Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-05-14
Maine Bankers Association,
Office of the Secretary,


Maine Bankers Association,
Office of the Secretary,
Waterville, Maine, May 3, 1913.
The enclosed is copy of circular
issued by the Michigan Bankers As
ISOLATION, recently sent out, and re-
ceived by us, and possibly you may
have a copy of the same in your pos
session. 1t is believed that the man
described in this circular is operating
! here in Maine at the present time. We
are led to believe this by the follow
J ing occurances:
About week ago man. purport-
ing to be a Mr.. Specht. called al the
Messalonskee National Bank al Oak
land and deposited for collection
check on New Haven. Conn, Ranls
for $1,000, claiming that he was to buy
a farm of a certain DR.. Johnson be-
tween here ana Augusta. Mr. Harris,
cashier of the bank, forwarded this
check to New Haven for collection
and they Immediately telegraphed him
that the check was not good and that
Mr.. Sprecht was a fraud. A few days
later the same man called at the Wa
terville Savings Bank, leaving a checl:
for $4,000 to be collected claiming that
he was buying this same DR.. John
son farm, but the check was not good
If you get on track of him, please
call me up at once at the Kennebec
Trust Co, Waterville, for | am con-
WINGED from the pictures on the cir
cular and from the crooked operation
of the man in this same direction, that
he is the man described in the cir
cular.
He seems to have fondness for
buying farms and it was thought that
from here he had gone to Bangor and
possibly to the Aroostook, so look out
for him and remember there is a re-
ward for his arrest and conviction.
Respectfully,
HASCALL S. HALL. Secretary,
Before the above warning had been
issued. however, Sprecht had visited
Augusta, and left as souvenir of a
visit a worthless check for the amount
of $40. The date of his visit was fived
by the date of the check, which was
April %.
On that date. in company with DIR
II. l.. Johnson, Spreeht entered L. Il
Viewers dining room, and was intro
duced to the proprietor by DR.. John
son as having purchased, or being
about to purchase. the latter's farm
in Sidney. Under the circumstances
the stranger appeared to be all right
and when, later in the day, he made a
second call al the dining room and re-
quested Mr., Weever to cash a small
check for him. the latter did not hest
tate to do so. When asked as to the
amount of the check, Sprecht said
that so would do, and the check was
accordingly drawn for that amount
The check was drawn on the Me
chanics Bank 51-2, of New Haven
Conn, and was signed ''Josepf
Sprecht."
The check was deposited by Mr.. |
Viewer with the State Trust Co, and |
on Saturday, May 3, it came back to !
him, protested That evening Mr. |
Viewer swore out a warrant against |
Sprecht at the Augusta municipal |
court, charging him with passing a
worthless check, and placed it in the
hands of Deputy Sheriff Charles Fl |
of Waterville, ara that
officer, having heard that Sprecht had
been in Lagrange on the preceding
lay. lost no time in taking the trail
after him. But Sprecht was elusive,
and from that time, until Monday, his
were very much of a
mystery.
On Monday of this week, Mr.. Hall
'eeeiyed notice from Bath that
Sprecht had that day been arrested
1t Fort Kent, and lost no time in noti-
flying Deputy Sheriff Harrington of
hat fact. He also telegraphed the
sheriff at Kalamazoo. and that official
s now on his way East. accompanied
~ q man who can identify Spreeht
is the man wanted in Michigan.
Deputy Harrington left Waterville
or Fort Kent, Tuesday morning, on
rain 1T, which goes east from that