, 1861-03-29
RKG1TENdENT AMONG THE BANK.
=. 4Efk$
Sale OF Drafts under Suspicious Cir.
- - CumEt2uEeGs


= = [From the Cincinnati Gazette, ssth:1:
Within the Inst few days an individual, q
stranger In the city, has BEEN selling drafts
drawn by the Cataract Bank of .Lockport, N.
T., upon the OCEAN Bank, N. 7: City, md hes,
posed Of about $1,000 The drafts we're for
sums Q fraction less than $500 and 81, COO, and
It tg a remarkable fact that each denomination
vas for precisely the same amount. The odd
figures we're put in to give the operation 1e-
ga1mate appearance. The operator managed
TO get introduced In 8 round about wHy.
TO gentleman, now in m insurance office
here; and by this party he was identified
at one of the banks. In another case he pro-
cnred . letter to.a merchant, from person
who did business in New York some years ago,
bnt Who 5s nov buying cattle IN the West"
ton in other casea- It having been ascertain
ed that he sold drafts at seven different places,
suspicious were excited, and upon inquiries be-
ing made OF the persons who introduced the
fndtFtdual, It was found that they really knew
nothing about him, farther than that they IN
deEstood him to b; ar the name be gave. There
upon one ofthe bankers concluded, to 1ook up
this customer, and after bri IF search, he
found him at the United States Hctel. He
questioned him IS to his object In selling
grain. The banker told him the Transaction
proposed to walk down to Fourth street, and
Introduce him to I gentleman there to whom
he had letter. This proposition was
accepted The letter, when read, proved
$500, the amount Of the daft cold to the
banker now referred to; to be held until t1fb
draft should be heard from. That vas &C.
cepted. and thus Banker No. 1 was Pecure64
Other bankers then went in search Of the cut-
toner, but he had disappeared, and no traces
s~FA tnxva ~, t.. &t7or
time, dispatch was sent by Banker No. 2 to
the Cataract Bank, Lockport, describing one
Of the DRIFTS, and inquiring II It was genuine
an answer was received that the draft was all
! right. Subsequently person, who Was after
wards found to have given an assumed name,
stated above, hut it Was not nored, and tLis
| individual, with another individual, supposed
| to be m acconplice, was arrested late in the
| afternoon On suspicion.
We have thus detailed the circumstances
connected with the operations, without
| giving names, having omitted the latter for
the reason thatthe drafts being Eenuine, they
may possibly be Paid. Bankers, however, are
! of the opinion that SONS extensive fraud Was
| contemplated It is believed that Ja.Eo
amount Of these drafts are now In the West
and 1t Is suspected that those sold here were
| upon which to operate more extensively at this
| mud other points. The person who wrote the
| letter Of introduction to Fourth street mtr-
chant. stated In that Communication that he
had 81, 900 in drafts, which he expected to
use In buying cattle in the west. It may be
| that the Catafact Bank is owned by the parties
who are thus operating, New York country
banks being sometimes used in this way. BY
paying few Of the first drafts sold, the wey
might be opened for extensive transactions.
Persons, therefore, to whom drafts Of tIiE
character may be offered, will do well to re-
fuse them.
We omitted to mention, as another euspl
clous circumstance, that the seller Of tl.s
drafts had quarters at both the United stalet
Hotel in this city, and the Madison House
GnIinxfan