The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-06-01
From the Philadelphia Ledger Of Saturday.
THE BANK CHECK FORGER DIS
COVERED.

The extensive forgeries committed in the latte
part of April and the beginning of the present
month, upon twelve of our banks, through their
system of marking each others checks ssgood, ,
have probably not yet escaped the recollection Of
our readers According to the statements Their
published, accounts were opened in the several
banks in the names of Vanarsdale & Roberts
Steiner & Wood, and George b. Mckee s Co.
all of whom were put down residing at No AZ
Walnut street On the Both of April, checks
drawn by Vanarsdale & Roberts were deposited
by one or the other of the above mentioned firms,
with the word tgood" written thereon, and the
name of the teller forged, and, by the way, re-
markably well executed. After depositing these
checks, the amounts were then drawn out with
out suspicion. When, usual, the banks made
their exchan ges the next morning (May 1st0 the
fraud was detected, and it was likewise asser-
tanned that no such firms as the above named had
done business at AZ Walnut street. The
amount of money then reported to have been OBJ
tanned by these forgeries was said to be about
$4,000
The banks offered, through the newspapers, a
reward of ~ 900 for the apprehension of the for
ger or forgers; the police of both this city and
New York, stirred into activity, but all their
exertions failed to find trace or clue to unravei
the mysteries cnveloping the whole affair.
Several days ago, some of the bank officers re-
ceived information from private source, which
induced them to believe that the forgers, or one
of them, was within their reach, if plan was
skilfully laid and quietly conducted. The telers,
therefore, of three of the banks, viz. MIR. Thos.
Sturgess, of the Western bank, Mr.. J. J. Cope, OF
the Commercial, and Mr.. J. r.. Paul, OF the Moy-
amensing bank, concluded to undertake. his ar
rest without the aid of the police officers. Ad-
uniting Alderman Armon Davis into their plans,
he issued warrant for man answering the de-
scription of the person who drew the money /;
and, after three days. continued labor and vigil
lance, they succeeded in arresting, at Mrs.
GourIay's boarding house in Seventh street,
above Chestnut, the man described in the warrant,
who proved to be DIR. William M. Eldridge,
a young man of fine education, gentlemanly
manners and address, an associate and visiter in
some of the first and most wealthy families of
this city,. and originally of most respectable
family in Evesham, N. j., where has many re-
lations. Immediately upon his arrest, a hearing
was had before Alderman Davis. The counsel
and tcllers of the various banks upon which the
forgeries were committed, were present, and the
prisoners identity was positively sworn to as the
person who opened the false accounts, deposited
the checks and drew the money. 1t also appear
ed that several Of the New York banks had been
bled in the same way, in times past, of about
$4,000.
A comparison of the handwriting of the fraudu-
lent checks Of both cities, showed that they were
drawn by the same person, and further COM
psrison Of the somewhat disguised handwriting