Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-04-01
True
Detective Stories
ROLAND, ALIAS
GARDNER
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Copyright by The Wheeler Syndicate. Inc

w In ci0akS and suits on state
street, Albany, N. Y, sent a
check for $38.77 to Refs and Blum,
garment manufacturers In New York
city, they didn't have the slightest
Idea that they were starting chain
of evidence which would land one Of
the cleyerest croOks In America behind
the bars.
A few days later, before the New
York firm had had time to report the
nonarrival of the check and thus per-
NIT Hyman and Hess to look into the
matter, young man came into the
National Commercial bank In Albany
and presented check for $3.50, made
out to Bearer" The date on the
check, filled In with rubber stamp,
corresponded to the day on which 1t
was presented, and the man who hand
ed 1t to the paying teller mentioned
casually that the check was to cover
an option and that he had to hurry
back to New York In order to complete
the transaction. The paying teller,
feeling certain that the signature was
genuine, cashed the check, and the
man who had presented it walked out
Of the bank with $3.50 in his pocket
When Hyman and Hess had their &C
count balanced they found that they
We're exactly $3.50 short-for the orig,
inal check had never reached Its New
York destination, but had been lifted
out of the mail box by one of gang
of clever criminals, the body Of the
check erased with an ink eradicator
and the date and amount filed in on
top of the original signature.
''Only one man In the country could
have done that and gotten away with
it., growed George A. Fuller, assistant
superintendent of the Pinkerton Detec.
tive agency, when the bank called the
details of the case to his attention.
ITS Boland's work !"
"Yes, Boland," replied Fuller "Or
Gardner, as he sometimes calls HIM
self. He's got regular organization
for this sort of thing. Trains boys to
loot the mail boxes, washes the checks
with an acid preparation of his own
kovention, writes In higher amount,
makes them payable to Bearer and
then another Of his tools cashes
them"
IF you know so much about the
man." asked the amazed banker "why
hasn't he been arrested long before
this?'
It's easy enough to arrest a man."
was Fuller's reply, ''but 1t is sometimes
very difficult to convict him. So far as
the actual check-raising goes, Boland
plays a lone hand. What's more, he
pays his men well, and takes care of
them If they happen to get caught So
far, none of 'em has turned states evil
dence, and until they door until we
catch Boland Manufacturers moth
ing to do but be careful. We've got
our eyes on him. He can't move with
out our knowing it.
Warned by Hyman and Hess check
that the Boland outfit wax once more
operations In New York
state, the Pinkerton man kept close
watch on oil persons suspected of be-
longing to the organizations, with the
result that three men were arrested
and sentenced to terms in prison. But
all of them steadfastly refused to i'm.
pllcate the man higher up"
Finally Boland and three of his as.
sociates were arrested in Boston, aft.
er Fuller had Swallowed boy whom
he suspected Of robbipg mail box.
Dano, the boy, and Devine, another
Of the organization, drew short terms
Tor petty larceny, but Boland escaped
On account of technicality, and
moved to New York where he tried
70 continue his operations. But the
New York police and particularly Com.
missioner George s. Dougherty, made
Kings so difficult, that he was soon re.
iuced to the expedlent Of securing
checks wherever tie could--a neces.
'ity which led to the fatal slip which
Fuller had predicted.
Out of the mail box of an uptown
apartment house, one of Bolands ap-
'rentices secured check for $50, made
'ut 10 a real estate company in pay.
nent of the rental for one of the apart.
nents. 1t was child's play for Boland
o wash off the original name and
mount and to write in the words
Bearer and 1.-TWO Hundred and
eleven Dollars" Once that was done
he had a perfectly good cheek Gap.
'arently) and he sent one of his men
lown to the bank on which the check
'as drawn with minute instructions
IS to the cashing of it. But the cashier.
icing suspicious Of check of that
lie being made out to "Bearer"-par.
icularly as he knew that the woman
whose signature appeared upon 1t was
cry careful In Fer financial dealings
declined to cash 1t, and Boland's
nan returned with story Of having
cen watched and therefore very fear.
III to approach the paying window.
Boland, In spirit Of bravado, again
itered the check, this time making
out In the name of civilian Hath"
nd set forth to cash the check him.
elf, something which he had never
er0re attempted. One glance at the