The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-06-11
ALLEGED FORGER ARRESTED AFTER VERY BUSY DAY
]. D. Vickers Charged With Passing Bad Checks To
 Amount Of $1,0OO

As he was alighting from taxicab in front of the Olympia hotel, 2520ls Fourth avenue, north, J. D. Nickers, who gave his address IS the same, was arrested after stiff battle with c. W. Rogers of the N. L. Pierce National Detective agency and City Detectives Propst, Watson and Alex ander. He was placed in the city jail on charges of passing worthless checks. forgery and holding charge. Warrants were sworn out for his transfer to the county jail.
 According to the officers. Vickers has a string of aliases which he has been working under In Birmingham and vicinity, passing out checks which will amount to approximately s1,oo0. most of them to automobile and tire companies and drive-it- yourself garages. The agency stated Vickers was working under the fol- lowing aliases while passing out Haus, Lawrence Hall. Lawrence Hill and Parker.
 Tire Company Victim.
 Vickers' trail was picked up by the Pierce agency several weeks ago when he is said to have gone to the Mccormack Bros. Motor Car com- pany, 2021 Avenue D, where he pur- chased four tires. representing him. self to be Wesley Moreland. He is alleged to have presented an em- ploye's badge of a largo corporation, but investigations proved this false. Vickers gave the motor company a check for the tires.
 After the purchase of the tires from Mccormack Vickers went to the Lee Tire company, where he traded them for four Lee tires and gave a check for $5 to cover the difference in cost This check was found to be fraudulant, it is claimed. Nothing more was heard of Vickers, the agency stated, until the Wood the agency day later. showing a check which Vickers Is alleged to have passed on the company, which was drawn on the First National bank. The signature on the check was Dick Haus. the officers stated, had appeared on other checks which he had circulated in the city.
 Soon after the Woodlawn incident Weir Bros. Chauffeur Youself com pany. 52S Twentieth street. gave in- formation they had two checks signed Wesley Moreland. Prior to locating these checks steady stream of them had been coming into local banks under different names, according to N. l.. Pierce.
 Friday night Vickers rented taxi cab from Jenkins Cab and Auto com pany at 7:30 o'clock. leaving for Bessemer. Soon after arriving in Hardware company, where he bought three tires and three tubes, giving a check for S74.25 on the Traders Ma tional bank. signing the name of Lawrence Hill.
 After the purchase of the tires, Vickers got into the taxicab and went about six miles below Besse- mer. where he left them at the home of l.. NJ. Saxon, asking permission to leave them there temporarily, and stating that friend would be along for them shortly. After leaving the mer, and purchased a suit of clothesr some shirts. an extra pair of trousers and collar from Harris Bros. Cloth ing company. giving check for s25, signed Lawrence Hall. drawn on the First National bank of Bessemer. He ldteT IHduo dnOtneT purCnaSe dL the store, giving a check for $21.25. sign ing the name of Lawrence Hill.
 Visit. Convict Camp
 Still on the trail of the man, it was discovered he went to a convict camp near McCalla. where he was shaved by trusty at the camp. He changed clothes. leaving an old pair of khaki trousers and a shirt in the tonneau of the taxicab. It was on his return to Birmingham that he was cap tured at the Olympia hotel. Officers were of the opinion Vickers had in- tended giving the taxicab driver check for the amount of his bill. S20. as when he was searched at the war den's office Sunday morning he had only few cents in change. an em- ploye's badge of the Stockham Pipe and Fittings company and the cloth ing which he had purchased. When arrested he was wearing the suit which he bought in Bessemer.
 Both city detectives and the Pierce agency are making an investigation into Vicker's former record They are of the opinion that checks which have been discovered are only a small minority of the operations of this man in the Birmingham district.
 FORMER POLICEMAN HELD
 DETROIT. June 10.-Adam Desch, 29 years old. a former policeman of Newark, N. J., was arrested here late