Imperial Valley press., 1926-12-11
WIDE SWATH OF
CHECK PASSER .
COMES TO END
Man Who Attempted to
Swindle Local Firms Is
Under Arrest.

The operations of Tom Martin,
alias Dick Gray. who talks in big
figures in order to get small checks
cashed, came to a sudden end in Los
Angeles this week. when he was
arrested there, it was learned by
Sheriff Gillett, on two fictitious
cheek charges. He was wanted here
ON similar charges. The manner of
his operations, in the opinion of II.
T.. Pope, local realty dealer, leads
one to believe that he is more
"nutty' than criminal.
Martin made his appearance in
the valley two weeks ago and
through l.. }. Thomas, a real estate
dealer in Imperial, purchased, ac-
cording to Thomas. ranch in that
vicinity for $4,000, giving a check
on the Bank of Italy to close the
deal. j. d. Hopewell has 800 acres
| of That ranch leased for the raising
of hogs and Martin purchased the
hogs and the equipment on the leas-
ed acreage from Hopewell for SIS
600 giving a check on the same bank
to close the deal. Stating that he
was in the market for about 80
milk cows, Thomas advised him to
this city and see Pope.
The local realtor went with Mar.
tin to the ranch of John Misimiris,
about one mile north of CaleXico,
who has herd of about $50 COWS.
Martin purchased the COWS and
equipment on the ranch for $4,000
cash and gave check for $4,000
on the Bank Of Italy to make tn.
deal secure.
Gives More Checks
With Pope, Martin then came
back to the city and at the Johnson
Gloene company purchased some
clothing for which he rendered a
check for $40. After the conclusion
OF the Hopewell deal, and for the
reason, he said, that he was in a
hurry to leave for the north to
look after some interests there, he
asked Hopewell to indorse Il check
on the local bank in FL Centre for
$500, which he did. The financicr
also left his Marmon roadster at
the Hopewell ranch and told Mrs.
Hopewell to make use of it until
he returned. The roadster was pur-
chased in Reno for which check
in the sum of $1700 was paid down
and the balance of the payments to
b" cared for in monthly payments.
'he check came back, but the agen-
cy there. because of certain legal
technicalities involved was loath to
!epossess the ear.
In his operations at Imperial Ma
tim had check for $500 indorsed
and left an expensive roadster there
which the selling agency did not
Iepossess. He came to Ell Centre,
went to the trouble of seeing Pope
and buying" the dairy COWS and
made no attempt to have Pope en-
nrse any checks or the herd own
rr. lie even refused to accept an
invitation to lunch that Pope gave
him.
lie explained that ne had some
important deals pending in the
northern part of the state and that
while the checks he had given on
his deals were going through the
banks and the necessary papers
were being prepared that he must
attend to them. He left for Los
Angeles the first of the month.
Upon his arrival there he cashcd
check ON a hotel for $50 drawn on
the Southern Trust and Commercial
bank here. He also drew on the
same institution here for 5000, the
draft subject to collection and on
a bank in which he had no funds.
He is also said to have cashed 4
check for small amount at Bull.
lock s department store.