From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for Jan. 15, 1913:

“A young man giving the name of Roy T. Adams, well dressed, possessing a smooth tongue and also the possessor of a check book is wanted in Lawrence for passing bad checks on a number of local merchants and also for defrauding the Watkins National Bank. The fellow was in Lawrence Monday and while he was here secured something close to $100 in cash as a result of his day’s work…. It was a smooth game that the young man played here in Lawrence. He first appeared at the Watkins National Bank bringing with him a bank book from Newton, Kansas, purporting to show that he had a balance of $95 on deposit in that bank. He stated that he was planning to enter K.U. at the beginning of the second semester and asked to have his account transferred from Newton to the Watkins Bank. This was done and the young man given a bank book and a check book. The next day he appeared at the bank. This time he explained that he had secured a room and was in need of some money to pay the rent and to purchase some books and while he realized ‘that the bank hadn’t had time to hear from Newton he wondered if it was asking too much to ask for $25 on his account.’ That sounded all right and the money was advanced. The young man then left the bank and equipped with his check book and his account book showing that he had deposited $95 started on a little visit to the business houses of the city. At each place he called he left a little souvenir in the way of a little piece of paper torn from his check book. And he took away with him some article of merchandise and always a little change taking care that the amount of his purchase never equalled the amount of the check…. He called at the Peckham Clothing Company, selected a suit of clothes, wrote a check, said that he would leave the suit and call later for it, took the change and left the store. He called at the Ober store and carried away some change. He bought a pair of shoes at Fischer’s and gave another check. He visited the House store and ordered a suit sent to the City Y.M.C.A. building, ‘where he was staying.’… Going on down to Dick Brothers his thirst got the better of him and he ordered a ‘coke,’ and paid for it with a check for five and received $4.95 in change…. Then the Watkins bank began to receive checks drawn on account of Roy T. Adams. The suspicion of the bank officials was aroused and a little later confirmed when word arrived from Newton that the man had no account in the bank at that city. The police were notified and they in turn informed the bank that there was a card at the station offering $25 for the arrest of a man who had passed bad paper at Newton…. But by this time he had left the city. It was time to be moving and when the police were aware that the town was being worked he had disappeared and although a representative of the Burns agency arrived on the scene shortly afterward the youthful faker had gone.”