The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-07-31

A OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES PACKAGE
xro1.rx AND NEGOTIATED BAcK-vSsuc'
crssrrL eprokrs TosNATcH LARGER PAR
CHS AND PASS roRaaD CHECKS.
washington Pos,.'

.rwashsngtsu Poss.3
TIE CAPTURE Of the forgers who nave
been bleeding the Baltimore banks so s"c.
cesseully RENDERS the publication OF tnef
exCIo,ts In this city, hitherto careIu'.'
pus,x,ed secret, matter OF interest,", anu ~,
tended with no danger to I've course VI
sossAra The robbery of package cont"u-
49, AK eo, 20 United States bonds from
49, Sss,ons, Metropolitan Bauk- which oc-
s,,~,sd shortly before the BaittnSore forge
rics. Ia now believed 10 have been also
~. wprk OF part OF the gang. the
rssswsrc had been deposited Win Mt:
On. q. Wkite, the cashier. ny lawyer OF
fhis city, Who was about Leaving for toe
summer, for the purpose OF oeing saiel'
xeys. and the interest on the bonds regu'
lsriy drawn - Il became due. MI. WINE
had taken the package from the vault anu
jsidH on his desk preparatory 10 eu'.'ns
Of tie conpoas. This desk is situated III
the rear of The bank to the left 81 the regu-
lar business portion. The non Ianns
which protec,s the other parts 81 that side
~. The connie. here Is left of, leaving the
desk exposed. After
TAXING TIE BUNDLE FROM TUE SAFE,
and before he could examine the bonds
some bsls-doxen persons approached Mr.
White on various business, all apparently
legitimate. These disposed OF, be turned
10 the table, hnt the precious pareel was
gone, The alasm was quietly gwen. pu'
by this time none put weitknowh an" ~.
snecfable parties were left In the bank. NO
cine seemed TO baye been left, and as tne
bonds were negotiable the loss seemed
inevitable aud probably total one.
Private detectives were called In, and
one, Mr.. Charles Flinders, was em-
ployed TO proceed 10 New York and try to
recover the bonds. lie shortly returned
with the information that they were to he
GOT. but would have 10 be redeemed in the
regular New York sway. Mr.. John w.
Thompson, the bank president, returned
with him, prepared TO pay IL nothing bet
ter could be done. Y'be thieves or their
agents conducted the negotiation with the
greatest GOODNESS, assuring their visitor that
they felt perfectly safe, as unless they turned
their attention to New York as field OF
operation they were
NEVER MOLtsTED BY TEE POLICE.
The New York police were appealed to
as q last resort before paying. but they ex-
messed themselves powerltss TO make any
other disposition OF the case so a. TO recover
the property, and were douttful OF being
abIe to make good case against the thieves
even IL caught. So the money, large per-
ceptage OF the value OF the bonds. was paid,
and the package returned In the same con-
dition as when distracted. 1t was said that
n the negotiations had been delayed all the
bonds would have been in the hands Of GER
tain "crooked" brokers who live In New
York on the proceeds OF the sale OF stolen
bonds, for which, II registered, they only
give half the face price.
Undoubtedly the same gang which perpe-
trated this robbery attempted three other
"iobs" of even larger dimensions while in
the.city, but were foiled each time. They
are known to have been IN this city for
weeks before this last operation-one OF
them, and probably the chief, tall man OF
about thirty-five, wearing red beard, bav-
ing made practice OF coming to the bank
for change, and thus famiisrizing the clerks
with him, and In that way being able TO be
in and out good deal without exciting any
suspicion. Two OF the attempts were made
in the
CASH. ROOM OF THE TREASURY
and one at the National Metropolitan Bank.
The clerk who draws the money needed to
nav of the House employees was standing at
the bank counter with package containing
a large sum in bills and gold, some S3O, 900,
while stranger was counting over num-
Der Of bills as II about TO pay note TO the
teller. While thus turning the bills over he
contrived to drop one, and Immediately put
his hand on the arm OF the Capitol clerk and
asked him il that was not his. The latter,
without replying, his mind being fortunate
" wholly absorbed in the safety OF bis pack
age, made his money quite safe and mecban-
icsily stopped and was about to pocket the
money when his new-found friend quickly
said, "Oh, l believe that is one Of
mine." The other by this time realized
what he bad unwittingly done and apollo
gized, keeping, however, strong hold on
his package. But the swindler suddenly
found that he had not money enough to
"pay that note" and left. A prominent
District officer, whose business it was to
carry all moneys belonging to the District
to the Treasury, to be redrawn by requisi-
ton, was in the cash-room when another
bill was dropped and he asked IL 1t was not
his. He also
BUTToNED Up HIS sATCHEL
before he would look at the proposed bait,
and so saved his package. The third case
was precisely similar In mode OF operation
and results, the swindlers being taken
in by the shTewd precaution of the officials
OF looking well to what they had before
looking, dog like, into the water 10 see a
false reflection OF what they carried.
The latest and best identified operations
Of this gang were the frniless attempts
made the week before they went to Bslti-
more to pass off forged checks TO the amount
of $500 on District banks. The first OF
these was a check for $1,000, purporting TO
have teen drawn by ii. ID. Cooke Il Co. in
fvarM an unknown. party. This was pre-
sented TO Mr.. Frank Middleton, the teller
OF the National Metropolitan Bank. He re-
marked that the signature did not lock iike
Mr.. Cookies, but said he would send round
the corner to hioa IL the prosecutors would
wait few moments. They, however, said
In very nonchaant manner that they
wOzld go round themselves and see what
the trouble was, a. the same time grumblins
at Nr. Cooke for
NOT sIGgIYG HIS NAME ALWAYS ALIKE.
They left but din, not return. The for
lowing day Ehe teller, meeting ar. Cooke,
thought it,Decessary to apolOgfxeior making
trou6Se. ."!About piat 81 900 cisscki But
Ihave Grawn no chez, for sucd az amount"
said be- And then the nature sof the at
tempted swindle was developed. A check
for $500 odd was presented at the Second
National Bank purpartiDg TO hare been
drawn by Mr.. Otis .Biyeiow. The latter,
beiRg very careful. never makes aa over
draft without due Arrangement, asd the
fact that be had only abont 81 800 la hank
Just then caused the check to be scrutiY lied
too closely to please the forgers, who
quickly maretaed OF, spparently muck au-
noyed ct the delay.
The commencement exercises OF the Lee
Literary Society a Blacksburf College via