LESTER BEACH

Alias:

Specialties: FORGER

No: 17 Last Displayed: 6/21/2023

Description:

Fifty-nine years old in 1886. Born in United States. Married. Painter. Stout build. Height 5 feet 9 inches. Weight, 166 pounds. Gray hair, brown eyes, light complexion. Heavy nose lines and wrinkles under the eyes. Hair thin on top of head. Generally wears a brown and gray mustache.

Record:

LESTER BEACH is a well known forger, having been arrested several times. He is an associate of Charles R. Titus, alias Doctor Thompson (44), another professional forger,who attempted to pass a forged check for $100,000, drawn on J. B. Colgate & Co., brokers, of No. 47 Wall Street, New York City, in 1869. Beach was arrested in New York City on November, 1878, in company of Titus, charged with having obtained $70 from Morris Steinhart, of No. 67 Hudson Street. New York City, on a bogus certified check on the Bank of New York. He stated when arrested that he was furnished the check by a man named Browning, who was to meet him and receive the proceeds. This man proved to be Dr. Titus. Additional complaints were made against Beach by R. J. Clay, of No.1 76 Broadway, and G. F. Morse, of No. 174 South Fifth Avenue, New York City. Mr. Clay stated that Beach obtained $30 from him on a certified check on the Newark City, N. J., National Bank, which proved to be a forgery. Mr. Morse stated that he had given Beach $99 on a certified check for $100 on the Merchants' Bank of Brooklyn, N. Y., which also proved worthless. Beach was tried and convicted of forgery in the Steinhart case, and sentenced to three years and six months in State prison at Sing Sing, N. Y., on December 18, 1879. by Judge Gildersleeve, in the Court of General Sessions, in New York City. See record of No. (40). Beach's picture is an excellent one, taken in November, 1876.