Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-03-19
Local and State Items.

WHOLESALE FORGERY AND SwINDLING.
A SUCCESSFUL RAID ON OUR BANKs.-CAP-
TURE OF Much PLUNnER.-About the mid
die of January last, an individual by the real
or assumed name of O. B. Clark, made his
distinguished advent IN this town. He repre-
sented himself to be the general agent of
{ Willard, Singleton & Clark, of Quincy, ILL.,,
Importers, Dealers and Growers of Pure Blood
and Graded Sheep Stock" and the son of the
Clark of that firm;--for whom he was buying
sheep in this State This Clark contrived to
get himself introduced here, we are informed,
by well-known gentleman of Shelburne, VT,
of high standing, and also dealer in cattle
and sheep; upon whom it is now supposed
Clark had managed in some way to impose
himself as the agent of the abovenamed firm,
the sequel showing that he is very "impos-
ing'' fellow. This gave him some advantage
in the outset. For about four weeks he made
his headquarters at the Bardwell House in
this village, and afterwards at other towns on
the line of the Rutland and Burlington Rail-
road, chiefly, we believe at Middlebury. All
those who had sheep to sell throughout this
section of the State, examining their focks, en-
gaging other parties to buy for him on commits
sion ,andmaklng extensive bargains, contracting,
however, withthose of whom he professed to buy,
to winter the sheep, and deliver them sometime
this spring. This business he most industri-
ously and energeically kept up for about
eight weeks, spending considerable money in
his travels, getting one Or two small drafts
cashed at the banks, which were genuine, and
making some show of written contracts for
purchases of sheep, which he had entered into
with different sellers. By these and other
strategic" operations, he worked to the delu-
sion of the "enemy; appearing as a man do
ing large and legitimate business; as the
agent of an extensive firm /; and one whose
transactions required the use of much money.
Then came the ''attack." A week ago lastSat-
urday he hired livery team here, to be absent
three or four days visited Orwell, Brandon,
Middlebury and yergennes, and returned to
Rutland last Wednesday afternoon. Imme-
diately on his arrival here he presented and
procured to be cashed at the Rutland County
Bank, draft purporting to be drawn by the
Logansport branch of the State Bank of Indi-
ana on the City Bank of New York City, for
$4,000. This draft was forwarded immedi-
ately to New York, and on Friday the Rut-
land County Bank received telegram that
the draft was forgery. 1t turns out that
while absent, from Saturday to Wednesday,
he did most flourishing business, -bleeding
the Banks at Brandon, Orwell, Middlebury
and Vergennes, in the following sums, by pro
curing to be cashed similar forged drafts,
(some of which, however, purported to be
drawn by Toledo, Ohio, Bank, on the Ocean
Bank, of New York, J. viz: at Brandon ST.
700, Orwell S4 300, Mlddlebury $4,000 or
$1,000, and like sum at Vergennes. From
here, this enterpnsing individual, of course,
went as soon as he had transacted his little
business at the Bank on Wednesday, and on
Thursday added to his pile at Bank in Bel
lows Falls, by a similar drawing process, the
urther sum of $1,000, making the total of
his operations, so far as heard from, about
$40, 800. Immediately on receipt of the in
telligence on Friday last, that the draf were
forged, all possible measures were taken to
overtake the villain the police have been put
upon the alert at all principal points. in the
North, and it is hoped that he will he headed
off and captured.