The Detroit times., 1912-10-14
ELEVATOR YOUTH
POSESASPASTOR;
TRIES SWTNDLE
John b. c. Walker Introduces
Self as Minister of ENG
lish Church In India"
ATTEMPTS TO PURCHASE
AUTOS IN LOTS OF 25
Tipped on by Girl Stenographer
and Police Lock
Him Up

Posing as a clergyman from the
English church in Lucknow, India.
during the spare moments when he
was not running an elevator up and
down the shaft OF the Penobscot
building, John b. {. Walker. 20 years
old. and claiming TO have no home.
fell into the clutches OF the police
when he tried to buy automobiles In
lots of 25. from the Paige Detroit Au-
tomobile Co.
Had II not been for the Bertillon
memory OF a young woman, employed
az stenographer In the auto factory.
and also happening 10 be member OF
the Girls Friendly society In church
where the take divine once performed
a service, the automobile company
would probably have been "stung'
for the cars.
Last May. Walker made his bow
TO the local clergy, delegation OF
whom visited the detective bureau,
Saturday, and exacted solemn prom
ise that their names should not be
made public. One minister OF the To-
cal Episcopal churcn ''lamped" Walk
er as fraud before the latter had
progressed far with his attempt at de-
ception. he had introduced himself
as "Dr. Walker OF the English church
Of Lucknow" But ne had no papers
or vestments to prove lbs claims.
In August, he visited another
church on q Sunday, and introduced
DIR. Walker. Of Lucknow TO the
minister stating that he wished TO
sit In the chancel during the services.
as he -relt more At home there"
The pastor baked when he learned
that "Dr. Walker" was minus vest
ments or letters of order" or other
papers TO identofy him.
On Monday, however, "Dr. Walker
strolled into a meeting Of the Girls
friendly society. The rector was away
AZ the time. Walker told the girls
who he was supposed to be, and they
asked him to give them a little talk
on the church In Lucknow.
"Oh, never do things that way,
said "Dr. Walker" First we must
have a service" Whereupon he ar.
ranged himself in the vestments OF
the regular rector and proceeded with
service. But he didn't talk about
India.
One OF the young ladies who was al
the meeting, works In the Paige once
The other day, she asked her pastor
II he remembered the name Of the
Lucknow minister who was a recent
visitor.
The pastor laughed and told hei
the fellow was fake"
Then the young woman announced
that the man was being wined and
dined by automobile people, as q reg
ular fellow" from India, who was buy
ing 25 cars for shipment to Lucknow
and stating that he had already had
20 Pierce cars shipped there. but he
wanted to carry a line of light, as
well as heavy cars.
The little setnographer told the
head bookkeeper about Walkers min
isterial experience, an investigation
by the Paige people followed, and they
learned that the Pierce people had
never shipped those 20 autos to Luck
now for DR.. Walker.
Then they took "Dr. Walker" tc
Bethune station when he came to con
summate the deal. He had given q
check for $3.50 on pennsylvania
bank, as q deposit on the cars. The
check Is bein looked up by the
police.
A receipt in his pocket stated thai
he had bought some Rambler cars In
Kenosha, Wis
He Is registered as q suspicious
person. but the police believe that he
IS a slick swindler.