Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-02-10
HIS OPERATIONS.
S25,OOO or sSO,OOO Involved.
A TrIekster OutWltted.

Plished forger was effected in the village Of
Hinckley, Is miles from this city, on
Friday night. The operations of this man
and an AeeOmplice, The lttter now confined
in the Chicago Jail, present 3 case of vii
lainy unprecedented for coolness, ingenuity,
akin and shrewdness, extending over pc
riOd, Is far as yet developed, Of about three
months, and involving sums sggrsgating
at least $25, 900. These forgsries we're effect
Cd in q way common Of late, namely, BY
Purchasing drafts at certain hank or banks,
for small amounts, and by the use Of an acid
obliterating the amount called for by the
drafts as issued, and substituting q sum
agreeable to the holder; but it is the opinion
Of all who have had an opportunity for ex-
smining the drafts thus altered by the men
engaged in This last swindle, that they sur
pass in the skill with which they have been
transformed, any similar work of the kind
that has ever been attempted. An inspee-
tion under the shHFpest glass shows nothing
that would indicate in the slighteat degree
that they are fraudulent. The acid used sf-
fects only the writing iuid, in no degree de-
tracing from the appearance of the Prin-
ter'S ink, and leaving no stain upon the pa
per.
The tory Of the operations Of these men,
50 far IS they have yet been traced, is some
what intricate, but We shall endesvor to give
them q just rs,oTd. During the month of No
vember last, E. 8. Piper, the party arrested
here, with an accomplice styling himself c.
R. Bruce, in Jail in Chicago, visited Wiscon-
sin, and between the 10th and 18th days Of
that month sold TO various Bankers in the
Northern and Western parts of that State q
number of drafts purporting to have been
Issued by the Bank Of Toledo, payable to
the order Of Bruce at the OCEAN Bank of
New York city. These drafts were bought
for suins ranging from 81 to $40, and he'd
been altered to sums from 81, 500 to 81, 900.
These were duly sent forward to the Ocean
Bank, were readily accepted, and in due
course were returned to the Bank of Toledo.
The Cashier here was satisfied of the iden-
tity Of his signature and hegeneral features
Of the drafts, bat suspecting that no such
amounts had been issued TO such an order,
referred to his draft-boOk, by which his sus-
PiciOn was confirmed. The Ocean Bank
was promptly notified Of the fraud, and in
turn notified the Bankers in Wisconsin,
This consumed q period of nearly four weeks.
In the meantime these men, Piper and
Bruce, had been working industriOusly in
Illinois, Indiana and Missouri, in each Of
which large sums had been lost by Bank
ers. On the 18th Of December, several Of
the Wisconsin Bankers who had been
dsfrsuded, representing in the aggregate
about 81, 1000, placed the matter in the
hands Of sz-Chief Of Police Beck of Mil
waulIee, with ample means to prosecute a
search for the swindlers. BE Immediately
took hold Of the case, and alter visiting the
principal points in Wisconsin, wrote 10
Chief of Police Bradley Of Chicago, by
whom he was informed of similar frauds in
Illinois ond Iowa, and the fact that Bradley
was on the lookout for the forgers in behalf
ofIlinois bankers The facts he gained from
Mr., Bradley relative to the frauds IN Iowa
induced Kim to 90 to that State, where he
remained some time, going thence to Chi
eago. BE remained in Chicago several days,
eonceFting such measures with Mr.. Bradley
Is were thought proper and necessary, after
which be went to Missouri. BE could find
no trace Of Piper in Missouri. further than
that he made his home in Ohio, in the vi
einiiy Of this city. Upon this information
he returned to Chicago, en- route TO this city,
and learned there positively that Piper's
home was in the vicinity of This city,
While seated in the Office of Mr.. Bradley
awaiting the time for the departure Of the
train, a dispatch was received by Mr.. Brad
ley from Deputy Sheriff McKinstry, Of this
city, asking him whether he wanted man
BY the name Of E. S. Piper; if he knew
suything against him; and if he did want
him he (MeKinstry) thought he could gel
him. A dispatch was Immediately re-
turned by Mr.. Bradley to the effect that h
did wsnt him, to secure him by all means
and that Mr.. Beck was on his way to cIsYs.
land with q requisition for Piper. Mr.. Becl
. took the next train and came directly t,
this city, whore he arrived on Tuesday, thu
,, 18th OF January, and Immediately reported
himself to Sheriff OraW and Deputy Nc
Kinstry. -
Alittle subsequent to Detective Beck's &C
quaintanes with the transactions Of Piper IL
Wisconsin, Chief Of Police Cozzins, of st.
Louis, was notified Of them. BE at once
: entered into correspondsDce with banker
D in Wisconsin, and instituted inquiry amonJ
3 the public and private bankers Of st. LOui
10 ascerlain # certain drafts had been sol,
there. It was known to Mr.. Cozsirs tina
r Bruce had been in St. Louis within shor
time after these frauds IN Wisconsin, purBu
e inS course that excited his suspicion, tha
] be had sincs been into the interior of th
e State and passed counterfeit drafts to th
J amount Of $1,000 OF $14OO in contracts fol
|, mules, and that he had made his way 70
ward Chicago, where, as already stated, b,
0 was subsequently arrested. In the early
$ psrt Of January, Piper, under the name c
J. E. B. Ballad, was In lows, pretending to b
2 Government agent for the purchase 0
Z large supplies Of pork. By means Of thi
) he ingratistsd himself into the conAdenc
y Of Mr.. Crane, 3 nerehant Of Muscstine
le and on the 18th Of that month requisite
g Mr.. G. to introduce him to the branch ban
located there, as he desired to turn som
drafts into cash, in order to facilitate hi
q purchases, which Mr.. O.. did unhssitI
, tingiy. BE here passed Two counterfe
lg drafts, one for Sl.SoO, the other for s., ,6OI
ur both purPOrting to have been issued by III
70 Mad River Valley Bank, Springfield, 0
= payable at the Hamilton Bank, New Yorl
p;,ov vsnaiaad about RFns..t;,,, n =,