Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-02-18
FORGERY OUTFIT
CAPTURED HERE
BY DETECTIVES
False Postoffice Money Orders
Made on Press Found at
= lrvington.
SEIZURE FOLLOWS ARREST
MADE AT NEW ORLEANS
Tanning, Federal Prisoner,
Gave Outfit to Local Boy
4 at Baltimore.

Charged with counterfeiting United
states postofflce money orders, Will
lam H. Tanning was arrested in New
Orleans yesterday. The arrest was
followed by the Sc 'zure last night at
Irvington, of small press with
which the printing was done
Chief Cortelyou. Of Philadelphia,
head Of the postoffice inspectors, said
that the forged money orders were
the best imitation Of the government
originals that ever came into his
possession. flaming, the prisoner
taken at New Orleans, liable to a
term OF forty years in prison.
The Irvington seizure was made at
675 Grove street, in the home of
Charles virgins, by two detectives
who came here from Philadelphia.
Wriggins's son, Howard, came into
possession of the press recently at
Bait more. At that tine the Wrig-
gins family was living in Baltimore
and Tanning roomed in their house
The. virgins family moved to Irv-
lngton several weeks ago. Before the
virgins folk left Baltimore the
"
ning; Tanning shortly afterward left
Baltimore.
The seizure at Irvington apparently
clears up a mystery of about one
months standing. Tanning, while in
Baltimore. 1t is sad, turned out a
large number of counterfeit money
orders with the signature of the Bal.
fimore postmaster and the stamp of
the Bait more postoff1ce forged.
After he had as many of the coun-
serfeits as he needed Tanning gave
the printing outfit to the virgins
boy. The outfit is said to resemble a
small printing press. The virgins
family took the printing outfit with
them. Tanning says they had. no
suspicion Of the nature of the work
he used the outfit for, and the postal
authorities belisve he is telling the
ruth in the matter,
Watched His Mail. e
Since January i8. when postofice
authorities at Pittsburgh notified the
department that a eounterfeiter OF
postal money orders had visited that
city, practically every postal inspec-
tor In the service had been looking
tor the man. He travelled the coun-
try. eluding them at every turn. 1t
% seed net"-een him and a Baltimore
woman, that the inspectors finally
founs d clue. TINS and he knowledge
that the person duplicating the money
orders had forged the Baltimore post
office stamp and the signature of the
postmaster of that city to the fake
orders, led the inspectors to centre
thr'~ ',v-estion -ion in that city.
Tanning took his arrest calmly. He
told of his operations without reserve
According to the inspectors he estab-
lished his plant in the Baltimore
rooming house and turned out forged
money orders as he pleased. The first
to be discovered by the government
was cashed in Pittsburgh January 13.
in the amount OF S54.5e. Tanning had
purchased S12 watch from jeweler.
presented the order and received
1880 change. Before the authorities
at Pittsburgh found that the paper
used by Tanning was of distinctly
different type from that Of genuine
orders, Tanning had jumped to Chi
cago, where he cashed numerous or
ders. four for $3.50 and one for
S31. 50.
~ hen complaints reached Wash
ingtor from Chicago so shortly after
those from P't+1hu-eh 1t was at first
thought band Of counterfeiters was
at work Ch eff Johnson then notified
every district in the country to
search for the man. Inspectors j. B.
Robertson, of Washington; C. G..
Kinsel, of Austin Tex: J. n. Sam
dose who covers Louisiana; w. s.
Furdum of New Orleans, and Mat
thew McVickar. assigned from the
local Office by Chief Inspector Cortel-
you. were the men who finally traced
Tanning and arrested him.
May BE Witness.
Postal authorities refuse to make
public the name of the woman by
whose means they found Tanning
She may be material witness at his
trial Neither will they venture a
guess. at the amount of money OBJ
tsns. T.