Gave Ministers Forged Checks

GAVE MINISTERS FORGED CHECKS

Stranger Called Upon Revs. Tedrow and Neumann

RECEIPTS WERE SECURED

From Pastors by Men Who Said He Had Been Entrusted With Money for Their Churches

For several days a man about fifty years old and apparently of fine education has been in the city representing himself as a state official with offices in the capitol building, at Lansing. While here he registered at the St. James hotel as John M. Muhlenberg. Thursday he suddenly disappeared and no one seems to know where he has gone, although it is believed that he left for Detroit.

What created particular interest in the man, especially on the part of the sheriff's force, was the fact that while here he called on the Revs. W. L. Tedrow and John Neumann. He represented to both gentlemen that he had been entrusted by the relatives of Mary Ann Winegartner, of Louisville, Ky., who recently died, he said, with money to be turned over to the churches of which the reverend gentlemen are pastors. The sum in each instance was $300.

When the man was asked what course would have to be pursued to get the money he replied that he had the check for the amount with him and forthwith produced a check signed by the cashier of the First National bank at Louisville. In each case he asked the clergymen for a receipt for the checks which he had given him. He got the receipts and nothing more was heard of him.

The clergymen on telegraphing to the bank at Louisville on which the checks were drawn were notified by the casher that the name, which was that of the cashier, signed to the papers was a forgery.

What object the man had in view is at present a mystery, although Deputy Sheriff Fred Gillen is inclined to believe that the purpose of the man was to get the signatures of the clergymen he called on with a view of using them in some other transaction.