The Washington times., 1912-09-09
POLICE THINK THEY
HAVE MEMBERS OF
CONF F|DENCE BAND
Strong Evidence Said to Be
Discovered Against Men
in Cincinnati.

CINCINNATI, Sept 9.-Police of Gin
cinnati and Newport have made
two important arrests that, 1t is thought,
will break up band of daring first
past-the-post" confidence men who have
been .reaping a rich harvest in New
York and throughout the Eastern and
central states.
The men under arrest are Walter
Burns, forty-two, who says he Is a
salesman of New York city. and Ed
ward wentworth, thirty-one, who claims
TO be a clerk of Buffalo, N. Y. Went
worth was arrested in front of the
Havlin Hotel, in this city, by Detectives
Odgers, Knockenhauer, Grim, and Wegg-
ner.
When searched at police headquarters
a room key for the Blue Grass Inns was
found, and this led the police to invesu-
gate the Kentucky end of their trail,
with the result that DETECTIVES Sheeran
and Cottingham, of the Newport police
department, were detailed to accom-
pany the Cincinnati officers to the
Blue Grass Inn, where Burns was taken
in,o custody.
Both men, well dressed, were deeply
inSulted by their arrest and claimed
great injustice was being done them.
Well Fitted Suite.
At Blue Grass Inn, a suite of three
well-fitted rooms had been engaged.
This was evidently the headquarters
Of the crowd, for "phony" telegraph
and telephone outfits were set up, as
was also a canvass blackboard that
could be rolled up. Charts and dope
sheets were also much in evidence, as
were racing tickets of THE United
Turf Exchange" and a cash box.
IT appears that the action taken by
the police in rounding up Burns and
Wentworth was just in time to save
Edward McC;a Phelps, Of Roanoke. Va;
worked up to the point where he was
just about to part from $1,000 when,
fortunately, ne impaired the informa-
tion that he was about to be made
rich to his nephew, c. M. Williams, of
Walnut Hills. The latter at once tipped
off the affair to the police. and the ar
rests followed.
The way that Phelps was worked
Is the for he sans way wReh RRs
appears numbers about five men, be-
came acquainted with Phelps Then
there was to be a killing and of course,
Phelps would like to get in,, but was
assured that he had already been put
in"
Then the big deal was worked. Phelps
giving check for 5000. He was told
that he had won, but as he was not a
resident of the state of Kentucky. the
law was against him collecting on a
check. He had made arrangements to
draw the $4,000 to put up, when the po-
lice got into the game.
The detectives believe tina. Burns and
Wentworth are members the gang
that film -fiammcd John Pugerman. Of
Cameron, w. Va, out OF $500 on Au-
gust 6, last, by the same methods.
Imitation Coins.
In their rooms at the Blue Grass Inn
the detectives found lot OF limitations
Of English sovereigns bearing the like
ness of Queen Victoria. 1t is supposed
that these were used to pile up and daz-
zle the eyes Of prospective victims. as
they appear on first glance very much
like s. gold pieces of this country
coinage.
Searching the rooms of the men ir
the Blue Grass Inn today, Detective
Sergeant Grim and a squad of Cincin-
natl and Newport. KY, detectives dis
covered a pile of bank checks, some OF
which have been protested at the banks
they were drawn upon, and marked in
sufficient funds at others. The checks
were on many banks. and were as fol
lows:
Sterling Bank of Canada. to Arthur
Corcoran, for 81 900, Endorsed by Mar
tin Corcoran, Mrs. A. Hull, and G. II
Thompson. Protested.
Bank of Sonona County, Petaluma
Cal, payable to Frank Ely. and in
dorsed by him. $1,000 Another 'on the
same bank to Ely was for $500 anC
was marked MOT sufficient funds"