The Forger Who Ordered Champagne to the Mansion of J. M. Colman

The career of Henry C. Miller, who has been victimizing merchants of this city for about two weeks by means of forged orders, was brought to a halt at 2 o'clock yesterday morning when Detectives Phillips and Cudihee lodged him in the city jail. The identification of the culprit is complete, and thus one of the most dangerous men who has annoyed the guardians of the peace for a long time is well on the high road to the state penitentiary.

His method of operations was to present an order drawn by some well-known citizen upon a business house for goods, stating exactly what goods to deliver and on what date to present the bill. If he got the goods, as he did in many cases, he had several days' grace before the deception was discovered. If, on the other hand, any merchant questioned the genuineness of the order, Mr. Miller took advantage of the first opportunity to make his escape out of the front door. The police have been following him for several days, and Chief Rogers and his detectives have not slept until the bars closed behind the "muchly wanted man."

The first case on record in which Mr. Miller showed his hand was reported by Mr. Samuel L. Crawford. On May 28 Miller went into the store of the Pacific Coast Liquor Company, 1208 Front street, and presented the following order: "City, May 28, 1894. Seattle Grocery Company: Please send by bearer one bottle best brandy (for medical use) and charge the same to my husband's account. Mrs. S. L. Crawford." The company knew any order from Mr. Crawford's household was good and without hesitation delivered a bottle of brandy.

The next day Miller went into M. Levy's cigar store and presented an order for one box of Gen. Arthur cigars, purporting to be signed by Mr. Crawford. On the back of the order he indorsed the name "C. A. Porty," received the box of cigars and went on his way rejoicing.

May 30 Miller went to the Famous Clothing House on Front street and presented the following order: "To the Famous Clothing House: Please deliver to bearer one overcoat (not to exceed $25) and present bill to our office June 1. Lilly, Bogardus Co." The man to whom the order was given slipped out to make sure that the order was genuine, and in the meantime Miller disappeared.

June 2 Miller went into Gus Brown's furnishing store on Second street and handed out the following: "Please deliver to bearer furnishing goods to the value of $15 and present bill to our office June 5. Pacific Navigation Company, A. J. McLeod, Manager." The moment an investigation of the order was begun Mr. Miller took to his heels.

June 7 he obtained from A. P. Hotaling & Co. a bottle of brandy for medicinal use on the strength of a forgery of Mrs. Samuel L. Crawford's name. On the same day he went into the Boston Clothing House with an order for clothing purporting to be signed by McLeod. The order was honored and Mr. Miller walked out with two suits of underwear, six pairs of hose, six handkerchiefs and one shirt in his possession.

His final act came about 10 o'clock Friday night, when he telephoned to McConnell & Nixon, the Front street liquor dealers, to send six bottles of champagne by messenger boy to the residence of J. M. Colman, Columbia and Fourth streets. The men at the liquor store thought that it was queer Mr. Colman wanted six bottles of champagne, and cautioned the messenger boy to get the check signed and bring it back to the store at once. When the boy reached the top of the long flight of steps leading up to Mr. Colman's residence he was met by a man who came from the rear of the house. This man said he would take the champagne and did so. Then he signed the boy's ticket. When the boy got back to McConnell & Nixon's it was seen that the name on the check was "H. L. Coleman." This was not right, so they called Mr. Colman out of bed by telephone and asked him about the six bottles of champagne. Mr. Colman put the audiphone back on the hook with such a reply that to the man at the other end of the phone there was no question about his not having ordered champagne.

The case was immediately reported to the police, and Chief Rogers was positive that it was the same man who had been operating elsewhere. In fact, after Mr. Crawford commenced to receive bills for brandy and cigars and the other cases commenced to come in, the police had been chasing the swindler from place to place, yet always a few minutes behind him. They had descriptions, however, and for once Mr. Miller, after having obtained six bottles of champagne, showed up on the street at just the wrong moment and fell into the clutches of Detectives Phillips and Cudihee. Yesterday Miller was identified in seven cases and will have to stand trial for forgery. Chief Rogers thinks there are other cases of Miller's work of which he has no report as yet.