he “Flea” Flies Fast

By JAMES WELLSFORD

Master Forger of Pacific Coast Hits End of Crime Trail at Bellingham — Astute
American Police Nab Dapper Cheque Artist Who Headed Crime College —
Bogus Ring Broken and Gang Gets 100 Years in Walla Walla After Citizens

IT WAS warm and stuffy in Bellingham
Police Headquarters on the afternoon of
Saturday, June 4, 1938, and Chief Wil
liam Stone fidgetted uneasily in his chair.

On the desk before him were up-to-date
circulars from various Police Departments

William I. Stone, Chief of
Police, City of Bellingham.

throughout the country, including the
famous Federal Investigation Bureau at
Washington, asking for information on
some of America’s most notorious criminals.

The telephone rang.

“This is George Sikovitch at the Model
Cafe,” a voice said.

“Yes,” said Chief Stone, “what can we
do for you?”

“There’s something funny going on here,”

Mulcted of More Than $200,000.

answered Sikovitch. “About an hour ago,
two guys came in the bar and cashed a
cheque.”

“What was wrong with that?”

“Oh, nothing,” replied the portly tavern
keeper, “but here is the catch. The same
two guys just left my restaurant where
they tried to cash another one.”

It might be explained that Sikovitch,
who owns a combined bar and restaurant,
maintains the two places separately, al-
though they adjoin each other.

That one small slip, always the tiny hitch
in perfect plans, brought to earth one of
the cleverest gangs of forgers on the Pacific
Coast.

But that is going ahead of the story.

“What about the cheque you cashed?”
queried Chief Stone.

“That's what I can’t figure out,” Siko-
vitch said. “It’s good. A company cheque,
made out to a reliable firm.”

“We'll be right over.”

Inspector Clifford Blodgett, one of the
Department’s cleverest investigators was
despatched to the Model Cafe. A glance at
the cheque, payable to the order of J. K.
Ward told the police nothing. Inspector
Blodgett communicated with officials of the
company, and learned what he. already sus-
pected — the cheque was useless —— but an
excellent facsimile.

“Keep your eyes open and let us know
if you see those fellows again today,” he

told Sikovitch.

Back at headquarters startling facts soon
became apparent. Two men were in Bel-

lingham with bogus cheques which were
definitely the work of an experienced pro-
fessional. The ease and dexterity with
which they manoeuvred the first cheque
showed that they would probably unload
many more before leaving the city.

INTENSIVE MAN-HUNT

A dragnet was thrown out, with fur-
nished descriptions of the two wanted men,

}

Clifford L. Blodgett, Inspec-
tor of Police, City of Belling-
ham.

and every detective and patrolman was on
the alert.

Inspector Blodgett set out on the trail,
taking with him Patrolman Frank Haickel,
well-known athlete, and famous for his

Congratulations to the B. C. PROVINCIAL POLICE

on their

80th ANNIVERSARY

from the

BELLINGHAM COAL MINES

OCTOBER, 1938

Page Fifty-Nine