The Washington times., 1921-08-31
MUlCTED
BANKS Of
HUGE SUM
Thousands Lost in Bad Checks
cashed by Man Seized at
Depot Here.

enough to lavishly entertain his
bride of less than three weeks. Wal
ter Christian Krout, thirty-five years
old, of York, Pa, confessed this
morning that he forged and raised
checks for thousands of dollars in
Eastern cities.
Taken At Depot.
Krout was arrested yesterday by De
tectiye Sergeants O'Brien and Living
ston ut Union Station after he had
been pointed out by w. Davis and A.
c. Layton, both of the Pinkerton Ma
tional Detective agency. OF Baltimore.
Operatives OF the agency have had
him under surveillance for several
weeks and when he and bis bride
landed at Union Station. Baltimore.
yesterday, Layton and Davis boarded
the train and came with them to this
city. SAs he moved about in the sta
ton the P.nkr-ton men were pointing
him opt ~ bank officials OF Baltimore
whom ne had duped. Convinced that
he was the right man they communi-
Gated with Inspector Clifford l..
Grant, chief of 0etectives, and he dis
patched O'Brien and Livingston to the
II am disgraced for life. Ny friends
and well-wishers gave me such a great
send-off when we. got married that I
am ashamed TO go back and face them
again"
Thus did Krout wall today when he
confessed to local police and a Pinker
ton detective that he had frsudulently
obtained thousands of dollars from
Eastern people on which to lavishly
entertain his bride OF three weeks.
Krout met his bride about three
years ago and married her August
16. At that time he says he repre-
sented the Detroit Scales Company
at Atlanta, Ga. He was given leave
of absence. according to his confes-
sion, to go on his honeymoon and
since that time he and his bride have
visited the principal cities OF the
East.
Big Haul In Baltimore.
He confesses, the police say, to
making the biggest haul at Balti.
more. His method was to deposit
bogus checks for certain amounts and
before the tellers became aware of
| the fact they were worthless he would
withdraw money from the banks.
Following is a list of the banks at
Baltimore which he is alleged to have
confessed swindling: Maryland Trust
Company. Union Trust Company,
Mercantile Trust Company, Baltimore
| Trust Company and Continental Trust
Company. At the first-named insti-
tuition he gave bogus check for
S2,100 and withdrew $3.50. At the
other banking houses the amounts
ranged from 500 to 5000. He is also
f, alleged to have rented an apartment
at the Cambridge apartments, Balti-
more, with bogus check. He did
not live there. He and his bride
| stopped at a prominent hotel and the
Pinkerton operatives discovered his
whereabouts. At the hostelry he gave
the name of M. r. Daniels, According
to the detectives he has about thirty
aliases. Many of the checks which he
had passed In Baltimore were signed
by prominent local business men.
Had Slick Scheme.
1t is alleged that when he visited
business men at their offices he
would steal blank checks and, know
ing that the man had sufficient funds
| In the bank, he would have the
check certified. Following the GER
tification, II is said, he would raise"
the amount to sometimes three times
as much. In that way he kpund IL
easy enough to get money! on The
worthless paper.
While he was making his confession
to the detectives at the central Of
flee this morning the bride. demure
little woman, waited anxiously in
the corridor. She refused to COM
ment on the case. She did say, how.
ever, that she knew nothing OF the
transactions OF her husband and that
she thought his funds were all OBJ
tanned by legitimate means.
The detectives say all of the forg.
cries took place about the first OF the
month while he was on his way from
Detroit to Rome, Ga, where the bride
| lived.
Leaves Long Trail Behind.
Pinkerton operatives say he has left
a long trail of bogus checks behind
him and that It will require some time
to check up on him.
He was taken to the bertilion bureau
this morning and his finger prints and
photograph were taken. These will be
distributed TO the various cities In the
East he and his bride have visited.