The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-08-22
THE TEMPTER'S PREY.
THE WAY OF The rRANseREssoR.
Discovery OF Immense Frauds and For.
geries by q Prominent Business Man
Of LoulsviIle-His Flight and Arrest.


From the Louisville Courier Journal August is.
An event OF unusualeharacter. occurred yes.
terday, which excited q profound sensation
throughout the oitY and was,the universal sub
ject of conversation. The,event was the. de-
velopment of q series Of torgeries on the part
of one of the most active young business men
of the city, and one whose standing has here
tofore been high among the best men Of the
city. The exten. If the operations Is alone
sufficient to show how thoroughly he was
trusted, and we approach with deep regret the
recital of how the general confidence In him
was madly betrayed, and bright career sud-
deny darkened, aud Its crop OF promise
dashed aside In the lntoxlcation Of speculation.
It appears that tor some time past Mr.. Robt.
Atwood has been engaged In speculating In
cotton, outside of bis regular lines Of business:
he Is the leading member OF the trm or At
wood d Nicholas, insurance agents. and also
one of the nrm Of A. schoeffel d Co., pork
packers. He has been regarded as an active,
saeacloue, upright business man, and held the
esteem and confidence OF the community. His
father was one of the most highly respected
citizens OF Louisville. His friends apd Iamily
connections are of the same character. IL is
impossible until full investigation Is had TO
give the details OF his fall, or The number e1d,
names of those involved in IL, or the extent Of
their Involvement. The latter, it ls estimated,
will aggregate about quarter OF q million, ouC
some place the amount at much hlgner
figure The only explanation OF tael unloreu-
nate affair is to be Inferred from the faccs as
far as we could gather them last nignt. ,,d. ~
turned out badly, and In The desperate eaorG
10 retrieve his losses he resorted to forgery
and, IL is said, other forms OF fraud. me
names OF the trims Of which he was meuoer
were freely used to procure money, ana Go
signatures Of DR.. Rogere, hls father-in-laW,
| and Mr.. Charles NJ. ThurstoD, his uncle, were
slso used by him without their authority. :
| f,w days ago, we are Informed, Mr. Atwood J
| exhibited = telegram from his broker In New
| York, advising hun That $500 had Deem
| placed to his credit IN the Park Bank In THAT
clty. % this iG Is SAID tnat he negotiated
several drafts against the amount-one sfor
SIS ,O0U In The Cilizens' Bank and one Tor ..
considerable sum In the Northern Bank.
| shortly after the draft sold 10 the Northern
| Bank reached the Park Bank, telegram was
returned by the latter stating tnat IL Enpto.no
money TO the credit Of Robert AtWood:
This Immediately started Inquiry, and
Mr.. Atwood not making his draft good
or giving satisfactory explanation, do1Dst
was thrown upon the g.nuineness OF Inc tele.
gram. Yesterday, however, worse feature
of the case was developed, Which or0ugng
about a startling discovery. Some paper OF
| Atwood's falling due, and not being taken up-
| 1t became knowu that the endorsement on u
was forged. This led to further investtga-
4 tion. and lt was soon ascertained that large
lamounts of paper with forged Endorsements
we're held by the banks Of the city, nearly.
i every bank In Louisville holding more or less.
THE revelation was astounding: Probably
aware that the reimbursement was 1mpend-
h.S yUlshp6 n9CRD4. 0LI6ux6lya
DELAYING his departure--Atwood LEFT the clty
by lie indiauapolis Railroad yesterday slter-
noon. The affair was soon n0lsed Tar anu Woe,
and was placed In The hands Of officers, VINO Ut
once telegraphed to Seymour, Ind, Wnrre Ine
train, when it came up; was uoatasa a Dy ,n.o sao
custody aud brought back to- this city, ne
az lO.45 last night, and was met by
fnumoer OF his former friends. among Wnom
| were some OF the most prominent business
men of the city. The party also tncluoed
several officers OF banking institutions, which
are heavy sufferers by his operations. All
these expressed their sincere regret Tor DIS
unfortunate condition, and their sympathy
with him In the misfortune, and disgrace
which he had so rsshly brought upon himself
He was taken in q hack to the ONCE u Squire
Speed Peay, who held him to bail In tne sum
OF $50. .0O9 10 answer at the next term OF court
Upon giving bond he was released, and, ac-
Icpm panied by number OF friends, va, driven
to his home, now the abode Of grief too sacred
10 be more than mentioned. lei
It is said that the CltizeR9 Bank is involved
In Mr. Atwood's transactions TO the amount
of $4,000, the Northern Bank to $t0, 1000, Tue
Bank of America to $4,000, apd the BaIk Of
Louisville, Bank of Kentucky, Fails City, Bank
Louisville Banking Company, German Securi-
ty Bank, aud other Institutions to amounts
ranging from $4,000 upward. We understand,
alao that the bank in Snelbyville holds some
$4,000 oil his paper. Detective Bfgh. tesuaed
before the magistrate that the amount Of AZ
I woods iorgerles, as far as discovered, was
\ about $40, 900. Atwood q Nicholas were the
agents of the American Insurance Company,
/ of PennsyIyania; the Enterprise. OF Cno.n-
naLl; the .Franklin, of Philadelphia. and the
International and Manhattan, OF New I ork,
each OF which will. it Is said, suffer 10 tne ea-
tent Of some SO, 900. ,.,la
It is clear lna,, wnils no one attempts to jug
tify The reckless course OF the unfortunate
man, he yet has the sympathy OF many esti;
mabe people, whose SOCIAL aud commercia
standing are above question. Tney regsra
his course as the result Of . mad passion ZOE
speculation frenzy of the stock gambler.
Il CITY IMPR0TEMENTs. ..'''rr=.