The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-06-13
REFORMED FORGER
HOWARD {. SMITH
IN TROUBLE
ParOIed Pen Wizard Said to Have
Fallen from Grace
UNDER ARREST IN BURLINGTON
Trailed from st. Paul by Burns De-
tectives Who Claim He Has
Been Making Bad Checks.

Charles Edward Wheeler, alias
Howard e. Smith," alias rs other
names and with reputation of being
one of the most expert forgers in the
country, who has posed as reformed
lawbreaker, is under arrest at Bur-
lington charged with having returned
to his old game Of securing easy
money"
Wheeler or Smith" has number of
acquaintances in Bennington acquired
since his release from Windsor on
parole. 1t was here that his long and
successful career of forgery was
brought to an end through the efforts
of Former States Attorney w. j.
Meagher in 1913.
Wheeler was arrested in Burlington
Monday morning on the complaint OF
the William ]. Burns international
detective agency.
Wheeler arrived in Burlington Sun
day from st. Paul, Mimi, and was ar
rested on a warrant made out by Pro
baton officer Sherman.
The man was given a hearing before
Judges Fred w. Hall and Henry w.
Tracy, assistant judges of Chittenden
county court, yesterday afternoon on
the charge of having violated his pro-
baton and also his parole. The facts
were laid before the court by Pro
baton Officer A. l.. Sherman, and the
detective stated that he would have
dispositions sent on from the West If
the prisoner was not ready to plead
guilty. When asked by the court
what he had to say, Wheeler stated
that he was guilty, that he had tried to
improve his mode of living but he had
been beaten by "the system. He did
not go into much detail as to just what
he meant to imply by "the system"
other than that If, when he was liberat-
ed from the Windsor prison, he had
been given a lucrative position"
whereby he would have been able to
make a comfortable living, he would
have led a different life. He waXed
dramatic and suddenly stopped with
the state ment that he had accumulat-
ed debts and was crowded for payment
and that he had robbed Peter to pay
Paul and had passed bogus checks be-
cause that method of meeting his OBJ
legations came easier to him than
others.
Wheeler is said to be one Of two
men most feared by the American
Bankers Association. He has oper-
ated in nearly every state in the
Union, his method being, as he him
self said in a confession made in
February, 1918, when he was sentenced
to three to five years at Vermont State
prison for forgery, as follows: He
would 90 to a city, engage head
quarters, look over the place, and
when he was satisfied he could work
his little game, would place big or
der for groceries or household furnish
ings with local dealer, paying for it
with forged check for large amount
and taking the change.
This game was worked successfully
by him in perhaps hundred cities,
all over the country. among them be-
ing New York, Philadelphia, Buffalo,
Portland, Me-, Washington, d. c.,
Baltimore and through the South and
West.
After Wheeler had served more
than two years of his sentence at
Windsor he was paroled by Governor
Gates and released October /, 1915.
Since that time for several months
he travelled the State in the interest
of the Prison Monitor" of which he
was a contributor and promoter. He
also gave lectures before societies and
clubs, where he could arrange to dc
so, on Contract Prison labor. All
this time he went under the name OF
Howard f. Smith, the name under
which he was arrested in 1913.
He made Burlington his headquart
ers for several months and was seen
about the streets considerably. Dur
ing the winter he left for the West
but reported to probation officer
monthly. His letters are interesting
They are written on typewriter and
signed Howard Il. Smith with the
name Charles Il. S. Wheeler above
In the last letter he tells the Pro
baton officer that he has got on hi,
feet at last, has the agency for well
known typewriter and that the futur,
looks bright. He says that the nam
Smith" would ever remain dead {,
him. He had assumed his real name
Wheeler from then on.
Shortly afterward the Burns peopl
received complaints OF forgeries il
the West and as Wheeler's photograph
is on file at &c of the Burns agencie
1t was a comparatively easy thing t
run him down. He was recognized b
the photo and description, and tn
arrest followed in due course.
Williams is AZ years old and wa