Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1933-11-02


If had the proof of the forgery,
could have got away with it,"
The supervisor knit his brow grave
ly. Recover it from whom? / don't
understand; whose check did you
forge?"
Larry Palmers. 1t was for two
hundred and fifty dollars; | needed
that amount to pay for my tuition this
second semester of school. l couldn't
borrow it and I was almost broke;
tried to win it gambling at the Morton
club, but had a streak of bad luck.
And didn't want to quit school"
"How long ago was this forgery COM
mitted?" Mr.. Warwick Queried. you
had better make a clean breast of it,"
he added warningly. Its your only
hope of avoiding the more serious
charge of murder"
The students unassuaged panic
drove him to speak freely. Il intend
to, Mr.. Warwick" he assured anxious
". II had been planning it for some
time, but only carried it out on Fri
day. February sixth. The term began
on the second; and you know all bills
were payable not later than the ninth.
Monday one week afterward So I
had to draw the money from Larry's
bank before that"
AS ne spoke, Rankin saw his care
fully constructed case collapsing. He
could not disregard the students
statements; If confirmed by the bank
and the evidence of the check itself.
they explained his activities in a way
that freed him of all suspicion of the
murder. Especially as no part of Ran
kin's arraignment accounted for where
he might have secured the CONNIE.
And in the lesser crime, the detective
was no more concerned than in Patter-
sons theft; that coud be left to Mr..
Warwick.
"Just how did you manage it?" He
put the next question himself. "The
signature, the blank check--and cash
ing it?"
"As you've probably found out"
Buckley addressed him directly, II
have been palling around with Larry
for the past FIVE months or so. We
take the same courses; and several
times, studied with him at his room
upstairs in the fraternity house. When
/ looked through some of his assign
ments in his bureau, learned he kept
his correspondence and check book in
the top drawer. Then l also hap
pened to accompany him to his bank,
the Security Trust company on Wal
nut street near Thirty-sixth, and
watched him make deposits; the tell
ers got to know me. So that when
l decided to profit by my information,
it was quite easy to get one of his
checks and to copy his handwriting
from his school notes. My imitation
was good and l cashed it at the bank
without any trouble. The only dan
ger came later, after the bank state
ment and Cancelled checks were re-
turned to Larry. That occurred
monthly, / discovered, at the end of
the first week; he always received
them the following Monday"
Monday, you say?" Rankin inquired
sharply. And you forged the check
on February sixth? That means it
would come back this month on the
ninth-the night before initiation"
THAT'S right, sir" the student
nodded, land that was the risk l ran.
Once Larry had chance to notice the
discrepancy in the statement, investi-
cation at the bank would implicate
me. l had to steal it as soon as he
got 1t. OF course, I couldn't prevent
the statement from showing the mis-
take; but if / had the evidence, moth
ing could be proved even if was sus-
pected. But / could never get hold
of it among all his other checks and
papers in the bureau while he was
anywhere around"
$50 you planned to remove it Tues
day evening instead" Mr.. Warwick
remarked bluntly, while the chapter
was busy with the installation cere-
MONIES"
swell, had to use my opportunity.
You see how lucky | was to have II
at the very moment needed it other.
wise, shouldn't have succeeded FIX.
cept for the chapter room, the house
was dark and practically deserted; II
was easy for me to enter unobserved.
That was why asked Larry about
the attendance-to learn how much
chance there was of running into any
one in the halls or upstairs"
"And you wore the robe as a dis
guise, of course" Rankin asserted.
"Yes, in case that happened" Buck.
ley admitted. II ordered 1t from
Kingston's a week before initiation,
according to Larry's description" He
shrugged. ANY brother l met would
take me for a member and suppose
had just left the services; he'd think
nothing of seeing me enter Larry's
room. AS matter of fact, l met no
body. merely closed the door and
searched until l found what came
for; slipped off my gown just be-
fore quitting the house and was in the
street again by nine o'clock"
Rankin bent forward "Then none
of the boys might remember your be-
ing upstairs between eight-forty-five
and nine? A witness to your move