The Portland daily press., 1872-09-10
Swindle ON Swindle.

To-day the Bank of British North Amer
lea, at Montreal, secured proof to convict one
OF the cleverest swindlers who has appeared
in some years. For some time the bank has
been receiving notices from agencies in the
United States and Canada of payments be-
ing made on letter of credit to man calling
himself William Anderson, claiming to be a
British subject. These payments amounted
to about $780, 900, and as the letter given
to Anderson was for $1,000 only, the
bank became very anxious to capture the
payee. The following is a history of the
transaction: On the 2Sth of May last Ander-
son called at the agency of the bank in this
city and procured letter of credit for 81 900
sterling, payable at any of its agencies. An
derson then went to st. John IN. b., and
on July I'd presented the letter and drew
$4,000. The st. John branch informed the
agency OF the fact. Anderson was next
heard OF in Havana, Cuba. A fortnight
atterward he drew $4,000, still leaving s., coo
to his credit. The New York agency was
advised OF this payment also, and soon there
after notices began to reach this city from
every section of the country, all telling OF
sums OF money being paid to Anderson by
the agencies until the aggregate reached over
46,O00. The bank officers were astonished
at the numerous payments made on their
letter of credit, and wondered how Anderson
had so successfully swindled them. Their
letters are printed on paper of a delicate pink
hue, and several experts and chemists de-
cared 1t impossible to remove an indcrse-
ment from it without running the color and
texture of the paper. Instructions were sent
to the VARIOUS agencies to have the swindler
arrested in case he should apply to them for
further payment. A few DAYS ago Ander-
son presented his letter to the branch in
Savannah, Georgia, and demanded PAYMENT
The cashier examined the document care
fully, but could find no evidence that it had
been tempered with. There was not tn.
slightest trace OF an endorsement on it, and
but for the instructions he had received he
would have paid the money without hesita-
Iioh. Anderson was arrested and telegram
was sent to the Office in Montreal. A reoui-
sition fer his extradition was promptly for
warded to Savannah, but the authorities of
That city refused to give up the prisoner with
out stronger proofs of fraud than they had
then seen. They insisted that it was impos-
slble to erase Endorsements from such PAPER
In this juncture the bank officers at Savannah
sent the draft to the agent in this city, re-
latlng the circumstances. A copy of the
draft was made, two Endorsements were writ
ten on the back similar to the original, and
and submitted to many eminent chemists
with the request that they would, if possible
remove the Endorsement without iniuring the
paper. Every one of them declared it impos-
slble, until at last DIR. Ehrhardt, principal of
the Manhattan Chemical and Assay Works.
was appointed to make the test. He at once
replied that he could remove the writing,
and in few hours he returned the letter Of
credit to Mr.. Barrett, the counsel of the bank,
with all traces of an Endorsement so skill
1uiiy removed that not the slightest mark or
STAN remained on the paper. OF course the
VIII hnn hoo r.