Omaha daily bee., 1915-02-24
READ STEPS FAST,
BUT LANDS IN JAIL
WEEDS Three Days After Reaching
Omaha and Has Many Worth
less Checks Cashed.
WAS JUST READY TO SKIP OUT


Elmer A. Read, aged 80 years. Of
Las Vegas, N. NJ, is held at the city
jail for passing worthless checks.
Read. who came here from Chicago
last Tuesday. has during his short
sotourn in the city met and married
Miss Katherine o'Connor, 24O4 Cass
street, passed worthless checks on
two department stores to the amount
of $155, beat board bill at the Pax
ton hotel and broken the heart of the
wife who innocently secured endorse
ments for his worthless bits OF paper.
The only part of the whole affair that
the fellow appears TO regret Is the fact
that Detective L. T. Finn was shrewed
enough to effect his apprehension before
he could get out OF town.
Married In Three Days.
On arriving In the city Read started
Immediately to lay plans to cash the
checks. Going to the Brandeis stores he
struck up an acquaintance with Miss
O'Connor. and after eourtship OF three
days secured her promise to wed him
He appeared at the store late Friday
afternoon with check for So. made
payable to himself. and drawn on the
First National bank of Plattsmouth TO
the account OF G. NJ. Buhl Through his
prospective bride he secured the endorse
ment OF II. F. Pillsbury, floor manager,
and cashed It at the Brandeis bank
Married Saturday.
Saturday evening Miss o'Connor and
Read took taxi to the home of Rev.
Hugh b. Speer, S01s Cass street. and were
married. The couple planned to start on
their honeymoon Monday evening, leav-
ing Omaha on the Missouri Pacific at
HE'S for Kansas City From Kansas
City they were to visit relatives at Las
Vegas, and from there journey to San
Francisco. for the fair. At Las Vegas
Read was to receive the remaining
thousands of $500 legacy which his
mother left him six months ago. To
make his story good the fellow asked
Rev. Speer to forward the marriage GER
tificate TO the, Manhattan club of San
Francisco.
Has Another Cheek.
Late Monday afternoon Read appeared
at the Brandeis Stores and by the same
methods he employed with the S75 check,
had one for S25 drawn on the Peoples
Trust and Savings bank of Carroll. Ia,
to the account of X. w. Clemmons, en-
dorsed by Sam Cohen, assistant superin-
tendent Of the store. This he cashed at
o'clock. In the meantime nothing had
been heard from the $40 check and look
ing the matter up. the department found
it bogus. At 4:15 Special officer Finn had
his ropes set to arrest Read
officer George Emery and Special Of
ficer L. T. Finn entered the Henshaw
hotel late Monday evening and at a table
to the back OF the cafe arrested Read.
who. with his wife and her chum were
ordering dinner.
COnfesses All.
At the station Read confessed every
and that he was travelling man for the
National Advertising company of Indian
apolis up till two weeks ago.
Captain Dempsey gave the man a thor
ough piece OF his mind Wednesday morn
ing and as a result Read said he would
make the checks good. On his person at
the time Of his arrest he had S92 in
cash. A number of other checks which
lie cashed while in the city. according
to his own story, have not come TO the
notice of the police. although one for $50,
made out identically like the SIS check,
was brought to police headquarters from
the Burgess-Nash Stores.
Read had left HIS grips at saloon at
Sixteenth and Leavenworth streets. and
had ordered an expressman to call for
them there. To the expressman he gave
the name OF A. e. Cling. 1921 Leavenworth
street and his telephone number as r.
1853 The latter was found by the police
TO be the number of phone in a vacant
apartment in the Hamilton.