The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-07-30
A FLORIDA FRAUD.
G.. NJ. BrOnscOme, q Jacksonville
Fruiter, Lodged i'm the New
York IOOmbs for Forgery.

New York, July 29,-Detective Pinkerton,
with Captain w. c. Cooper, chief of police
of Jacksonville, Florida, appeared at the
Toombs police court to-day, having in GUS
tody G. NJ. Bronscome, of G. NJ. Bronscome
& Co., orange packers AID commission mer-
chants, of Jacksonville, Florida, who is
charged with the forgery Of
bonds representing $4,000, known as
the sanitary improvement bonds of Jackson
vile, drawing interest at the rate of S per
cent per annum and payable in 1893. lntorma-
ton which enabled Pinkerton to prevent the
flooding of the market with these forged
bonds reached him about the first of July,
when an attache of the Brooklyn Eagle in
formed him that a man stopping at French's
hotel had induced friend of a boy working
in the Eagle office to sign number Of bonds,
but that the circumstances were of q Suspi.
cious character. 1t was learned that the boy
was Auther Regernon, of l9Sth street,
Brooklyn, who, while out of work was sitting
in the city hall park, when gentleman
asked about his handwriting and invited him
to French's hotel. Here he copied letter
and his penmsnship appeared to give
satisfaction. He was then told he would be
written for within week. In few
days he called at the hotel, where he signed
the name of A. j. Baldwin to large num-
Der of the bonds, receiving $3.50 for his SER
vices. Detective Pinkerton communicated
the particulars to the Mayor of jacksonville
requesting him TO send an officer to assist in
working up the case. Cooper came and he
and Pinkerton took the boy Regernon to
French's hotel, where the latter identified
Bronscom, who, after some evasion, admitted
having perpetrated the forgery. Pinkerton
found in his room ninety-two $500 bonds,
and Sal 900 in other bonds, all purporting to
be signed by the proper authorities and
attested by the seal of the city of Jackson
vile and the common council. Other sigma
lures of bonds were written by different per-
sons and purported to be fac SMILES of those of
the U. S. stock board, j. T. Daniels, Theo.
Hartridge, James B. Crabtree and j. M.
Baldwin, executed BY Regeonon, was that of
the former mayor of Jacksonville. Brons-
come said that about $25, 900 of these bonds
were in the hands of merchants who
were innocently betrayed into aid
ing his scheme. His intention
was to put up these as colaterals TO get
goods and procure money to move his orange
crop north this fall. He had made partial
arrangements to this effect and had deposited
with f. S. Atwater, dealer id bags, at No.
80, Pear street, $500 in bonds, with B. E.
Hale u Co., at No. So Park place, $4,000
of the money deposited with F. S. Atwater
for bags. The collaterals with Mr.. Hale
ware for orange paper, and those left
with Mr.. Haven were to cove.
money advanced on his crop. Arrange
ments were not entirely completed. The
bonds were Autographed by G. G.. Craw.
ford, of 40 and 81 Park place, on what pur.
ported to be genuine order from the may
or of Jacksonville addressed to Bronscome,
to have them done. They had previously
executed similar orders. and these were struck
OIL from the original plate Bronscome pre-
sented references from Jacksonville to Crsw.
ierd, which were accepted as genuine. He had
seals cut by two different men on William
street. tie wanted them to cut represen-
tatlon OF signatures, but they refused to
comply with his wishes, no doubt under the
apprehension that he might use them for
some improper purpose. He was about
TO leave for the west to make arrangements
for shipping fruits this fall, but did not in,
tend to use the counterfeit instruments. I'M
mIlediately after committing the impression of
the seal on the bonds he carried the plate
seal on board the Fulton ferryboat and threw
1t overheard into East river. The accused
was committed temporarily on this showing
OF facts 10 await examination.