The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-03-15

4
SON, REV. GEORGE b. TAYLOR, ID. d.. AMI
REV. CHARLES Z. .TAYLoR-How HE WA
DE1ECTED-HIs C0NFEssIoN-yOT SEE,
SINCE LAST THURsDAY-L ossEs OI
BANKS AND BROKERS'.
When information reached Dispatch re
porter on Saturday afternoon that promi
nent citizen os Richmond was charged W m
extensive forgtries, he ut once set to work
to learn the name OF the guilty party and
the character OF his operations. Our readers
will be as much startled when they see his
name as We were when we ascertained that
DR.. Luther X. Dickinson, editor and pr o.
prietor OF the Planter and Farmer, well
known 10 the agricultural community
throughout Virginia, and who had been re-
garded as gentleman in every way above
reproach, was the person guilty Of this
serious offence.
1t appears that for nearly two years be
has been using the forged endorsaiions OF
Jeter & Dickinson, proprietors OF the Re.
| tigiOuS Herald, to negotiable notes offered
for discount at various banking institutions
in the city or sold 10 rOte-brokers. For
several months past he has also forged the
1 Il y.
d., OF Rome, Italy, but whe has recently
been on visit to this country. and also OF
Rev. Charles T.. Taylor, professor in Wake
Forest College, North Carolna-both OF
them brOthers-in-law OF DR.. Luther r.
Dickinson. 1t is stated that all the endorse
ments OF the names OF these gentlemen
and they are said to be numerous--on paper
drawn by DR.. l.. r. Dickinson are forgeries.
This is also true of all his notes bearing the
endorsement OF Jeter 4 Dickinson.
As it was generally known to our bank
ers that DR.. Luther Il. Dickinson occupied
an office adjoining that OF Jeter & Dickin-
SON. that he was brother OF Rev. Dr. A. +.
Dickinson, the junior member OF the firm;
and that he was brOther.in in-law Of the Rev.
MessTs. Taylor, no suspicion was felt as TO
the genuineness OF their signatures on the
back OF the negotiable paper presented for
discount by him; and be might for long
time have continued his criminal work but
for the death OF Rev. DR.. j. B. Jeter, which
rendered impossible the further use OF the
| firm-name of Jeter x Dickinson in nego-
| tiating loans to meet the notes then rapidly
maturing. Discovery Of his crime was
therefore inevitable, as he had no means OF
paying these notes, and no available name
which he could forge with any hope that it
would be accepted unchallenged in place OF
those he had so long used.
| Even II he had successfully forged and
used another name in place OF Jeter 4 Dick
insOn 10 meet the notes maturing this month,
II would not have been long before detec-
tion would have overIaken him. 1t came 10
the knowledge OF the eXecutTiX OF DR.. Jeter
soon after bis death that there were in the
hands OF the officers OF several OF our bank
ing institutions numerous negotiable notes
bearing the endorsement OF Jeter Il Dickin-
son, about which DR.. Jeter had never made
any mention while talking about his
business affnirs during his last illness.
Upon further inquiry the eXecutriX AS
certained that the use OF the name OF Jeter
4 Dickinson, endorsed on few notes Of
no large amount, drawn by Rev. Or. A. u.
Dickinson, had been authorized by DR.. Je-
ter in his lifetime. a list OF these being
furnished her, the eXecutriX next proceed
ed, through friends, to find out the amount
OF other eDdorsations for which the estate
might possibly become liable. They had
not gone far in their investigations before
the appalling fact was disclosed that all the
other endorsements OF Jeter IL Dickinson's
name were forgeries, and that these forge
ries had been committed by Dr.. Luther II.
Dickinson on notes drawn by himself.
The aggregate sum OF these forgerles ia
not fully known, but investigation shows
that it will not fall short OF $4,000, and
may be larger. Most OF the notes are said
to be held by private individuals, though 1t
is reported that seven OF our banks have
each one Or more OF them.
DIR. Luther II. Dickinson was at bis office
for the last time on Thursday morning the
1lth instant. When he left he stated that
he was going to Louisa county for few
days. He wGs perhaps then aware OF the
awful disclosures which were soon To break
upon his friends and the public On that
day he wrote and signed the following con-
fession Of his guilt:
"MARCB II, 1880.
81 desire to make TO my friends and
creditors frank confession OF my sin and
folly in fraudulently using the name and
credit Of others in the vain hope OF eXtri-
eating myself from embarrassments caused
by bad management OF my affairs. Com
PEELED to flee from my home, utterly penni-
less, | solemnly declare my purpose to de-
vote the balance Of my life TO the payment
OF my every indebtedness, and invoke a
charitable judgment and treatment on the
part OF all concerned.
81. K. DICKINSON"
Before leaving the city DIR. Luther X.
Dickinson made deed OF trust conveying
the Planter and Farmer and all his real
estate TO secure his brother. Rev. DR.. A. 4.
Dickinson, for certain bona tide endorse
ments. II is understood, however, that
Rev. DR.. Dickinson refuses 10 occupy the
position OF a preferred creditor, and has
relinquished to the other creditors OF bis
brother all his interest in the property con-
yeyed to him. This be has done nOtwitb-
standing the serious embarrassment in
which be is himself involved by his
liabilities for DR.. Luther Il. Dickinson.
To prevent any undue anxiety on the
part Of bis own creditors which might
arise out OF the sad facts we have recited,
Rev. Dr. a. L. Dickinson has conveyed all
his zeal and personal property in Rich
mOnd, HenricO. aud Louisa IN trust Tor
their benefit. IL is believed by those well
informed that his assets are largely more
than sufficient to pay all his liabilities OF
every sort. To save the holders OF them
uneasiness. it may be proper TO add that all
negotiable notes drawn by A. T.. Daekin-
son and endorsed by Jeter II Dickinson,
George B. Taylor, or Charles j.. Tayior,
are genuine both as to drawer and en-
dorsers.
Not often are we called on to record a
more unexpected or sadder fall than that OF
DR.. Luther r. Dickinson. In early life
reared under the most favorable conditions
for the development OF high moral charac
ter, by marriage connected with one OF the
purest and best families in our city, all his
associations the most unexceptionable, yet
he Yields to temptation and is lost-lost to
society and to bis heart-broken wife ana
children. The public sympathy VIII be