Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-06-15
BANKERS bette MORE CAUGHT
Passer of Bogus. Checks Nabbed
~ in This City.
Charles Edward Wheeler, with Many
Aliases, Must Serve Time In Two
Prisons-IIas Long Criminal
Record.

Charles Edward Wheeler, alias Elwood
G. Smith, alias \. l.. Gerlig, alias Orlando
c. Smith. and who has in fact worked
under at least sevcnty-five aliases in all
the larger cities of this country, will
within a few days he re-committcd "a
the state prison at Windsor to complete
the sentence of not less than three nor
more than five years imposed upon MN
In Bennington county court several years
ago. when he was found guilty OF passing
bogus checks. When the sentence at the
State prison Is completed he will be taken
to the house of correction at Rutland
where he will serve not less than two
nor more than three years, having been
sentenced there from Ch!ttcnden county
court after having been found guilty on
the same charge. The sentences he will
serve because he broke the conditions of
his parole and probation respectively
Wheeler is rated as one of the two most
clever passers of bogus checks in this
country and of the two is the one more
feared by the members of the American
Bankers association, which represents
fifteen thousand bankers
Wheeler was arrested in this city Mon
day morning by Officer Dennis Brodie
of the local police force on complaint 81
a representative of the William j. Burns
International Detective Agency. Inc.
He was taken completely by surprise
by the detective, who came to this city
Saturday morning to camp on his trail.
The Boston office had been notified that
Wheeler intended to come to this city
from Chicago to represent the Rex Type
writer company Of that city. Wheeler
arrived Sunday night.
The man was given n hearing before
Judges Fred w Hall and Henry w.
Tracy. assistant judges of Chittenden
county court, Monday afternoon on the
charge of having violated his probation
and also his parole The facts were laid
before the court by Probation 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 i'm
prove his mode Of living but he had been
beaten by the system" He did not &c
into much detail as to Just what he meant
TO imply ny the system" other than tina
If. when he was liberated from the Wind
sor prison. the Charlotte case had no
been brought against him and also that
If he had been given a Lucrative posi-
tion," whereby he would have been ablt
to make comfortable living, he would
have led a different life. In fact his sol
story shamed the plea of Mary Turner
and Joe Carson in within the Law" II,
waxed dramatic and suddenly stopped
with the statement that he had accumu
lated debts and was crowded for paymen
and that he had robbed Peter to pay Pau
and had passed bogus checks becaus
that method of meeting his obligations
came easier to him than others. The pro
baton officer. EXPRESSED the opinion tina
If Wheeler had not attempted such larg
enterprises he might easily have lived al
honorable life.4
The detective agency learned tina
Wheeler had passed about a dozen check
during May principally in the vicinit
of Chicago and in Wisconsin and Mime
sofa. He used the same game he has use
many times before. He would go to
large city and rent a good sized hous
from a prominent real estate broker
Through the broker he would be in
troduced to some grocer or furnitur
dealer, of whom he would order a sma
to furnish part of the house. He woul
then draw a check which would NOR
than cover the Amount OF the bill an
take the remainder in cash. For tn
most part his dealings were with grocer
his method being to draw a check fc
about fifty dollars in payment for an OF
der amounting to six or eight dollars.
Wheeler was sentenced to the Stat
prison at Windsor from Bennington cour
ty court for passing bogus checks an
was paroled by the Governor after he ma
served about two and half years {
his sentence. which was for not less tina
three nor more than five years. He wa
arrested last fall and arraigned in Chi
ing passed bogus check for so on Stal
ton Williams of Charlotte, who took ii
check, giving in return n small order
groceries and the remainder in cash. II
was found guilty on this charge and wa
sentenced 10 serve not less than two nC
more than three years at the house
correction at Rutland. In view Of Il
mans fine prison record, the cour: SHOW
ed him mercy and suspended the sentenc
placing him in the hands of the prob;
ton officer for two years with tie add
tonal condition that he pay five dollar
each month TO the probation officer unit
Mr.. Williams had received the amount
money of which he had been cheated wi,