Evening star., 1924-12-13
FORGER GETS $1,000.
ON BOGUS CHECK.
Attempt to Make Similar Raid
on Second Bank Proves
Failure.

A check purported to have been cer-
tined by the Citizens National Bank
or Decatur. Ill, and presented at the
Washington Mechanics Savings Bank.
Soee georgia avenue. yesterday after
noon by a boy, netted a clever forRer
$l,oo0. The name of w. E. Smith, man
ager OF the Palmetto Coffee Company.
Salz Georgia avenue. had been forged
70 note requesting that the check
De cashed and that the money be
sealed in an envelope so that il would
not be lost
motifs Browning. IA, son Of A. r.
browning, local coffee merchant. re-.
siding at East Riverdale, Md, served
as messenger for the man. When he
read the story of the swindle he
quickly got in communication with
ms father and later saw bank off,
cials and the detectives.
Young Browning explained that he
was at Georgia avenue and Newton
street, when a stranger asked him
II ne would go on an errand TO the
oank, saying he would give him a
olme for his trouble He said the
stranger told him he would be given
package containing money for him.
returning to the place where he
met the stranger. he stated, he turned
the envelope over to him and was
given 20 cents, twice the amount he
was promised. He furnished the de-
tectives description of the swindler
and thinks he will be able to identify
him.
A similar swindle was ATTEMPTED at
the United States Savings Bank.
Fourteenth and U streets, but bank
employees, suspicious of something
wrong, refused to cash the check. The
boy who presented the note and check
at the latter bank, questioned by bank
employees, said he had been sent to
the bank by an unidentified man from
a nearby paintshop. The paintshop
was visited, but the stranger had dis
appeared.
Got Merchant's Signature.
Joseph Patrick Delaney, who served
as messenger on the trip to United
States Savings Bank, is 16 years old
and resides at 1909 Fifteenth street.
Not having made a success of his
errand, he received no remuneration.
He also is assisting the detectives.
The swindler is said to have ap-
peared at the coffee company's estab-
lishment about noon yesterday, rep
resented himself as agent for a COM
pany getting financial ratings Of mer-
chants, and inquired of the condition
of Mr.. Smiths bank account. Incl
dentally. Detectives Brodie and Ver-
million were told, the swindler's re-
quest for the merchants signature
was complied with.
Leaving the coffee company's estab-
lishment, the swindler completed the
check and wrote the note requesting
the cashing of the check. the sigma
ture of Mr.. Smith showing it had been
written by clever forger. Discov-
cry of the swindle was quickly
brought about by Robert H. Hill.
cashier at the bank, telephoning the
coffee merchant that he had neglected
to seal the package delivered to the
boy, as requested in the note.
Detectives Get Descriptions.
Detectives Vermillion and Brodie
were called upon to investigate the
affair. They obtained descriptions of
the swindler from Smith and the boy
from bank employees. The detectives
said they thought the boy who acted
as messenger probably was a school
boy who had been found In the vi
cinity Of the bank by the swindler.
Washington Mechanics Savings Bank.
victim Of the $1,000 swindle yester-
day, was the scene Of daring hold
up about two years ago. The lone
robber who staged the affair was
later captured by Detectives Kelly
and Scrivener and sentenced to
prison.
Loss of the $1,000 obtained on the
forged check will not fall upon the
local bank, the institution being
bonded in a sum many times that OBJ
tained yesterday.