The New York herald., 1874-11-11
SWINDLE IN PHILADELPHIA.
Bogus City Warrants Thrown on the
street-How the Brokers Were Taken

Bogus City Warrants Thrown ON the
Street-How the Brokers Were Taken
In.
pHnADELPH1A, Nov. 10, 1874.
Several brokers along Third street were pretty
well excited and alarmed to-day upon learning
that they had purchased several thousand dollars
worth OF bogus city warrants, with very little hope
of their money coming back to them. The brokers
who have suffered are Charles D. Barney l. Co.,
Ackley Smith, Maris Smith, and J. Il. Ridge
way. The way the warrants were placed
showed beyond doubt that the swindlers were
skilul operators and had weighed the matter
well before entering into it. The warrants coun.
terfeited were those OF school teachers and police
men, purp0rttng to come from the ofice OF the
Board OF Education ana the Mayor. The former
we're printed on yellow sheets, about square, In
black letters while the latter are white paper,
printed with bronze ink The counterleits
were SO well executed that, taking one up and ex.
amining II, the forgery could not be detected.
THE OPERATION
was evidently done by two men, as the sequel will
show. set Of education warrants and another
set OF police warrants were purchased and then
four sets OF each counterfeted, and this afternoon
they were all sold to the brokers nrst mentioned.
The firm OF Saller Il Stevenson had purchased one
set IRON one Of the swinded firms and subse.
quently Mr.. Gibbs, OF the firm OF J. E. Ridgeway,
to his surprise, tnat they had bought the same
warrants as he had purchased AS the warrants
were being purchased the buyers went individually
TO the City Comptroller mir. Hancock who failed
to detect the iorgeries and identified his signature
believing IT to be correct. OF course, upon this
paid for them.
At the ONCE OF J. E. Ridgeway a man appeared
shortly after noon with S. 400 orth OF the bogus
paper for sale. He represented himself to be
William II. Randall and Mr.. Gibbs, VINO was be.
hind tue counter, gave him check for $4,000
the Farmers and Mechanics Bank and the balance
in cash. Tue man then lett his ONCE, and lew
minutes afterwards Mr. Gibbs discovered that he
md that his check had already peen presented,
but the teller had
DECLINED TO PAY
1t on account OF the large sum ii carried upon its
face. Mr.. Gibbs ordered payment on Is to be
stopped and returned to his Oflice. Here he
learned that the man was at that moment in the
office Of Charles u. Barney & Co., endsavOring to
get his check cashed. He went to that office and
found detective, who had been informed OF the
swindle, ana man wnom he had not seen before.
Mr.. Gibbs identified his check, and the bearer
told MIN he nad received 1t from Mr. Ran
dali He then asked the man where
Mr.. Randall could be found, and he offered to take
the detective to him. The detective and the
sidewalk the detective turned round to speak to
q third party, ana was engaged in conversation
only moment or so. When he turned round to
leave he iound the stranger had gone The swim
died brokers collected at the City Comptroller's
office shortly afterwards, and then 1t was, with
some trouble, that the bogus warrants were dis
tinguished from the genuine ones. The extent Of
the swindle reaches about $4,000.
Mcssrs. Fell, Kay x Co. and w. w. Kurtz Il Co.
are also victims to the bogus city warrants swim
die. Later estimates make the extent Of the swim.
die $4,000. Each party or 1rm victlmlzed suffered
o loss OF about $2,0 900 or thereaDOuts.