The New York herald., 1870-03-20
A WALL STREET FURRY.
The Hawks and the Doves Of Wall Street.-The
"Jackals' OF the Street Preying on ''the
Bewitching Brokers" Alteration Of
Checks by Chemical Process.

Quite SENSATION was occasioned In Wall street
yesterday 10y the discovery that skilfui operators
were swindling banks with altered checks, and the
success which had attended the game as far as de-
veloped, set all the brokers In motion to inspect
their accounts no one krIewfng but tnat ne, too,
might be victim. MesdSmes woodruff, Clanin
d Co., brokers. No. A Broad street, were
unwittingly made parties to the transaction,
but the investigation Of the ar demonstrates that
their connection with the operation was not only
perfectly legitimate, Dut not assumed until after
the observance OF all the customary precautions in
cases OF doubtful checks. The details Of the swndle
are as folows:-
CHECK NO. 1.
About halt-past eleven O'Clock Thursday morning
q well dressed man. having the air OF Wall street
haotes, entered the oiice OF the bewitcAing brok-
ers and presented check, drawn by Parker h Til
ford, on the Greenwich Bank for "a, s66 SO, gold
The firm took the check. ana before cashing 1t sent
It by one OF their clerks to the Greenwich Bank to
nave II certined which being done the gold was
purchased OF Messrs Utley 4 Dougherty and paid to
the individual presenting the check Yesterday
morning the check was protested by the Fourth Ma
tl0nal Bank, where 1t had been deposited, Messrs
Parker Tilf0rd stating that they had never drawn
such check Dut acknOw Lodging the signatures to
be genuine. The Greenwich Bank, deceived by the
genulnenesS Of the signatures. having certified the
check are OF course, the only losers by the
ton.
On Friday afternoon, about half past One another
individual presented at the establishment OF Mes
Ti0rd on the New York County Bank for So 6)0 cur
rency, and this was also sent by the nrm TO tue
above named bank to De certified before cashinQ It,
The cashier Of the New YORK County Bank, how
ever. suspected that something was wrong as the
check was no: drawn In the same handwriting as
that OF the signatures and Messrs. Parker 1ilfOrd
always ill out their own checks. AS the messenger
was In hurry, the cashier certified the check IN
order 70 expedite matters II 1t should be found cor
IN w I'm roa.l tad
to the Office VI Parker Tf0rd who pronounced the
ckeck TO be altered from for less amount In the
waiting short time in the establishment OF Mes
danes Woohull IL Claim, evidently suspected dis
covery and left stating that he would call In again
for the money, but Gid 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 1--WE dollars. the alteration in the body Of the
check having been effected by means or well
known chemical preparation for eraslng Ink. The
altered checks are well calculated to deceive the
most careful as was the case OF the Greenwich
BANK, which certified check No. |, and 1t was only
knowledge OF the fact tnat Parker TiIford filed
out their own checks that check No. was not also
THE DETECTIVES THEORY
resDecting the individuals presenting the checks Ia
that they belong to u class OF men who have pre-
viously been considered respectable operators In
W all street. but becoming reduced by iii fortune
nave resorted TO schemes OF this character. They op
crate In gangs to one OF which both these swlndlers
ooAoASCu, - % SuoWu ny luCt VI htcIdtlOHS
IN the two checks being In the same handwriting.
Messrs. Parker 1llford being at the corner OF
Broadway and Twenty-nrst street, the New
York County Bank at the corner Of Eighth
avenue and Thirteenth street and the
Greenwich Bank at the corner OF Hudson
and Carks0n nstreets. the swlndlers evidently
expected that the lady brokers might cash the
checks at once without mourning tne' trouble and
delay or sending 50 far to ascertain 4f the checks
were all right. and 1t is very probable that the
operators had been at no little trouble to procure
just such checks for their purpose. The cases are
IN the hands OF detective sampson OF the Stock
Board, who expresses confidence in his ability to
detect the perpetrators, knowing, as he does, the
class to which they belong ana having already con-
Siderable Information respecting the appearance OF
the two individuals.