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

With the ink on bogus check
which he tried to pass on Martin &
Hoerr still wet, Fred S. Morrison
alias George S. Mathews was taken
In custody Saturday afternoon on
South Front street Dy Sneriff Ed
ard Ario, less THAI an hour after
ne mad tried TO pass It.
II was througL lie aIer-ness OF
wilbur Clements, one OF the Jewel
srs In Martin L. hoerr's store, that
tHe~ up was given both the ponce
anu SnerlH 8 ONCE tuaL ii might be
wen 10 look up the record OF a man
representing himself as George >.
NStheWs, who said that ne was a
travelling salesman Tor The Spuntext
Knitting Mills .. Fnllaueipu.a. AIr.
Clements explained to the officers
\that the man and HIS wife had come
into the Martin Il Hoerr jewelry
store and picked out u $500 diamond,
stating that Saturday was his
wtte'S birthday. The diamond suit
ed the man and he reached into his
POCKET and pulled out cneCS book
on the Citizens National Bank OF
Green Bay, WIS, ana wrote a cheek
Tor the $500 and presented it to Mir.
Clements in payment for the dia-
mond. Mr.. Clements said that sci :
ing diamonds was pretty near like
exchanging cash, and that If he
would call up his bank and identity
uIuselt, ne would accept the paper.
The man beCahie IAuIgnant and
said that is not business, the deaf
is off,. AS he said this he tore the
check in small pieces and threw it
on the floor and walked opt, but
not until he produced travelling
case with samples OF Spuntext
goods and an order book, ana point
ed across the street to a Maxwell
car bearing a Wisconsin number. II
would show you ny automible card
and my American Legion card, bUS
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
Cional 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
make a purchase. He 6ked II he
could carry mis- 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
ne 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
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 II the man had an account
= there. He was told that no such
man ever had an account there. To
verify the telephone message the
sheriff wired that bank asking the
same 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. Sl4-
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
poIice station with check for $3.50
made payable to George >. Matne"s
and drawn against the account OF
Desire Charles at the Brown Coun :
ty State Bank Of Green Bay, WIS,
Mr.. Darsaw stated that Mathews
had left the check at the American
o State Bank for collection. and had
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 Ario i'm :
mediately called up Mr.. Charles
and was promptly notified that ne
had never made out CHECK for
george 6. Mathews and further
more. he did not do business at the
Brown County Bank. -
= With the net being drawn. clos ar
and closer about him, Mathews
began to turn pale and weaken. At
iast he said that he would make a
clean breast OF It to County Attorney
ETank E. Morse. He said that his
true name is Fred 8. Morrison. but
would not give his residence OF the
rssidence Of his parents. Ho admit.
tad the attempt TO pasa the check
on Martin & Hoerr and OF deposit
ing the other check for collection.
We said that had he not been pick {.