Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1913-05-07
MUCH WANTED FoReER CAP.
TUREp.

A forger was captured In Dubuque
last Thursday evening. who has been
working his smooth game in many
towns. The following is taken from
the Dubuque Times-Journal:
One Of the cleyerest forgers that
has worked in Iowa in years is J..
Walker, B. Wheat, ]. Perl, ]. Ward,
B. Williams or whatever the mans
correct name Is. who was taken into
custody by the local police at the
Wales hotel Thursday night. Walker
was arrested bv Officer. Mccormick
on the complaint OF E. Brueckner,
a business man OF Dyersville, who
accuses him OF passing two worthless
checks on him, one some time ago
for $40 and another last Monday for
$25. He is also accused Of having
passed another forged check for $40
in this vicinity.
But Walkers crimes about here
are as nothing in comparison with
those he perpetrated in many small
cities throughout lova.
e Cities are Warned.
Police headquarters and banks in
most Iowa cities had been warned TO
be on the lookout for the man and his
bad checks. Notices had been re-
ceived here previous TO his arrest
from more than a dozen banks that
have turned down checks that were
offered by their customers for de-
posft The operator went under
number Of aliases, only few Of which
are known here. Checks have been
drawn on the Union Trust company
of Chicago, in the name OF the Re
tail Merchants Protective company,
which he claimed to represent.
The forgeries that he is known to
have committed in Iowa towns extend
over period from ADril' to the
present time The Union Trust COM
pany has notified Per- w. Hall, sec
retary of the Iowa Bankers associat-
ion to assist in notifying the banks OF
the state 20 bs on their guard against
his checks.
A Smooth Worker.
Walker has all the earmarks of q
clever confidence man. He Is well
dressed, prosperous appearing, has a
pleasing personality and has been In
the habit OF staying at the best hotels
in order to make good impression
on his intended victims. His method
of working has been to visit a mer-
chant in one of the smaller towns and
announce himself as representative
Of the Retail Merchants Protective
company OF Chicago, Of Des Moines,
or whatever town he considered best
suited for his purpose at the time
being. His first aim at all times has
been to ingratiate himself with the
merchant.
This Is the method he employed at
Dyersville and other cities where he
worked.
Calling on Trade.
He informs the merchant that he Is
simply calling on the trade. He talks
fluently about the crops, tariff, and
business conditions generally, jollies
the merchant into the beleh that the
world Is on the eve of an era Of pros
perity unparalleled In the history Of
nations, and assures him that he will
drop In again before he leaves town.
When he returns he has just received
his check from the firm, and asks the
merchant If he will have the kindness
to cash It. He is always afraid that
the people in the next town may not
be "up and going like the people in
this town" He has no difficulty get
ting the cash. He buvs cigar of the
merchant, and insists that he smoke
one at the expense of the check.
Discover Forueries.
Among the banks through which
these forgeries have been discovered
when customers tried to deposit them
are the Farmers State and the First
National Of Dyersville; the Anamosa
National; Farmers and Merchants of
Manchester: the Niles & Waters
Savings at Anamosa: and the First
National banks Of Illinois at Carroll,
Savanna and Lanark.