The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-02-17
SAY CURLING HAS
LONG CAREER
FORGERY
Man Arrested Here Wanted in
Many Cities
TRAIL FROM COAST TO COAST
Search Of His Suit Case Revealed
Complete Outfit to Make Bogus
Checks.

states Attorney w. j. MedSueT put
in good share OF Saturday evening
and portion of Sunday looking up
The record OF Eden Smith, the aileg-
ed forger who was arrested here Sat
| urday morning and taken in the at
ternoon to White River Junction,
where he will have hearing today
on the charge OF passing worthless
check upon W. |. Spaulding. a mer-
chant at North Hartland.
The alleged forgers real name is
probably Lewis A. Curling, but he is
believed to have operated under the
names OF b. 5. Smith. Selden Smith,
vernon 5. Davis, Edwin $. Davis and
other aliases.
Answers to States Attorney Meag
hers kilograms stated that Curling
was wanted in Pensacola, Tampa,
Palm Beach, Fla, in Pontiac, Mich,
Tor three of1enses, Albany, n. T., Mad
lson, o., and Nergennes, VI
States Attorney Meagher also COM
municated with the Morgan * Wood
detective agency in Boston and with
the Pinkerton agency in New York.
rhe w. j. Burns agency OF New York
sent a man to White River Junction
with the expectation of connecting
Curling with forgery operations in
New Jersey. Detective Wentworth OF
the Boston agency met the officers and
their prisoner at White River juno
ZION and Bertilllon measurements and
finger prints were taken.
there is good reason to believe
that the Bennington officials must be
credited with capturing one of the
slickest operators IN the country. The
tact that ne was run down in a small
town seemed TO worry Curling more
than anything else. - -" he
exclaimed when he was taken into
States Attorney Meaghers office to
be searched. Come up in this jerk
state and get pinched !"
As was stated IN Saturdays Ban
ner, Gurlings arrest came through
his connection with real estate man
IN Medford, Mass, who exchanged
lists OF properties for sale with the
Nash q Hutchins agency in this viii
lage. Through Mr.. Hutchins, the
states attorney had been posted in
relation to the alleged forger, but
there was no definite information re-
lating TO the charge against the man
About 10 o'clock Friday evening the
states attorney received word by
telephone that Curling was wanted
on the other side of the state for the
North Hartland job. Accompanied by
Chief of Police Brazil and Frederick
Godfrey the states attorney went to
the Putnam house and found that
Curling had left a call for 1915 a. M,
as it was his intention to leave town
by the north bound sleeper. The of.
hcers waited in the office OF the hotel
until the hour for the call Curling
was awakened by bell boy and
started down stairs, unaware that
Chief of Police Brazil was only a few
steps in his rear. When he arrived
in the office the sheriff and states at
torney closed in upon the man so
that there was no chance for escape.
When taken to the Office of the
states attorney, Curling was search.
ed and in a concealed pocket in the
rear of his vest was found large en-.
velope containing halt dozen certified
checks made out on a Madison, o.,
bank and payable to himself on ex-
pense account. Some of the checks
were for $4,000 and $4,000. The most
convincing evidence that Curling is a
bad check operator, however. was
found in the mans suit case. There
was complete set of rubber stamps
used to make out certified checks to. |
gether with one of the small stamps !
with which the surface of the checks |
where the figures are written is cor |
rugated. There were several bank |
books showing that he had at differ
ent times made deposits in different
cities.
Pads of blank checks on banks in
Los Angeles, Cal, New Orleans. Mia
mi, Fla, Madison, o., and other cities
were among his effects, showing that
he had travelled from one coast to
the other.
Saturday forenoon Curling was TAX.
en- into the courtroom where he was
by Wills T. White. He
didn't like the idea at all. but his OBJ
iections did not last long.
Curling is a pleasant appearing
man Of stocky build. smooth face.
light hair and blue eyes. He was well
dressed in a dark suit and wore a re-
yersible fur-lined overcoat.
He was taken to White River juno
lion on the 5.45 car over the Benning-
ton and North Adams street railway
by sheriff ]. H. Kiniry and States
Attorney Raymond Trainor of Wind
sor county.
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