San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-19
Neil Nc Conlogue, Captured
Here, Turns Over a
New Leaf.
RECITES HIS METHODS
Describes How He Secured
$1,000 Over Geo. M.
Cohan's Signature.
I'm going straight

A well-dreSSed man. idenntylns
himself as Neil NcConlogue, SO, held
by San Antonio police and detective
authorities rs q master check torger.
uttered those words Wednesday morn
ing while seated in the office OF Owen
Kiiday, superintendent of the city
bureau of criminal identification
while the finishing touches were being
put 10 q score or more OF his portraits
and finger prints.
McConlogue. as he refers TO him
self. was taken Monday afternoon by
Detectives Fox and McMurray &C i
downtown hotel in connection with an
alleged local swindle involving sew
eral thousand dollars. He readily al
mitted 10 authorities lie is wanted IN
various cities of the United States
for what detectives declare Is big
time stuff" in the criminal work--the
drawing up of cashiers and certified
checks that defy detection by shrewd
bank tellers or government treasury
officials.
San Antonio police officials have
decided TO surrender the prisoner TO
Federal officers, who have advised
them warrant is now enroute here
from Cleveland. Ohio, where he Is al
legged TO have purchased $1,000 worth
of United States treasury saving GER
tificates with check that was not
worth penny. Los Angeles police
authorities also are seeking the prs
oner.
Has Danced and Must Pay.
"Yes., said McConlogue. Il have
danced and I will pay the fiddler. I've
done wrong. but from this day I'm GO
ing to go straight. I'm going TO go
straight if for nothing else than the
sake Of those l have harmed IN San
Antonio.
1T is the first time-and it was un:.
intcntional-thatI have ever crooked
good friends. I'm sorry and I'm GO
ing to make good. ! have fleeced
those / did not know and men of at
fairs and wealth who would not suffer
humiliation by my acts. | was on the
verge of trying TO get out of my local
predicament when | was nabbed. L
found it hard to tell my good friends
here ] had wronged them and return
them the money. 1t was not so much
the money. ! did not need it, but 10
tell them | was a wrong-doer after
they had placed so much confidence
in me was what ] couldn't do.
Il have spent much time in pris-
ons. have come in contact with clever
officers throughout the United States.
but I want to say that Chief Van
Ripper and Captain Street are wonder
full men-they are efficient and, more
than any other two luen, they have
made me realize the error of my ways.
I'm going straight and hope you be-
lieye me. When | have served time
for my offenses against society | will
prove there is vet much good in me.
Doesn't Look the Part.
McCOnlogue is a quiet. unassumlns
man of frail stature with soft blue
grey eyes that give no hint of the
wilv ability that has enabled him to
cause money to be given him without
apparent effort by men believed proof
against the swindler.
To reflect over my operations Is
really amusing at times" said Nc
Conlogie. "You see. before became
an adept at check forgery | was paid
So in a check. I went out to cash
il. The check was perfectly good
genuine and bore the signature OF q
merchant of the community, vet | had
the hardest time in the world trying
TO get someone TO advance me the cash
on it.
Yet. later in life, when I begar
showing the bad ones across" Neon
logue added with a smile, "they wer'
casbed without question. And in thii
ease | will face at Cleveland, it wal
far easier than one would believe
When in Washington, d. c.. to redeem
the treasury saving certificates, tn
treasury official attested my identit!
merely on the presentation of two let
ters ! had and my automobile mum
Der. The manner of Identification
however. was noted on the certificate
thereby clearing the official in that re
spect. TIE point is that I've neve
had any difficulty in getting money a
any time or place.
How did ! get a thousand dollar
By forging George VI. Cohan's name
That too, was simple. Mr.. CohaI
was then Mt the Harris theater il
New York City. Ny scheme was this
/ drew IN n cashiers check for $1,000
affixed his signature and telephone
for n messenger boy 10 be sent to MI
Coban at the Harris theater. Whe'
the messenger dashed into the corTido
a few minutes later, / intercepte
him. I asked him if he was lookin
for Mr.. Conan. He replied in the al
firmative. / identified myself as Nj
Cohan. 1 gave him a letter to til
Mutual Bank. 1t contained the fax
$1,000 check. It also contained not
that 90 fifty-dollar bills be place
in a package and sent to the Harri
theater by the messenger. There wa
no time lost. The messenger. unawar
of the wealth he carried, delivered m
the package, l tipped him LIBERAL
and the incident was closed and til