The Indianapolis Journal

A FORGER APPREHENDED.
An Indianapolis Schemer Comes to Grief in Johnson County.

Acting under instructions from a man who signed himself Jonathan L. Lord, of Johnson county, Alexander Metzger, a well-known real estate agent of this city, recently endeavored to sell two lots on College avenue, owned by an individual by that name, but finding no purchaser and recognizing the fact that the price fixed upon them was a low one, he purchased them for himself, paying for them $800. Before doing this he satisfied himself by inquiries made through Fletcher & Sharpe and the Franklin National Bank, that Jonathan L. Lord was a responsible party. The money was paid by check at the Franklin bank, and Mr. Metzger, having had the title to the property transferred to himself, offered it for sale. On Friday Mr. Lord came up from Franklin, having heard that his lots had been placed on the market, and protested that he had never had a transaction with Mr. Metzger, and had no disposition to sell his property. Explanations followed, and the fact developed that a forgery had been committed, and that Mr. Lord's name had been used without authority. Later in the day it was learned that W. E. Mick, another real estate agent, was negotiating with "Jonathan L. Lord," at Shelbyville, for the same property, and the conclusion reached was that the forger was the same who had victimized Mr. Metzger. Mr. Mick had just written a letter to Lord at Shelbyville, and the authorities were notified to arrest the party calling for it. On Saturday, the man was arrested and fully identified by the bank officers at Franklin, before whom he was immediately taken, as the man who had cashed the Metzger check. He gave his name as Hornaday, and claimed to live in this city.