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Show oo BOGUS CHECK MAN IHMT Salt Lako, Sept. 25 Feigning sick-nesB sick-nesB that he might enter tho L. D. S, hospital, presumably to hide himself from tho local authorities, Cecil Pratt, I alias Cecil Underwood, tho young I man who two and one-half years ago represented himself to be Clams Spreckels, Jr., and caused a senBallon by cashing worthless checks, wns arrested ar-rested 'yesterday afternoon by Chief i of Police Barlow and Detective Rip ley on a charge of obtaining money i under false protenses. I When tho officers ontered Pratt's j room at the hospital, he feigned sleep, ' but was soon brought to consclous- ness. and confessed to being respon-, respon-, slble for many bogus checks which i had recently been passed in Salt Lake. ! Pratt, among other confessions, said that he had sent a tolegram from Ogden to himself at the Hotel Utah to hoodwink the employes of that establishment es-tablishment that ho might make hits credit good. Pratt comes of a good family in San Franclbco. Ho has ono uncle who Is a wealthy tobacco dealer and who rescued him from his troublo hero two and one-half years ago. His mother also Is well-to-do. ' It was reported to the police yes-tcrdav yes-tcrdav from Tom Bottcrlll's garage that a man named Cecil Underwood had cashed worthless checks there to the amount of $50. Following this it wan learned that Underwood had cashed worthless checks at the Hotel Utah for $50, at the Somloh hotel for $2"5. that ho had obtained goods from Walker Brothers' dry goods store and from Kolth O'Brien's store under false pretenses When arrested Pratt was In debt to tho hospital for 5S, while his cash amounted to 25 cents. Last Friday night the police were called to the Maxim cafe. It Is alleged by that establishment that Pratt gavo It a worthless check for $25. However, How-ever, when tho pollec arrived a frlenl of Pratt's had made the check good and thero was no arrest Chief Barlow learnod late yesterday morning that Pratt "a'as in hldin at tho L D. S. hoppla and the arrest followed. Pratt had slopped at the Hotel Utah for about a week. Whon he saw that his credit was becoming questionable, a few days ago be went to Ogden and tolcgraphcd to himsolf. The telegram tele-gram was signed "Father," and snld to wait a few days "until I como down." He showed" this telegram to employes of the hotel and said- "You see, my credit Is good, because mv father will be here In n few days " While Pratt was at tho Hotel Utah ho ordered goojs from local storos and had Ihom received bv the hotel At the time of his arrost. he made no attempt to deceive Chief BaTlow Ho said that he was the bogus Clans Spreckels, Jr.. who was In trouble horc some timo ago. He said that he had telegraphed to hltnBoIf to deceive tho hotel people and that ho had Issued Is-sued the bogus checks for which he was arrested. His people In San Francisco Fran-cisco have boon notified, however, but no answer from them has boon received. re-ceived. Whon Pratt posed as Claus Spreckels, Spreck-els, Jr., two and one-half years atco. he used the samo methods as on tho present occasion lie was at tho Knutsford hotel. Ho sent a telegram addressed to Claus Spreckels, Jr. When tho name was culled in tho hotel lobby, he answered to the namo, and from that time until his discovery discov-ery a few days lator he passed as tho sugar magnate's son. |