FORGERY HERE LED SLEUTHS
Under glaring headlines the Seattle
Post-Intelligencer of March 29 gives
prominence to the capture of Dr.
Robert E. Forbes* alias Johnstone,
alias, Fisher, etc., who some weeks
ago created a stir in Cordova by
passing forged government checks for
considerable sums. The article is as
follows:
After an exciting chase of 2,000
^ miles from Juneau, Alaska, to the des
serts of Utah, with United States se
cret service operatives hanging dog
gedly to his twisting and doubling
trail, Dr. Robert E. Forbes, nationally
know forger with a dozen aliases, was
again brought to a halt in his career
of crime by his arrest last Wednesday
at Hite, Utah, by W. H. Davenport,
secret service agent at Salt Lake City,
who acted on information furnished
by operatives under Captain Thomas
B. Foster of the United States secret
service in Seattle.
Suspected as German Spy
Wanted for theft and forgery of
United States treasury checks to the
amount of $2,000 at Juneau and Cor
dova, Alaska; for obtaining $135 under
false pretenses at Cordova; for hav
ing a forged United States treasury
^check in his possession at Hite, Utah;
suspected of being a German spy;
panted by the sheriff of Okanogan
efchnty, Washington, where he broke
out of the county jail last October,
and with a record of indictments for
theft and forgery of postal money or
ders in half a dozen cities on both
coasts, Forbes is one of the biggest
catches to fail into the net of the
government officers of the Seattle se
cret service division in many months,
Captain Foster says.
Picks Lock of County Jail
Forbes was picked up at Okanogan,
Wash., last fall, and was being held
for forgery He was also wanted by
the government for various alleged
thefts and forgeries of postal money
orders, but picked the lock of the
county jail and escaped. According
to information from Sheriff Harry E.
Stark of Okanogan, he went up into
Canada, and from there went to Ju
neau, Alaska. In Canada, it is said,
he stole a Scottish Rite Masonic cer
^ tificate bearing the name of “Robert
Cullen Johnston*?' which name he
*used in his operations in Alaska.
On March 11 Captain Foster was no
tified from Washington of Forbes’
latest exploit at Juneau, and immedi
ately offered the services of his de
partment to the United States district
attorney at Juneau.
Forbes is alleged to have stolen
United States treasury checks num
bered from 946 to 950 inclusive |rom
the office of John P. Walker, super
visor of surveys at Juneau, to have
forged check No. 947, for $2,000,
signing the name, it is said, of “Robert
Cullen Johnston,” and cashed the
paper at a bank at Cordova. He is said
to have used the Johnson Scottish Rite
certificate for identification. He im
mediately converted the sum into trav
elers 'checks, Captain Foster says. At
Cordova he wrote a check for $135,
* which was cashed by A. J. Adams of.
that place, upon Forbest’ representa
tion that he had money in the Moison
^State Bank at Okanogan, Wash., it is
reported.
His Arrival in Seattle
About that time Forbes left Alaska
and headed for Seattle, according to
advices received here. He was ex
pected to arrive here February 27, but
did not arrive until February 28, com
ing in on the steamer Admiral Watson.
Two operatives of the Seattle secret
service department, to whom is due
credit for the final arrest of the forger,
found where the fugitive had hired an
automobile on February 28 and driven
to Portland. At Portland he dismissed
his car, hired another and drove to
Hood River, where he took a train.
He left Seattle for Portland at about
S o'clock in the morning of February
28, and reached Food River about mid
night the same day.
* At Hood River he purchased a ticket
to Provost, Utah, and W. H. Daven
^port, the Salt Lake City agent, was
wired and put on the trail. But Forbes
evidently did not intend to step off
a train into the arms of waiting of
ficers, Captain Forbes says. En route
his baggage was rechecked to Thomp
son, Utah, and he arrived there with
out molestation. His next move was
to plunge into the Utah desert, and
Agent Davenport w;>ed to Seattle, “I
am going hunting him into the desert.”
