Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 37, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 May 1905 — Boy Arrestd for Forgery [ARTICLE]

Boy Arrestd for Forgery

Friday evening Mr. Su'ton, the DeMotte store keeper and Dan Fairchilds, a constab’e, brought to town a young fellow named J. R. Wicknm. His home is in Monon, and he had been here a few days visiting some young fellows here, and went away on the milk traiD, Friday morning, saying he was going to Kersey. However off at DeMotte and bought of shoes st Sutton’s Btbn* f ’giving him a check on the firet National Bank of Rentoelaer, and with John Eger’s name attached. The check was payable to J. CJ. Witham. Mr Sutton took the check and paid young Wicknm the difference in money and Wiokum then went to Troxell’s hotel.

Sutton got suspicious and a noon he and Fairchild went and gathered Wickum in and brought him down here, by team, and he was placed in jail and charged with forgery. The story he told was that when ie got off at Shelby to change cars i stranger offered him the sl2 iheok for sllsO, and he bought it ,t that price. To Sutton and Fairchild, howvtr he told a different story, yhich was that he had been work ng for Mr. Eger for three months nd that the check was for the ialance due on his wages. His examination was held this Saturday morning, before Squire rwin, and he was held to the oiruit court in SSOO bail, Bnd for •ant of whioh he went to jail. Mr, Iger testified that he never saw he boy or the oheck before, and ad no money at the First Nationl Back.

The oheok is a very bungling flair, and shows it is a forgery on 8 faoe, For the same parson who rote the check and signed Mr. Iger’s name to it, also endored it T. C. Witham” on the back. Moreover young Wiokutn’s hand* ritingi ss shown in a note book s carried, exactly corresponded ith the writing on the check. This one oheok was not ~ the ep >nt of his operations, for he passi one just like it $lO, on another ore in DeMotte. that of Koppelian Br-th rs. The boy is a .right enough looking young fplis about 19 years old, and aeon f Mrs. John Wiokum, a widow, of [onon. An older brother of his >oently oompleted a term for steal g cattle, and he is evidently aoked to go the same road for ,rgery, His age will take him to ie reformatory, at Jeffersonville The boy has worked for Mr erry. a liveryman, at Monon, for jyeral years, Biyl always oonsider--1 reliable. His father, who died &eyal years'ago, was a respeoted tiaen and his mother is a hard, orking and much respeoted woian. If the boy has gone wrong bw, this seems the first time.