhouse is said to have
used the name Melvin j. Woolsey.
Although the authorities In all the
cities mentioned are most anxious to
get Rittenhouse in custody, he will
have to be tried here first.