Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1868-12-18
DECEMBER Is, 1868.
THE COSFIDENGE GAME.
A Boston Sharper Tries teSWin.
die the First National
Bank OF Memphis. -
4 Letter OF Introduction and q
Draft for $35, 900.

Il
A we'll laid plan to yictimize one o
our banks was tried recently, but utterly
failed The facts are these ~ Yysrs-
On Friday last a sleek, well dressed
and respectable locking stranger, appa'
rently about forty-fiye years Of age,
dropped down from the clouds+-or som 3
other place-and called upon M. Kraus
& Co., with letter purporting to have
been written by II. B. Clafiin, of the firm
of Clafiin, Mellen & o., of New York.
The letter introduced the bearer as r,
S. Morgan, Esq, Of Taunton, Massachu-
sets, whose mission South was to look
into cotton matters, and, perhaps, to buy,
if deemed expedient it also said that as
Mr.. Morgan was q stranger in M emphis
any eourtesies and civilities extended to
him would be appreciated. Mr.. kraus
received the stranger courteously, and at
his request introduced him to Mr.. Norris,
Cashier Of the First National Bank, pre-
senting also the letter which introduced
the stranger to him. The stranger said
he thought of buying cotton and wished
to arrange with the bank for the neces-
sary funds. Mr.. Norris took Mr.. Kraus
aside and questioned him as to the genu-
ineness of the letter of introduction and
the identity of Morgan. Mr.. Kraus knew
nothing of either and seemed to be susS
picious of the case. Mr.. Norris then re-
turned to Morgan and said in his custo>
mary susve and polite manner, that he
would like very much to have his busi'
ness Mr.. Norris is always on the look
out for business and does business in a
BUSINESS way,) but that the bank could
not pay out money until the bill Of lading
was produced in the formal and custom
airy manner. The stranger, not whit
disconnected, then produced draft for
S35, 1000, purporting to have been drawn
by the Woonsocket National Bank of
Rhode Island on the Suffolk National
Bank of Boston, which he requested Mr..
Norris to pass to his credit. Mr.. Norris,
Of course, could offer no objection to this,
but still declined to advance funds with~
out the bill, or until he had satisfied him
self IS to the genuineness Of the draft and
the identity of the applicant. The
stranger then said he would call again,
and took his departure, leaving the
draft Mr.. Norris then sought his friend
Charley Smith, ESQ.,, related to him
the above circumstances, told him
the stranger was stopping at his hotel,
and requested him to form his acquaint>
ance and sound him on the question Of
cotton, adding he would call at the hotel
that night and learn the result. Mr..
Smith, on going to dinner at the hotel,
inquired for Morgan, and was told that he
had taken the afternoon train for parts
unknown. In the evening Mr.. Norris
called on Mr.. Smith, as per agreement,
and learned of the sudden departure of
the bird. A bottle of wine was cracked,
and they telegraphed to the WOonsocket
National Bank, giving number, amount
and ether features of the draft, with the
appearance Of the stranger and asked for
on the subject 1t was thought
that the stranger had, perhaps, only tenn
porarily left the city. The reply was in
substance that the draft was a forgery,
and that the .Woonsocket Bank knew
nothing Of it or Morgan. This settled
the case in the minds Of Mr.. Norris and
his friend Mr.. Smith. The .ormer drew
a long breath of relief as he reflected on
his lucky escape from this well laid
scheme to defraud the bank, and was
felicitated upon his shrewdness by his
friend Smith, whereupon another bottle
of wine was proposed. The shrewdness
Of Mr.. Norris in the whole affair was
of the man. The appear
ance of the so-called Morgan, as well as
his address and manner, which was gen.
keen and business>like, was
fully calculated to mislead the shrewdest.
The sudden disappearance of the adVen-
turer without the draft is probably due
to the fact that he recognized among the
clerks of the bank young man who
knew him as one Turner, of Orange, New
ersey, but whom he, of course, was not
to know under the circumstan-
ces. The letter purporting to be from
Clafln was without the customary bust
ness letter heading, but the check bore
the appearance of being genuine. 1t IS
probable Morgan, Turner, or whatever
his name is, is now looking for field of
operations where bank officers are less
keen and shrewd than those Of Memphis.
Keep lookout for him. Such is brief
history of one of the best devised and
probably the most extensive confidence
game Of the kind ever tried on in Mem
phis.- Memphis Avalanche, Dec. l6.