Show FRANCIS G LUKE UNDER ARREST t Collection Agency Manager is Charged With Forgery SENT A SUMMONS BY MAIL MALL 4 ALLEGED THAT JS WAS J Francis G Luke manager of the Merchants Protective association was arrested late yesterday afternoon by Deputy Sheriff Sherif Cummings on a warrant Issued out of Justice Diehls court charging him with having forged the signature of Justice Peter to a summons served through h the postoffice upon G U W Palmer of on Sept 17 Tue defendant was vas taken before Justice Diehl Diehi and lib liberated liberated crated on a 8 bond of 1000 1090 to appear on Monday or Tuesday TU for preliminary examination In Its the district court numerous pro proceedings have been Instituted by ag as grieved debtors de tors against Luke and und various of the precinct Justices to re restrain restrain restrain strain the manager of the collection agency rom irom enforcing execution of judgments In cases Tn lb which no sum summons summons mons was ever eer served although the papers papera made it appear that the de defendants had been regularly served In Its several of these instances the dis die district court has granted writs of at pro ro as prayed for tor and a number of applications for writs are pending This Is the first time however that Luke uke has hIlS been een charged with a crim criminal inal mel off offe In connection with his of suits for rot debt but Coun County County ty Att icy u y has been on the alei aIm for tor evidence sufficient to con convict conict vict the collection agency man of some offense The public prosecutor Is now noV of the opinion that he has a acure a asure sure cure case against Luke and no effort 1 be spared to accomplish his con conviction conviction conviction Summons Sent by Mail The complainant against Luke Is b Attorney J 3 W who was wasI I I retained by Mr Palmer to defend the tha th salt SUll which the of the collection collection 1 tion agency brought against him for tor recovery of in favor of one J 1 D Wood It Is alleged aUe ed that on Sept 17 Mr Palmer received a letter by mail mall nt losing a co ca y i of a summons the J ginal of which purported to have been signed by Justice J Lochrie notify notifying ing the defendant to appear In the I Justices court within ten days dllY there thereafter thereafter after ane to defend the suit in which Wood demanded Judgment for and costs No Complaint Piled Filed F re Ie the expiration of the ten doy Palmer came to this city to re cc tain tam the services of ot Attorney String fellow to defend the suit against him Attorney investigations took him to the court of ot Justice Loch vie and to his surprIse he be found that fr no complaint had been med flied as the law directs for the commencement of or a ai i Ivil action neither was the original ori summons to be found Later however the complaint was found on file me with the date of Sept 27 erased and the date of ot Sept 17 substituted Further Investigation brought forth the original nal summons but the Justice was nas as tain tam the signature purporting to be his ills was a forgery When this disco diaco discovery cry ery W Ica a g the c attorney concluded that there was sufficient evidence to commence a prosecution j against Luke for the offense Attorney Stringfellow presented present evi dence to the county attorney ester yester day showIng that Luke had written to Palmer baying that If the bill wore paid the suit would be dismissed with out costs and this Is believed h to be the Ute reason why no complaint was filed med court as set forth in the summons seved Beed upon Palmer Palm r Attorney String felloWs client declares that the bill Is an overcharge and de dc dined to settle The alleged aU ged fraudulent use of the malls mails by br Luke had hM been called to the attention of the United States district attorneys office and Assistant ney Cherrington has the matter of prosecuting Luke for violation of ot the postal laws ia under advisement |