Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-06-21
IOWA PROLIFIC FIELD DURING
PAST YEAR FOR BOGUS
CHECK WRITER'S.
MORE THAN USUAL NUMBER
PLACED BEHIND BARS
State Bankers Association Secret ssrv-
ice Department. Doing Effective
Work in Rounding Up Crooked Pen.
Msn-Report Of Secretary Hall In
dieatss Activity in Making Arrests.
Special to Times-Republican.

!. Des Moines, June 21.-That there has
been an unusual epidemic of forgeries
in Iowa the past year and more forgers
have been captured than in other years
is the statement Of p. w. Hall, sec
rotary Of the Iowa Bankers Associa-
ton. in his printed report for the year,
which he Is sending to the members Of
the association. His report includes
also that Of the treasurer, auditing
committee and detectives.
In referring to the protective work
as reported by the protective depart
ment he states that there has not been
a successful bank burglary since Dec.
IL, 1912, and only two attempts, tho
burglaries have occurred in all sur
rounding states.
I'VE endeavor at all times to know
the whereabouts of bank burglars who
are in Iowa, and there are plenty of
them, and they know we are watching
their movements, which, perhaps, is
one reason why they have left our
banks alone" says the report yet we
have been anticipating burglaries al
most every night"
Some Gangs Still Operate.
Gust J. Patek, Of the Patek Detective
Agency, takes up this protective work
in his report as head of the protective
department. Detective Patek states that
there are still several yegg aggrega-
tons located in or close to Iowa but
their operations Of late have been COM
fined principally to general merchan-
disc stores and postoffices in smaller
towns. He states that the protective
has been in close touch
with the movements Of these men, and
as the department has absolute knowl-
edge Of their haunts and who these
yeggmen are, 1t is in position to keep
a line on the leaders. He states that
during the past year hard effort has
been made to learn who constitute the
yegg fences and who do their locating
and while there is no doubt that there
are many that they have been unable
to locate, yet reasonable line has
been gotten upon these men and their
location.
Doing Effective Work.
TN the last four years this depart
ment has directly furnished the county
courts of the state with evidence which
has convicted many Of the best-known
and most daring yeggmen in the coun-
try" says Detective Patek. THE courts
have dished out sentences to these men
that have beyond doubt been great
assistance in bringing about the pres
ent conditions. Among the yeggmen
arrested and convicted directly thru the
efforts OF the Protective Department or
with It's assistance are Frank Collins,
alias Toledo Joe; James Gleason, alias
Blackie; Charles Fisher;
Charles Mcbride, alias Little Johnnie;
James King, alias Fat King; Herbert
Blanchard, alias Herb Benson; William
Pagan; Thomas McTory; George Nor
ris; William Carson, alias Decator
Req; Harry Davis; Mike Connors;
Mike Murray. alias Mickey McDermitt;
James Simpson, alias Canada Jimmie
and Roland Russell. alias Kid Martin.
Besides the above some twenty-five to
thirty other yeggs were arrested and
convicted
Emergency Currency Retired.
Iowa banks have retired all but about
100000 Of the $4,000, 900 emergency
currency issued last fall. It is probable
that the remaining sum will be retired
within short time.
This emergency currency came as
special relief to Iowa banks who were
taking care Of the situation in livestock
quarantine districts. p. w. Hail. Sec
rotary of the bankers association, re-
fers to 1t in his annual report. Con-
corning this he says:
early last fall, three months before
the federal reserve banks opened for
business, the national currency associa-
ton Of Iowa was organized for the
purpose of taking advantage of the
privilege Of issuing additional circula-
ton provided under the Aldrich-
Vreeland act, and emergency currency
to the amount of $4,000, 600 was issued
to the national banks of the state
The currency thus secured contributed
largely toward relieving the somewhat
stringent financial condition and came
as special relief to those banks who
were taking care of the situation in
the livestock quarantine districts"
In his report Secretary Hall calls
attention to the banking laws passed
by the recent legislature and declares
that in the long run the measure allow.
ing state and savings banks to join
the federal reserve system probably
will be considered the most important.
He says that state and savings banks
are hoping that the federal reserve act
will be 50 amended that they may join
the system without radically changing
their methods Of business He states
that bankers regard the addition to the
DARKEN GRAY