Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 199, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 August 1912 — FRANKFORT BANKS CASH TWO FORGED CHECKS. [ARTICLE]

FRANKFORT BANKS CASH TWO FORGED CHECKS.

Stranger Gets Away With $4,000 Last Heard of In Indianapolis Monday. . The American National and First National banks of Frankfort were made the victims of a forgery Monday morning by which they are losers in the sum of $4,000. ■ . Entering the First National Bank, a stranger presented a check calling for $2,750, made payable to O. C. Carter and apparently signed by M. B. Fisher, a local real estate man. On offering the check the forger stated that he was an heir to the Carter estate and that the money represented his share of the sale of some land Saturday -to Mrs. Queen Harness by the Fisher real estate company. The bank officials knew of the sale of the land by Mr. Fisher and did not doubt the stranger’s statement and when he asked to open an account with the bank for SSOO he was handed the full amount of the check in bill®, sat down in the bank, counted the money, deposited SSOO and, taking his time, walked from the bank. A few minutes later he entered the American national bank and presented a check for $2,300 on the First National, made payable to Oscar Crabs and apparently signed by the J. T. Sims grain company. On presenting the check, the bank clerk called the grain company’s office on the phone to have some member of the firm vouch for the check, but all the members of the firm were out of the city, and as the man remained in the bank white, the call was put through the clerk believed the check was alright and permitted the forger to draw $1,395 and deposit the remainder. The discovery of the forgery was made when the cashier of the Clinton county bank was at the First national making the morning clearance. He questioned the genuineness of Mr. Fisher’s signature, and the check was taken to Mr. Fisher for his inspection and declared a forgery. After receiving the money froba the banks the forger went to a barber shop, where he had his hair cut, and later went to the Thurman & Jones garage and hired a machine to take him to Crawfordsville. He was driven from the city about 10:30 o'clock, and was therefore well on his way when the forgery was discovered at the noon hour. All efforts to locate the man, who was being driven by Bryce Thurman, were to no avail until word was received about 3 o’clock that the Frankfort machine and driver had been heard from in Indianapolis, and the case was referred to the Indianapolis police for handling. Young Thurman returned to Frankfort about 4:30 Monday afternoon and on reaching the garage was told he had been. driving a forger. The young man told of his experience, and offered to return to Indianapolis with Chief of Police Baker to see if the man could be located.

In speaking of Ms experience with the map young Thurman started that the man entered the garage, and asked ( what it would cost to be driven to Crawfordsville in an auto. Thurman offered to make the trip-for sls, and the man hired the machine, paying the money before starting. The two men went to Thorntown, where the forger asked Thurman to let him out until he could telephone Jo Crawfordsville, where, he stated, his sister was seriously ill. Soon after entering a store in the town, the man returned to the driven and asked to be taken to Indianapolis, stating that ;his sister had been taken there for an operation. Thurman drove the man into the city and let Mm out of the oar at Illinois and Washington streets, where he lost track of him. Thurman stated that the man showed no signs of nervousness and before leaving him in Indianapolis the man purchased'a raincoat and had asked Mm to remain in the city for a “big time” during the evening. Z Last night telephone communications from Hartford City asked for a description of the forger, and when this was given, the Hartford "City authorities declared it' tallied with that of Orville Hodson, who two weeks ago passed st forged check on a bank in that place and who later confessed the crime and took officers to the place he bad, hidden the money, on his father’s' farm, near Upland. -It was also reported that he had fled from his home Sunday, jumping his bonds of $2,000, given for his appearance for trial there, and that he arrived in Frankfort Sunday night on a Clover Leaf train