Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1920-10-22
Several FOrgeries Have Been
Committed and One Ar
rest Made
ALLEGED EMBEZZLER
LOCATED IN SOUTH
Said Also To Have Welded Facile
Pen.--Witness Puzzled Over
John Doe"

Check forging has been experiencing
a revival in this community du ing the
past few days and local merchants and
business men have been the victims of
the pen artists. Fortunately, the in
dividual and collective losses have been
comparatively small. But such losses
are always annoying, and vigorous eff
forts should be made to put stop 70
them as much as possible. One Of the
culprits was arrested and jailed ana
the proper officials are on the trail of
the others.
The work of Edward Il. Peach was
crude and bungling and quickly land
ed him in the tolls. He was anything
but peach at the forging game. He
is Il married man and came here from
near Prairie Farm. Being shy of the
cash SO necessary in these days of the
high cost of living, he resOrted to one
of the old games of getting money with
out working for it.
He knew X. M. Goldsmith, local
business man, and proceeded to cap
italiZe the acquaintance by signing
Mr.. GOldsmith's name to several
checks. At least one of the checks was
drawn in favor of VIM. Hanson. One
Kaufman store after small purchase
had been made. Peach next called
upon the S. Levin K Son store, where
he purchased sweater, receiving in
currency and coin change for Gold
smith check for SAT. He then visited
the Handy Grocery on e. WOrden-av.
to work the same trick, evidently. Mrs.
Zilinsky, wife of the proprietor, be-
came suspicious when she read Mr..
GOldsmith'S signature on the check.
spelled with Il small g and tele-
phoned him in regard TO it. While
Mrs Zilinsky was telephoning, Mr..
Peach left the store. In the meantime
Henry Levin had been apprised at the
bank where he had taken the check, OF
it's character He found Officer Dod-
son and together they made little
search for the check artist and soon
found him on the street. He made
only "a feeble excuse for his actions in
the matter and appeared to be con-
siderably frightened. In municipal
court he pleaded guilty to the charge
against him and was locked up in the
county Jail. Mr.. levin recovered the
sweater he had sold Peach, also the
money of which he had been de-
frauded.
Peach had just paid Mr.. Goldsmith
$40 rent on house when Officer Dod-
son came to interview Goldsmith about
the matter of the forged checks.
"Joln Doe" Warrant Out
On complaint of w. A. Blackburn,
cashier of the State Bank OF Lady
smith. q John Doe" warrant for the
arrest of the person who passed forged
checks over the signatures of A. *.
Shudlick, business man of Crane, ANA
VIM. Emley, farmer of the town OF
Hubbard. was issued Oct. IL. The
charge in the complaint was forgery
and attempt to defraud the Fritz Dry
Goods Co. of this city, who cashed one
of the checks, which was for SID. D.
kaufman was also the victim OF the
same check writer. The check pur-
porting TO have been signed by Mr..
Emley was made payable to Anna
Murry.
Mrs. Mary Nichols, OF Crane was
subpoenaed as witness at hearing
of this matter. She denied knowing
anything about the checks or OF hav-
ing any acquaintanceship with John
Doe" concerning whom she eyinced
considerable inquisitiveness. The iden-
tity of the check writer is still mys-
terry.
G.. r. Phillips, the insurance agent
who. it was charged, put some bad
checks into circulation in Ladysmith
and Weyerhaeuser during the past
summer, is reported to have been 10
Gated in Oklahoma and may be under
arrest there by this time.
On Monday, Roy Campbell, mem
ber of the Wisconsin Accident
Health Insurance Co, the company for
whom Phillips acted as agent in sell
ing insurance i'm this county, swOre 10
a complaint charging Phillips with EN-
bezzlement of funds of the company
amounting to $267.41, and a warrant
has been issued for his arrest.