The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-01-15
SAY mercer Confessed.
then DENIED
ce.sinsss From First Page

tor, one or the ueIeHuauts ettoihoyS
and New York detective named F1tz-
simmons.
Attorneys for Mercer, while cross
examining the stenographer, limited that
the District Attorney mad made prom
ise to Mercer that sentence would be
suspended provided he would plead
guilty, but Miss Miller denied that, say
ing that no such agreement had been
suggested or even limited at so far as
she knew.
The police in three other cities have
lodged detainers against Mercer, so the
authorities here say, and another de-
tainer has been entered against beBrun.
1t also is said here that Mercer Is
wanted in New York. City to testify in
a case involving q member of the New
York bar.
The Alleged Check Transactions
The defendants are charged with
having had two $1,000 bogus checks,
one on each of two jacksonville, Flor
ida banks, and depositing them,-one
in the Mechanics Trust Company and
the other in the Dauphin Deposit bank
in this city.-taking out accounts and
later drawing checks on the local banks,
which, however, were too wide awake
TO be duped and communicated with the
Florida institutions from which they
learned the 1000 checks were worth
less.
1t is charged that Mercer and La
Brun arrived in this city from Philadel-
phia in the early morning OF November
I, last. deposited the checks with the
local banks and were arrested at .
clock on the afternoon of the same
day. for trying to check against the de-
col. 70 fnIU
less than two hours after complaint had
been lodged with the police by one of
the local banks which had been iu
formed that the Florida banks would
not honor the 1000 checks.
Mercer, in his confession, according
to the testimony, began by describing
his partner LeBru1, saying LeBrun is
non-English speaking Frenchman, and
that he gave up profitable cigar busi-
ness in Chicago ILL.,, to join Mercer in
the manufacture and sale of a certain
type of automobile tire.
Wanted Cash to Tide Them Over
Mercer then went on to say, it was
alleged that they had met stranger in
Philadelphia on November 5, last, and
induced him to give them number of
blank Florida bank checks. Later, he
said, Mercer and LeBrun got this same
stranger to draw up the 81 900 checks.
Mercer said he knew the checks were
fictitious. but he deposited them in
the Harrisburg banks for collection to
tide over a temporary embarrassment. -
Before the banks would learn that the
checks were bad, Merser said in effect,
ne thought he could get money to 9 fix
matters up'' and TO make the checks
good.
''What we wanted to do, said Mer-
Ger. according to the statement as read,
"was 10 locate permanently in Harris
burg, begin the manufacture of the
auto tires and our aim was first to es-
tablish credit with the business men,
more than anything else. We gave
checks for articles we purchased at
the stores. We didn't need the goods;
we Just wanted them.
Continuing, Mercer explained that
he got a batch OF Harrisburg bank
blank checks on the counter of the
Commonwealth Trust company, Just
because we thought we would need
them, since before we had suffered busi-
ness losses because we did not have
proper bank checks at hand.
Further on Mercer said the stranger
from whom he obtained the Florida
checks in Philadelphia was a stock
salesman, named Clairmont, and that
ESQ far as I know Clairmont did not
have a rep
Miss Miller Enlightens Court
Tho statement that the bond sales
man does not have rep was made
after Mercer was asked by Fftzslm-
mons. the detective, if Clairmont ''has
a police record9' Several times, while
the stenographer was reading her notes
of the alleged confession, it WASH I al
together clear to the court and attor-
news lust of the trio,-the District At
tornev. Detective Fitzsimmons or Mer-
eer.-was represented as doing the
talking.
Each time Miss Miller was called
upon 10 offer enlightenment and she did
so. One of the many questions put to
Mercer was:
What in the devil did you draw
against that 81 1000 account forf'
II WASH I clear who had asked the
question, but before Miss Miller could
be asked to explain the District At
torney had remarked:
THAT was Fitzsimmons who asked
that
After making the statement to the
District Attorney. Mercer filed with him
copy of what purported to be story
of Mereer's former conviction. 1t was
typewriter and contained the caption,
MY former conviction 1t set forth
that Mercer had served three years in
the Missouri State Penitentiary on a.
charge of grand larceny. He set forth
in his story that ne was innocent OF
the offense for which he served time
and that his married brother was
the real thief. He added: 81 served
the sentence to save my brother and
his family"
Repudiates His Confession
In his supplemental statement repu-
dating his confession to the forgery
and false pretense charges, Mercer de-
elared that he and LeBrun received the
$1,000 checks from sc. E. Williams -
and -. T. Redmann,' Florida men, in
consideration for the right TO sell auto
tires which, the defendant declares he
intended to manufacture in this city.
He added that ne believed the checks
were good and opened the account with
the Harrisburg banks, and began check
ing against the accounts, in good faith
James f. Madigan, bookkeeper and
hand writing expert, connected with the
Barnett National bank, of Jacksonville,
Florida, one of the institutions on
which one of the alleged bogus checks
Il q