The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-11-17
FORGERY
Charge Placed Against A
Young MilIiner
Who Makes Confession, But
Released When Aunt Made
Good Amount Of
The Checks

and striving with might and main TO
make both ends meet and, on the eve
OF marriage to an estimable young
man in her native town, forced to
some make-shift to make good the
liabilities outstanding against her
meager assets, produced a feeling of
pity for the unfortunate maiden, when
she was taken before Mayor Per
rine Sunday morning on a charge of
forgery preferred by two local banks.
The girl had been following her
trade-tbat of a milliner-at Freder-
icktown and was on the point of re-
turning to her home in Canal Dover to
Join her fiance last Wednesday, when
she found it was necessary to resort
to evil-doing in order to square her
self with creditors and appear before
her future mate clear with the world.
In her childish judgment On Tues
day, by means as clever as those of
dyed-in-the-wool criminal, she sue
ceeded in passing worthless checks
on The New Knox and the First Ma.
tional banks of this city. Her ruse
was discovered, her whereabouts
made known to local police by diligent
search and the girl, accompanied by
her father and aunt, brought down
from Akron Saturday midnight by Of.
ficer McElroy.
When brought up in police court.
she sobbed out the entire story from
beginning to end, confessing every
thing freely. Her work at Frederick
town had afforded her but meager
pay and she contracted several small
debts In that village. A new coat or
| dered from the Rjngwalt store in Mt.
Vernon, had to be paid for and enough
money secured to take her back to
Canal Dover and prepare her for her
coming marriage. But one way
seemed open to the girl and she forg-
ed two checks on each of the two
Utica banks, signing both with the
| name of the cashier of the First Ma
tional bank-Dwight M. Warner-and
making both payable to F. B. Lind.
Each was in the sum of SIS. Coming
to this city last Tuesday and, lacking
Identification, she decided on about as
smooth scheme to secure this as
has been used In this city for many
years.
Knowing young clerk in Mt. Yer
non, she went to him and said she had
purchased cloak from the ]. S. Ring
walt Co. and inquired the name of the
lady in charge of that department.
"Mrs. O. +. Cooper" was the reply.
Wait will you write 1t down for me-
she asked and produced bit of
paper. Unsuspectingly, the young
clerk wrote at her order, Mrs. o. f.
Cooper atRingwalt's Dry Goods Store"
She thanked him and fastened back
to the First National bank and cashed
the check, stating that she knew Mrs
Cooper.
The second check she had already
endorsed with the name EDNA Lind
but as this was insufficient, she de
liberately signed 90 Ransom" to the
bit OF paper and presented it at the
New Knox, where, without question
she received the money. The whole
affair would probably have passed un
noticed until the checks came back tc
the banks, had it not been for the fact
that Cashier Saurin Alsdorf of the
First National had seen the girl talk
ing to the clerk. When she left, he
young man about the girl and the
story of the obtaining of Mrs. Cooper's
name was told him. This was enough
to excite Mr.. Alsdorf's suspicious ant
he instituted inquiries which brought
forth the fact that "F B. Lind" was al
imaginary creature. In company will
Mr.. William Ackerman of the New
Knox. Mr.. Alsdorf gathered all the ev
idence in and both made affldavitl
charging the girl with forgery.
The local police officials found GU
from Fredericktown friends that thu
girl had gone to the home of her aun
in Akron, preparatory to returning t
: Canal Dover. The Akron police wer,
, notified and the girl placed under ar
rest and brought to this city by OF
ficer McElroy.
The whole story, coupled with th'
statement of her father that the cir
had never acted dishonesty before
convinced the mayor and chief tha
the girl could not be classed as Grim
inal. SO 1t was decided. with the cor
[ cent of the officials of the bank, tina
! the case should not be prosecuted fun
ther, on condition that the amount Q