Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-03-27
Name Of Byron Dieckman
Forged to Paper for
Large Amount.
SERVED BEFORE
Preliminary Hearing for
S. L. Nichols to Be Held
Monday.

S. l.. Nichols, a. former convics
from the Arizona state penitentiary,
was arrested mere yesterday on q
charge of attempting to cash q
forged instrument as the result Of
an alleged attempt to cash draft
for sG75 to which the name of BYRON
Dieclman, local Ford dealer, nae
been forged.
Nichols is being held in the city
Jail He probably will be given a
preliminary hearing on the charge
before Judge w. c. Jack Monday.
Nichols is alleged to have called
at the First National bank yester-
day, representing himself to A. e.
Packard, ono Of the bank officials,
as Eddie Dieckman, cousin of the
local man He produced a draft for
S675 and asked if it would be hon
cred if he secured the endorsement
OF Byron Dieckman. The bank Of
fetal answered in the affirmative
Nichols left, the bank and Packard
teiephoned Dieckman and Police Of
licer A. g. Murchison. The officer
arrived shortly after Nichols re-
turned to the bank with the check
seemingly having been endorsed with
the name cf Diockman. The au;o-
mobile dealer arrived at the same
time.
why, yes, that's my signature
tut I never signed it," Dieckman
said in amazement rs he inspected
the draft, according to police.
The fact that the craft was made
cut to an individual instead of the
Local car agency and that it was
for such large amount probably
cused Packard to get in touch witr
I,ieckman and the police department.
nicckman said last night.
1.-The signature was mine all right
Dieckman said. They asked me to
identify it on the draft and it was
my signature But l didn't know
the fake cousin Someone would
have been stuck if he hadn't been
arrested"
That Nichols has served time IN
the penitentiary and is an expert
accountant, auditor and penman was
the statement of police officers
He had just completed serving a
term of from 12 TO Is months in the
state prison on January %, accord
ing to his statements to officers. He
was sentenced on q burglary charge
following the robbery of safe from
a pool hall in Lowell
The safe was carried several miles
from the pool hall to deserted
shack and there opened and rifleG.
Nichols was arrested shortly after ia
Fisbee He was tried and sentenced
IN Tombstone.
From statements made by the
prisoner and papers found on hls
person here's the way local police
say he forged the signature ct
Dieckman.
First having secured the signature
Of the Douglas man be placed q
niece of celluloid over it and COPIED
.he name, police allege. He then
pIaced a piece of paper behind the
celluloid and by holding it up to
the light made a perfect reproduc-
ton, they say.
The piece of celluloid, fountain
pen and papers were found or.
Nichols On one card were found
the names and addresses of DR.. Il.
Causey, Dr. Carl Lund, two other
automobile agencies and others.
A letter found on the man ad"
dressed to Eddie Dieckman, Douglas,
from Nogales was written by Nichols
to aid in carrying out the decep~
tion, according to his admission to
police The letter was signed
"Charlie."
The letter stated that Charlie
had disposed of that business for
Eddie" and sold the ''white ele
phant" for $3.50. He was deducting
his commission of $75 ana was
mailing draft for the remainder,
s6T5.
The draft was on the Nogales Ma
t:onal bank, at Nogales.
Nichols, a neatly dressed young
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