Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-08-13
FORCES NAME Of
FORMER EMPLOYER
TO THREE CHECKS
CHECKS ToTALLING s12o DIS
COVERED BY AUTHORITIES FOL
LOWING ARREST OF GREEK
WAITER-ARREsTED PREVIOUS.
LY ON SIMILAR CHARGES
EONDS FIXED AT $500.

A record in apprchending a check
forger was made this morning, when
Nicholas Koucoulas, Greek, former
waiter at the College Inn Cafe, corner
of Madison and Columbus streets was
arrested by Captain of Police James
b. Sheehan, fifteen minutes after he
had passed $40 forged check at the
Harry +. Boyle clothing firm, La Sale
street Fifteen minutes after he was
arrested by the police head, koucoulas
was on his way to the county Jail,
where he will await the next session OF
the grand jury as result Of a speedy
sentence given by Judge George Y.
Koenig Judge Koenig, showed no
leniency, as he had dealt with Kou-
coulas on similar charges before and
has always treated the former en-
ploye of the College in fair manner,
Koucoulas wrote out three checks
on the National City Bank of ottawa,
for the amount of $40 each One
check was made out to himself, while
another was made out to G. Connors.
and the name of the third was not
capable Of being determined by
authorities On all three checks,
Koucoulas signed the name of Frank
kotsonis, proprietor OF the College
Inn. The check which he made out to
himself. was cashed this morning a.
bout 8 O'Clock at the Harry Boyle
clothing firm. Koucoulas entered that
place of business, handed Mr. Boyle
the check and offered to pay SIS bill
which he owed Mr. Boyle gave him
a receipt for the indebtedness and
gave him in return fer the check S3J
in bills koucoulas departed and Mr.
Boyle hurriedly called KotsOis, asking
the latter if he had written such
check KotsoniS denied that he had
made out any checks to Koucouas.
Mr.. Boyle summoned Captain James
b. Sheehan who went to the Greeks
rooming house but he was not there.
Sheehan then went down into the loop
district and discovered Koucoulas
walking past the Corhus Drug store
corner of Madison and La Sale SITS
Sheehan took him into custody and
was on his way to the shcriff's office.
when suddenly KOucOuas pulled two
pieces of paper from his pocket, tore
them into small pieces aud dropped
them into the gutter, Sheriff G. S.
Ayers who happened to be along, pick
ed up the bits, which proved to be two
other checks. which Koucoulas had
made for $40 and signed the name Of
r. Kotsonis
state warrant for his arrest was
then issued at Judge Koenig's Office
and KouCoulas taken there for hear
ing KoucouIas admitted that he had
written the checks and forged one Of
them at the Boyle store Judge KO9-
mig wasted no time, and placed kOu-
coulas under bonds of $l,50O. binding
him over to the next grand jury. At
his court the pieces of paper picked
up by the sheriff were pasted together
One proved to be a check made out to
G. Connors, for the sum of $40 and to
which was attached the signature of
KOucouas' former employer, f. Kot-
sonis The other check was not made
out as several pieces of the check had
blown away, when Koucoulas tore
them up Nevertheless the amount of
$40 written upon it could be plainly
seen
Koucoulas on various occasions had
been arraigned before Judge George
T. Koenig on similar charges. Several
months ago, KoucOulas was arraigned
before KOenig, charged with forging
checks on a waiter at the Ottawa
restaurant At that time he was re-
leased after paying back the sum.
Previous to that occurrence. Nick was
fined twice for contempt of court, by
Judge Koenig On another occasion
he was arrested and fined on the
charge of carrying a gun and also of
threatening TO injure people at the
restaurant with butcher knife.