Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 133, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 June 1920 — YOUNG FORGER IS NIPPED [ARTICLE]

YOUNG FORGER IS NIPPED

FLYER IN HIGH FINANCE RESULTED DISASTROUSLY FOR ESTEL FLORENCE. Estel Florence, nineteen years of age, was arrested this Wednesday morning by Sheriff Woodworth • and lodged in jail where he will remain until the September term of court unless his efforts to secure bail money meet with success. The arrest of Florence followed a complaint made by Oscar Weiss, a farmer living west of Rensselaer in Newton township, in which he charged the former with having forged checks bearing his name aggregating $66.91. Florence was given a preliminary hearing this morning and at first vehemently denied the charges, but later confessed to having written the checks.

The young man is a son of Wilbur Florence, residing somewhere in Canada, and came 'to this city last winter to make his home. During the winter months he worked at odd jobs about the city, but when spring came he secured work at the Weiss farm where he remained until a few weeks ago. Since that time he has been idle, which partly accounts for his downfall The lad’s mother lives in Rock Island, 111., the parents being divorced. The checks were written by Florence last week and ranged in sums of from five to twenty-five dollars. The G. E. Murray Company, A. F. Long & Son, George Collins, J. J. Eigelsbach and B. F. Fendig were the victims. Mr. Collins was the heaviest loser, his loss being $25.50. The youthful forger has written his father of his plight and is confident that he can secure a sufficient sum of money to secure his bail as well as to reimburse those who lost money through his actions.