Two Merchants Hold Youth as Suspect
November 4, 1950
Two Susanville merchants captured an alleged bad check artist and brought him into the city police station Wednesday.
He is Thomas Linn West, 22, of Oroville, who said he had been working in the lumber industry around Canby.
Manager Floyd Talbot of the local J. C. Penny store, and his assistant manager, George Winchester, Jr., were on their way to notify authorities that West had just cashed a bad check when they spotted him in the street. They went up to him, and he went with them to the city hall without any opposition.
Chief of Police Floyd Smith, while admiring Talbot and Winchester’s courage, advised against trying to capture anyone accused of a felony unless with an officer.
“Such people know that they will probably go to prison if brought in, and are often dangerous,” he commented. “He might have shot Talbot and Winchester if he had been armed.”
West had given them a check for $20 and received back change for about $13 worth merchandise he had purchased with the rubber check.
He had stayed several nights at a local hotel and tried to pay with a $20 check, which was declined.
West also tried passing checks at M&M hardware and Deal and Davie service, where he was also turned down.
He is in county jail pending preliminary hearing.
