The New York herald., 1871-10-07
A CHARLIE TON CHEAT.

A Scion Of virgiDian kristocrncy Rnising
S6,G50 fron, A New York Merchant on n
Bogus share Certificate.
SIX months ago Louis McLain, a respectable look
ing young man. claiming TO have descended from
an aristocratic virginian family, came on to this
city from Charleston ). c. Tor the purpose OF trans
acting business connected with his profession
as a stock broker. At TINS time lie had in his pos
session among other things a certificate OF shares
purportng give him control OF three full shares Of
the Southwestern Railroad Bank of Charleston,
which also set forth that he was an agent for The
company. On the 4th OF september last he paid
visit TO Frederick p. OlcOtt at 40 Broad street. and
alter stating that he the accredited agent for
the southwestern Railroad Bank, produced the FORE
going certificate, which, instead OF beng a docu.
ment for the control OF three shares, as originally
drawn,
NOW REPRESENTED THREE HUNDRED SHARES.
Having declared, In accordance with the ordinary
rules OF business that the property stated on the
paper belonged to him and that he could transfer 1t
n necessary, ne asked Ocott to loan him $4,000 on
1t for immediate business purposes. OIcott
appears to have been deceived by the
manner and appearance OF the young
ar1stocrat and In compliance with his soci-
taton and on the representations he made advanced
him from time 10 time amounts which foot up In the
cep ON Tnupsday ana reaIested ur,ner advance
on the ceruhcate. The latter, however, would give
him no more money until he had made the necessa-
ry Inquiries regarding the certincate-a precautl0n
that most mercantile men would have taken the
hrst day the document was brought forward. Nc
Lam protested that the certificate could not be
disputed, aud that the transaction was
''square"-did Olcott take him for q
tniefrn The latter began to feel uneasy and
instituted Inquiries concerning the certificate also
OF the young man and discovered. unfortunately
for himself, that the certificate was originally made
out for 'Three shares" only, aud that instead OF
negotiating the paper on that basis he had raised it
from three 10 three hundred shares and hence In
creased IL TO q respectable amount. When OlcOtt
returned with this information ne Immediately sent
10 the police headquarters for an of1cer IN the
meantime OBTAINING McLan In the Office who thus
fell most Unexpectedly into the hands of Detective
George Elder the oicer detailed 10 made the arrest
THE PRISONER WAS GREATLY CONFUSED
and at first denied his guilt, and alleged that no
man could prove he mad committed forgery
The following IL The certificate attached 10 the
complaint entered by Ocott:-
NO. 6li4-300 sH eoUTBw YsrErN RauRo.n e.rx
OHARLRsToS, AUGUST III, 1871,
Louis McLan agent entitled TO three hundred >> shares
In The capital OF the korhwesern Railroad Hang
share the This not eYcen
ct the bank, by the stockboder IN person attorney
Ii44. JOHN MCOC HIRAM, President
The figure "3' stood originally about quarter of
an inch from the word ''snares,n at the Top right
hand corner Of the paper, and it In this space
that McLain inserted the two ciphers to marx
"300D But In writing ouL the document at first the
penman had made the scroll work. superfuous
flourish OF his pen, To extend from the word three
quite across the word shares, thus compelling
ASLall I" 'rase ulcieAt Of Ihs scrQu to insert we