Fugitive Caught in Desert
The details of the chase across the
desert are not known, other than that
it wras successful. Sunday Agent Day
. %
j enport wired Captain Foster that in
had his man and that he had cou
j fessed to the forgeries in Alaska. The
j arrest was made at Hite, Utah, which
| is the center of a mining and oil dis
j trict. Forbes evidently intended tc
i work off another check on §ie mining
j men there, Captain Foster believes,
When arrested he had in his posses
sion United States treasury chdfck No.
90, the last of the series he is said to
have stolen in Alaska, made out for
$2,900, and signed with the name of
“Arthur E. Nobles." He said he had
spoiled two of the checks. One of the
checks, for $2,000, he is said to have
cashed at Cordova, according to in
formation received here.
At Codova, after cashing his trav
elers' checks, Forbes purchased a dia
mond ring with a 1*4-carat stone, and
flashing the ring, his roll and the
Scottish Rite certificate, put up a
“front" among the passengers on the
Admiral Watson as a successful min
ing man, the operatives reported.
Served Term at Leavenworth
The records of the secret service
show a long list of Forbes’ offenses,
covering a period of seven years. His
specialty is said to have been theft
and forging of postal money orders,
and in a list of half a dozen indict
ments he escaped with only one con
viction and prison term. On February
18, 1914, he was sentenced to five
years in the Illinois state penitentiary
at Joliet, after arrest and trial in Chi
cago for forging and passing postal
money orders stolen from Station 53,
San Francisco, in January, 1914. He
was later transferred to the United
States penitentiary at Leavenworth,
Kan., and served his term. There is
no record of his activities after his
release until he was arrested at Oka
nogan for forgery.
Forbes was indicted at San Fran
cisco under the name of Karl C. Fisher
on January 27, 1914, for stealing blank
money orders from Station 53 on Jan.
5, 1914. On November 27, 1914, he
was indicted at Newark, N. J., under
the name of Robert B. Hanley for
stealing money order blanks from the
postoffice at Belle Mead, N. J., August
21, 1913, On May 22, 1916, he was i#
dieted under the name of J. H. Mc
Gregor at San Francisco for stealing
and forging money orders at Duns
mere, Cal., October 20, 1913, and for
stealing those blaanks from the post
office at Elk City, Idaho, October 10,
1913.
Known by Many Aliases
In addition to the above names he,
was known at different times as Otto
D. Wiperinan, A. E: Webb, .Robert E.
Harris, Paul Dunperth and Georgy
Dumpier.
In addition to his Masonic creden
; tials he professed to be an Elk. Capt.
Foster is checking up on the Scottish
Rite certificate, to locate Robert Cul
len Johnston, said to live just across
i the line from Chesaw. When Forbes
I escaped from the Okanogan county
jail, October 14, 1919, he was accom
panied by Jim Turner, who was held
for the federal authorities under the
Mann act. The two were in Canada
several weeks after Forbes’ departure
for the Donfinion. Turner was ar
i rested at Greenwood and is being re
! turned to Okanogan for trial.
i When arrested in Okanogan Forbes
was, in addition to other shortcomings,
suspected of being a German spy. He
speaks with a slight German accent,
but from the time he left Juneau,
Alaska, and during the time he was
on the steamer Admiral Watson, he af
fected a Scotch and English accent.
He is about 44 years old, of medium
height and weight, sallow complex
ion, and said to be a confirmed drug
j addict.
The man’s true name is not known
| to the secret service, but it is believed
! he is of German descent, although at
; this time there is no evidence at hand
| to show any connection with the Ger
j man government, Captain Foster says.
He is described as a good dresser,
wears rimless glasses with gold ear
chain, and silk shirts.
Forbes may be tried in Alaska on
three counts—stealing a treasury
check, obtaining money under false
pretenses, and forgery, according to
the secret service head in Seattle.
He. faces imprisonment for fifteen
years and $5,000 fine as maximum pun
ishment. if convicted.
JOHN
NEWTON'S
ASSURANCE!
When 1 was young 1
was sure of many things.
There are only two
things of which I am sure
now.
One is that 1 am a mis
erable sinner, and the
other that
JESUS CHRIST
is an all-sufficient Savior!
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
11 A. M. • 8 P. M.
SHOE REPAIRING
DIMON NICKALOFF
Currier Building,
C Street. P. 0. Box 98(5.
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The very latest
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1 W. CLAYSON I
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