New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-08-30
STARTLING FORGERIES.
wAII-sT. LOSES $4,000 IN AN HOUR-AN IN
SUCCESSFUL, sWOOP FOR QUARTER OF
MILLION" RAIsEDp CHECKS, AND FORGED
CERTIFICATION.

SUCCESSFUL swOOP FOR A QUARTER OF
MILLION" RAIsEDD CHECKS, AND FORGED
CERTIFICATlON.
An extraordinary excitement was produced
In WalLst yesterday afternoon by tho annonnccmcht
that the F. H. Smith Co., brokers, OF Exchange
place had lost o gold by forgery perpetrated by
Abram Van Saun employed a clerk by e. NJ harris q
Co.. brokers' OF No. 20 Broad-s Van saun. acting LOT
Harris 4 Co.. had bought s50OO gold on Monday from
r. II. Smith, which in the usual course OF
business was to he delivered yesterday The purchase
was contaminated yesterday, soon after p. m, van
Saun receiving from Smith one check Tor s2oNO eou'
drawn by Morton Bliss Co.. on the Bank OF Newfork,
and Treasury certificates for $4,000, god and paying
therefor a check drawn by &. VI. Harris * lCo ("hose
firm name ne authorized TO sign on the Continental
Bank for s6S7s currency, and apparently certified by
Mr. IimpsOn the cashier Of that Bank. MT. smith at
once took the check the Continental Bank and was
there informed that the certihcaton forgery, and
clumsy one at that He rushed back 10 Harris CO.'S
Office to find Van saun hut that person had In the mean
time gone 10 the Bank OF NewYork, cashed the cheek
for $4,000 gold and disappeared As he left the Bank
one of the tecrs remarked another How fast that
man gOesp
As Of the affair spread, great crowd assembled
in front of No &c Broadst and swarmed upon the steps
leading to the basement which the little office of Ilar
ris & Co. IL located. The firm formerly known as
Van saun Son. but the younger Van saun having failed
in business as broker last year. the elder formed part
nershp with Mr.. Harris, and the firm retained the son
clerk. Mr.. Harris appears TO have been unconscious
any impending trouble and to have quietly sauntered
up town few minutes before the forgery was an
nounced In the OF both partners the detective
employed by the Continental Bank took possession Of
the office. Mr. Smith reported his loss to Police Head
quarters through Detective Elder, duty in Walst.,
and within a few minutes after the discovery Of the
forgery orders were from the Central Office
have the principal of escape from the city
watched so as TO capture Van saun If possible In the
Office was found the ribbonsamp which had been used
in forging the certificate of the Continental Bank IL
was also asceraned that Van saun had obtained at the
Continental Bank, yesterday at about 10 a. m certified
check for s3 making the explanation that he wished to
send the money to his wife, who in the country He
believed TO have used the signature of the cashier
thus obtained as copy in forging the ceTtih
cate upon the check given to Mr.: smith 1t
the forged check would take the usual course,
through the CearlneH House before reaching the Cont
hours start before discovery. Mr.. Smith, however,
shared The general sasPGo4 as 10 van sanns character
various dscredable transactions but the influence OF
tins suspicion not sufficiently strong to induce Mr.
smith TO verify the signatures until it was too late
The Van sauns father and son. engaged in bust
collection agents in Hanoyerst for nearly 20
wears. and nave wide acquaintance business circles
The has acquired an evil reputation 10y alleged
dabbling the stoenbond business and
the circumstances attending his failure,
last year while member OF the Gold Board, caused a
further stigma to be attached TO his maine. IL was re.
ported during the afternOOI hat Van Saun, acting
for Harris n Co., had also bought other lots OF gold,
amounting to nearly s2oo but that the sellers refused
deliver the gold because they were not satisfied WIN
the checks offered by Van saun The theory Of some OF
the detectives f. that Van Sam, in his dealings In
stolen bonds. had come INTO communication WIN Seftah
criminals, with whose aid grand swOOp upon Wdlist
was planned The full extent OF the losses by ms opera
lions Is Of course, not yet known hut the
the forgery in the case OF the check upon the 'ou
mental Ba1k Precades me atq e. .ss 4Gg
Simultaneously with the announcement OF INC van
tiOu Of series y torseIes upon seTiihsass & sspos
even y J. Cisco 5.S % IgS s sT ealing S%s
18Th oI 81 $50 and snGRTF % sSd Ss to r@evi
from Lewis johnson Co OF Washington tor collection,
and returned To Cisco Co, 10y whom puported ohive
found 10 have been raised from of those originally
given "P Cox" Soon after telegram was received
askng IF certain certificate Of deposit FOR $4,000
gSSa one OF Tt Se yen to Cox and later
came an inquiry from the First National Bank az Wash
and this was found - be that originally given by Cisco
Co. G. r. Porter" for s0i The ioreers appear to
have obtained 1880 from Lewis Johnson Co, at
Washngton but unsuccessful II L. believed In the
attempt 20 realize upon me other certnGaGs; Inc
with dark hair aud eyes sallow complexion, smooth face,
and apparently Irishman The forgery OF the Ger
tcate Tor 1880 is well executed as 70 make IL GER
tain that experts were at WORK in this case.
s another check tGfEeIy case has Just been gwen 20
detective employed by leading banknghouse to work
up the amo1f involved being nearly s. 600 The losers
suppress the details for the present critical exauht
ion OF the check however shows that TINS too was The
work skllltul hand not suspicion gifts fraudu-
lent character having arisen until too late. .
The Van Saun and other forgeres continued 10 I've the
subject of eager CONNER among large groups OF brokers
and Others the vicinity OF the stock Exchange up 10
late hour Yesterday afternoon. There seemed to be no
disposition to censuTe MI Harris IN connection with the
affair. except for iljudged confidence IN Van siuh n
reckless brokers clerk named Scales, attempted toward
evening circulate confusing statements In reference
affair, seemingly for purely nlschevovs purpose
and he had been engaged at his discredaple Work
Throughout the afternoon some OF the wild stories
afoa might be accounted Tor The office Of e. NJ Harris
a Co. was closed after o'clock by the elder MI
Van Sdun.