The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-08-10
Smooth Check Artist Ar,
rested Here Saturday
AFTER BIG MONEY
Attempted To Pass Bogus Paper
At Martin and Hoerr's
Store

T"oeTT sun wet, FRED S. Morrison
alias George S. Mathews was taker
IL custody Saturday afternoon or
South Front street by Sneriff Ed
ard AriO, less thar All aour alter
he had tried 10 pass 4.
II was throusa lie aIer-ness oil
Wilbur Clements, one OF the Jewel
srs IN Martin d hoerr's store, that
Ine~ up was given both the ponce
anu Sherlr 8 ONCE that il might be
well TO look up the record OF man
representing himself as George >
Nathews, who said that ne was a
travelling salesman Tor the SpunteXt
KNITTING Mills .. FnIiauulp4I.a. M
Clements explained TO the officers
That the man and hts wife had come
into the Martin a. Hoerr jewelry
store and picked out $500 DIAMOND
stating that Saturday was his
Tife's birthday. The diamond suit
ed the man and he reached into his
POCKET and pulled out 4 CneCK book
on the Citizens National Bank OF
Green Bay, WIS, ana wrote a cheek
tof the $500 and presented it to Mr.
Clements in payment for the Ola
mond. Mr.. Clements SAID that sci
ling diamonds was pretty near like
exchanging cash, and that If ne
would call up his bank and identity
ulHseit, ne would accept the paper
The man beCanle I.luIgnant and
said that is not business, the deal
IS on. AS he said this he tore the
check in small pieces and threw il
on the floor and walked out, but
not until he produced travelling
case with samples OF SpuntexI
goods and an order book, ana point
ed across the street TO a Maxwell
car bearing Wisconsin number. II
would show you NY automible card
and my American Legion card, but
lost them yesterday"
Picked Up Pieces Check
When the man and his wife left
the store Mr.. hoerr picked up the
pieces of the check and pasted them
together. He then called up the Ma
lional Citizens Bank OF Green Bay
Wisconsin, and asked the cashier
there if George s. Mathews had an
account in that bank. The cashier
Of the Green Bay bank. answered
that no such man had an account
there. and that the fellow hau bet
ter be picked up. 1t was then that
Mr.. Clemnts notified the police
and sheriff's office.
Ten minutes after Sheriff Ario
had the description Of the car, he
picked up the man on South Front
street in front OF Porter & Pays
and placed him under arrest. He
was sitting in his car at the time,
while his wife was inside about to
could carry his little child who he
was holding in his arms, to his
wife. A few quick whispered words
passed between husband and wife
and she left the store with him. Be =
fore accompanying the sheriff TO
Mankato police station. Mathews
handed his wife ten dollars from a
large roll OF bills. 1t was learned
later that the woman had paid down
fifty cents on a purchase, for which
she said she would call later.
When told by Sheriff Ario that
the National Citizens Bank OF
Green Bay, Wisconsiny stated that
he had no funds there, the penman
said; That's strange, maybe some
other George S. Mathews raised one
. of my checks or wiped out my ac'
count"
Had American Legion Card
Asked by the sheriff If he had
any means of Identification, the
prisoner said that he was up against
Il in this way. He had his American
Legion card, his automobile card
and several other valuable papers
IN an unionalls pocket, and lost all
OF them the day before when he
was putting on a new tire. Then
Sheriff Ario called up the National
Citizens Bank Of Green Bay and
asked If the man had an account
= there. He was told that no such
man ever had an account there. To
II
sheriff wired that bank asking the
,ame thing. and was told that
George S. Mathews did not, do bust
ness with that institution, and
never had any funds there. The sec
Rotary Of state of Wisconsin was
also telegraphed and asked to
whom Wisconsin license No. 314-
115 was issued. The answering
message said. ITO Norman Steph-
ans. Green Bay, Wisconsin"
Deposited Check In Bank
While all this information was
being gathered by the sheriff, Frank
Darsow, cashier of the American
State Bank OF Mankato, went to the
police station with check tor s4oe
made payable to George S. Mathews
and drawn against the account OF
Desire Charles at the Brown Coun
Nv State Bank Of Green Bay, WIS.
Mr.. Darsaw stated that Mathews
had left the check at the American
& State Bank for collection. and mao
placed the proper endorsement on
the back. When confronted with the
check the prisoner said that the en-
dorsement was his sirnature, and
that amount was coming to min
from Desire Charles FOR the sale o'
an Overland car Sheriff Arto I'm
rnediately called up Mr.. Charles
and was promptly notified that he
had never made out CHECK foT
george s. Mathews and further
more. he did not do business at the
Brown County Bank.
~ with the net being drawn. closer
and closer about him, Mathews
hegan to turn pale and weaken. Al
iast he said that he would make a
clean breast OF II to County ATTORNEY
Frank E. Morse. He said that his
true name is Fred 8. Morrison, but
would not give his residence OF the
residence OF his parents. Ho admit
tad the attempt TO pass the check
on Martin & Hoerr and OF deposit.
ing the other check for collection
He said that had he not been pick
5 ed up as quickly as he was he in
tended to change the two Wiscon-
sin. license plates on his car to Two
4 Minnesota license numbers which
L. ID