The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-09-20
A Heavy Forgery.
A NEW YORK BANKER LOSES $50, 00O-Es-
CAPE OF THE FoRGER.

| An extraordinary eXcltement WIS
produced in Wall street yesterday
afternoon by the announcement that
the firm of F. H. Smith & Co., brok-
ers, of Exchange place, had lost $5o,-
900, gold, by the forgery perpetrated
by Abram Van Saun, employed as
clerk by G. NJ. Harris & Co., brokers,
of No. &c Broad street. Van Saun
acting for Harris & Co., had bought
$50 900 gold on Monday from f. II.
Smith, which, in the usual course of
business, was to be delivered yester-
day. The purchase was consumma-
ted yesterday, soon after P. M, Van
Saun received from Smith one check
for $4,000, gold, drawn by Morton,
Bliss & Co., on the Bank Of New
York, and treasury certificate for $780,
600, gold; and paying therefor, a
check drawn by G. M. Harris & Co.,
(whose firm name he was authorised
to sign) on the Continental Bank, for
$56,375, currency, and apparently
certified by Mr.. Timpson, the cashier
of that bank. Mr.. Smith at once
took the check to the Continental
Bank and was there informed that
the certificate was forgery, and a
clumsy one at that. He rushed back
to Harris & Cos Office to find Van
Saun, but that person had in the
meantime gone to the Bank of New
York, cashed the check for 500, 900,
gold, and disappeared. AS he left
the bank one of the tellers remarked
to another, Chow fast that man does
CO."
AS news of the affair spread, a
large crowd assembled in front Of
No. &c Broad street, and swarmed
upon the steps leading to the base
ment in which the little Office of Har-
ris 4 Co., is located. The firm was
formerly known as Van Saun & Son,
but the younger Van Saun having
failed in business as broker last
l year, the elder formed q partnership
with Harris, and the firm retained
the son as clerk. Mr.. Harris ap-
pears to have been unconscious o.
! any impending trouble, and to have
quietly sauntered up town few min.
utes before the forgery was announc
ed. In the absence Of both partners
l the detective employed by the Cont
mental bank took possession OF the
Office. Mr.. Smith reported his Loss
= to police headquarters through De
tective Elder, on duty in Wall stree
and within a few minutes after th'
discovery of the forgery, orders wer'
sent out from the central Office K
have the principal avenues Of escape
from the city watched SO as to cap
ture Van Saun if possible. In tn
d Office was found the ribbon staml
8 which had been used in forging tn
p certificate of the Continental Bank
It was also ascertained that Van Saul
had obtained at the Continenta
Bank, yesterday at about 10 A. NJ,
: certified check for 500, making tn
explanation that he wished to sen,
e the money to his wife, who was il
i country. He is believed to have usee
e the signature of the cashier, thus Oh
: tanned, as a copy in forging the Ger
Il tifcate upon the check given to MI
y Smith. 1t is evident that Van Saul
g had expected that the forged chez
y would take the usual course, througl
% the clearing house, before reachin
d the Continental Bank, and that h
n would thus have nearly twenty-fou
r hours start. Mr.. Smith, however
;, shared the general suspicion as t
l. Van Saun's character which ha
II been excited by his alleged connee
re ton with various discreditable trans
n, actions, but the influence of this sus
at picion was not sufficiently strong t
re induce Mr.. Smith to verify the sigma
le lures until it was too late.
d. The Van Sauns, father and so,
d, were engaged in business as collee
y ton agents, in Hanover street, fe
lg nearly twenty years, and have wild
If acquaintance in business circles. tt
IS, son has acquired an evil reputatio
is by alleged babbling in the stole
bond business; and the circumstance
attending his failure last year, viii
M a member of the gold board, caused
at further stigma to be attached to b
=, u name. It was reported during IL
il afternoon that Van Saun, acting as
Sc for Harris & Co., had also bougl
e. other lots of gold amounting to nea
lg ly 100000, but that the sellers ha