The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-03-24
Edna Brake Accused of Pass
ing Worthless Checks.
Officers Say She Caught Many
Topeka Merchants.
GOT $40 At ONE STORE
Caught Trying To Get $55 at
Crosby Bros. Store.
Detectives Gave Chase to Fleet
Footed Girl This Morning.

The love of finery, according to her
own story, was what led little 13 year.
old Edna Brake into the clutches of
the law this morning. Her arrest by
4 the police has uncovered one of the
most sensational forgery cases in years
1.-THE more extra raordinary because the
girl accused by the authorities is a
mere child. She was caught in Crosby
Brothers store about 9 o'clock this
morning when she attempted to pass
a worthless check for S55 officers said.
A short time previous she had cashed
a $40 check at Peterson's jewelry store.
106 West Eighth street, where she
bought a bracelet watch for $35,
spending the remaining $5 for a pair
of shoes. She also passed a check for
| $3.50 at Halls book store in payment
for two books. She confessed to pass
ing other worthless checks for small
amounts.
She Names Another Woman.
After insisting for hours that she
alone was to blame for the crimes,
Edna finally said that Mrs. Bernie
! MoritZ, who lives in the same build
ing with her and her mother at 216
West Sixth street. over the wv laun-
dry. had been the instigator of her
wrongdoing. She stated that Mrs
Moritz had told her to go ahead and
forge the checks and buy what she
wanted; that if her mother asked her
where she got them, that she-Mrs.
Moritz-would tell her that she gave
them to her for taking care of the
Moritz baby. Edna said she then
went to the Bank of Topeka, where
!. she got blank checks and made them
out.
One of the checks, for 50. was
passed on the John A. Davis Jewelry
company. 603 Kansas avenue. where
she bought a set of beauty pins. This
check was signed with the name of
Mrs. G. R. Moritz and was made pay
able to Ruby Rustor.
Stayed Away From School.
Little Edna's mother, widow who
| is said to work at the Poehler Mercan-
tile company, was called to the police
station this morning. She stated that
what she made was all she and her
little daughter had to live on, and that
| Edna was attending school. Edna
confessed that, because she got mad
| at her teacher, who made her stay in
late for whispering. that she had not
attended school a day last week
| Detectives George Frost and Ed
! Ransom had heard of the case and
been working on it for several days.
They had followed Edna from store
to store on Kansas avenue but were
unable to catch her attempting to pass
worthless checks. When the little girl
entered the Crosby Brothers store this
morning, she handed them the S55
check in payment for a pair of shoes
she had picked out.
Suspecting something wrong. they
, called up the bank and found the
check was no good. Then, it was said,
Edna offered them the cash. which
was the s5 she had left over after
buying her wrist watch at Peterson's s.
However, the police were called and
Frost and Ransom came Immediately
r to the store.
r Gave Officers Race.
= Edna told them she lived in Oak
land and then started out of the store
When she reached the sidewalk, she
2 ran north toward Seventh street and
= it was only after a hard race that
: Ransom caught her. She tossed her
I packag ages-shoes. wrist watch and the
books she had bought at Ha1fs-aI a "
' but Ransom held her until Frost ar
7 rived. She was then taken to the
9 station.
: When the officers began question
ing her at police headquarters, Edna
burst into tears and hid her face in
. her arms She at first contended that
: she had come from Kansas City; that
she had been sleeping in the alleys
, and eating at the restaurants. She
then admitted that she lived with hel
mother and gave a fictitious address
\ | Then she confessed that she lived
] over the Nv Laundry and that heI
mother worked for Poehler's.
But don't tell her about this she
begged the detectives. please don't
tell my mother. She thinks I'm al
| right
: 1t was two hours before the little
p girl told the officers that Mrs. Moritz
e was at the bottom of the whole thing
! She said that she had written some
| of the checks in Mrs. Moritz's bed
= room on the dresser. She stated tha
: it was agreed that Mrs. Moritz was to
:, get a $50 locket out of the deal Ran
som said that when he first caugh
e her, she exclaimed: "Oh. why die
;. mamma make me do this?"
f Mrs. Brake stoutly contended tha
! she did not know of her daughter
= acts nor her absence from school
= When she entered the station, Edna
/. held out her arms to her.
:. Mamma" she cried, and burst int
d tears anew.
e why did you do this. Edna ?" Mrs
d Brake asked when she had learned o
= the charge against her daughter.
IL Because I wanted Clothes" replied
: the girl between sobs. "All the girl
at school dress nice and they snub yoI
if you don't have nice clothes. They'v
nearly all got wrist watches. too
Ii Juvenile Court Case.
II Edna will be turned over to tn
| juvenile court. The police statet
that the case was out of their jur
| isdiction. so far as it concerned Mrs
| Moritz. and that her arrest would de
pend upon the county attorney. c
R. Moritz is said to work in a loca
billiard hall.
II The names mostly used by Edna il
| forging the checks were Mrs. c. r
Smith, S24 Jackson street; Ida Mayes
II 215 Jackson and Mrs. c. r. Ruster- S,
| far as is known. the persons as well a
| the addresses are purely fictitious
The police had Edna write a check a
| the station. and the writing was identi
fled as that on the checks passed oil
merchants. She confessed to passing