Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-03-21
A Wall Street FURRY.

The "Jackols' Of the Street Proving on, Hthe Be
ritehing Decentralization Of Checks by Chem
zeal Process.
Quite q sensation was Occasionsd in Wall
street Saturday, by the discovery that skilIful
operators were swindlng banks with altered
checks, and the success which had attended the
game, as far as developed, set all the brokers in
motion to inspect their accounts, no one know
ing but that he, too, might be a victim. Mes
danes woodruff, Clafin s. Co., brokers, No. A
Broad street, were unwittingly made parties TO
the transaction, but the investigation Of the af-
fair demonstrates that their connection with the
operation was not only perfectly legitimate but
was not assumed until after the Observance OF
all the customary precautions in cases OF doubt
full checks. The details of the swindle are as
follows:
About half-past II O'Clock Thursday morning.
a well-dressed man, having the air of Wall
street habitues, entered the Office of the be-
witching brokers and presented a check, drawn
by Parker & T1lford, on the Greenwich Bank,
for Si366.52 gold. The firm took the check.
and before cashing 1t sent it by one OF their
clerks to the Greenwich Bank to have it GER
titled, which being done, the gold was pur-
chased of Messrs. Utley & Dougherty, and paid
to the individual presenting the check. Yester-
day morning the check was protested by the
Fourth National Bank, where it had been de-
posted, Messrs. Parker & Tilford stating that
they had never drawn such a check, but ac-
knOwledging the signatures to be genuine. The
Greenwich Bank, deceived by the genuneness
OF the sgnatures: having certified NE the check.
ton.
on Friday afternoon, about half-past one,
another individual presented at the establish
ment of Mesdames Woodruff & CIafn a check
drawn by Parker & Tilford on the New York
County Bank for -, 600 currency, and this was
also sent by the firm to the abOve-named bank
to be certified before cashing it. The cashier of
the New York County Bank, however, suspected
that something was wrong, as the check was not
drawn in the same handwriting as that of the
signatures and Messrs. Parker g. Tilford ALWAYS
fill out their own checks. As the messenger
was in a hurry. the cashier certified the check
in order to expedite matters If it should be
found correct and, taking the messenger with
him, proceeded to the office of Parker x Til
ford, who pronounced the check to be altered
from one for less amount. In the meantime
short time in the establishment Of Mesdames
Woodruff & Clatiin, evidently suspected discov-
cry and left, saying he would call in again for
the money, but he did not return.
Messrs. Parker and Tilford state that check
No. was originally drawn by them for forty
dollars and check No. was drawn for thirty
| five dollars, the alteration in the body of the
check having been effected by means of a well
known chemical preparation for erasing ink
The altered checks are we'll calculated to de-
ceive the most careful as was the case of the
Greenwich Bank, which certified check No. /,
ty Bank cashiers knowledge of the fact that
Parker s. Tilford filled out their own checks
that check No. 2 was not also certified and paid.
The detectives theory respecting the indi-
viduals presenting the checks is that they be-
long to q class Of men who have previously been
considered respectable operators in Wall street,
but becoming reduced by i'll fortune have re-
| sorted to schemes OF this character. They OPP
crate in gangs, to one Of which both these
swindlers belonged, as In shown by the fact Of
the alterations in the two checks being in the
| same handwrIting.-N. Y. Herald. 10th.