Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-07-31
A sKILLFUL PEN


Plnkerton, with Capt. w. y. Coop
er, chief Of police Of Jacksonville,
Fla, appeared at the Toombs police
court to,day, having in custody G..
NJ. Branscom, orange packer and
commission merchant of jackson
vile, Florida, who is charged
with the forgery of bonds represent
ing S137, 900, known as the sanitary
Improvement bonds Of Jacksonville,
drawing interest at the rate of 8 per
cent. per annum, and payable in
1898. The Information which ena-
bled Penkerton to prevent the
flooding Of the market with
these forged bonds reached
him about the first of July,
when an attaehe Of the Brooklyn
Eagle informed him tnat man
stopping at French's hotel had in
duced a friend of a boy working in
the Eagle office to sign number of
the bonds, and that the circumstan-
ces were Of suspicious char
acter. It was learned that the
boy was Arthur Ryerson, of 1913
Eighth street, south Brooklyn,
who, while out of work,
was sitting in the city hall park
when the gentleman asked him about
his handwriting, and invited him to
French's hotel. Here he copied the
letter, and his penmanship appeared
to give satisfaction. He was then
told that he would be written for
within a week. In few days
he was invited to call at the
hotel when he signed the name of
A. J. Baldwin, chairman,
to large number Of bonds, receiv-
ing $3.50 for his services. Detecs
tive Pinkerton communicated the
particulars to the Mayor of Jack
sonville, J. Ramsey Dey, and re-
fquested him to send an officer to as
siSt in making up the case. Capt.
Cooper came on, and he and Pinker-
ton took the boy Ryerson to French 6
hotel, where the latter identified
Branscom, who, after some evasion,
admitted having perpetrated the
forgery. Pinkerton found in his
room $92,5 500 in bonds and 1900
Lin bonds, all purporting to be signed
by the proper authorities and at
tested by the seal of the city o.
Jacksonville and common council
The other signatures to the
bonds were written by different
persons and purported to be
fac SMILES of those of U. Stokes
Boyd, Z. j. Daniels, Theodore
Hartridge and James B. Crabtree
The name A. J. Baldwin, executed
by Ryerson, was that of former
mayor of Jacksonville.
Branscom said that about $25,.
900 of the bonds were in the hands
! of merchants who were innocently
betrayed into aiding his scheme
His intention was to pu
up these as collaterals to get good
and procure money to move ths
orange crop north this fall. I'll,
had made partial arrangements t.
this effect, and had deposited will
F. S. Atwater, at No. 80 Pear
street, $4,000 in bonds; with B. E
Hale Il Co., SIS Park place, the sun
Of $4,000. The money deposite'
with Messrs. Atwater was for bag
the collaterals, with Mr.. Hale wer,
for orange paper, and those lef
with Mr.. Haven were to cover none,
advances, His arrangements wer'
not entirely completed. The bond
were Autographed by 0. G.. CraW
ford, of 49 and 81 Park Place, Of
whatpurported to bea genuine orde
from the mayor of jacksonville
addressed to Branscom TO have then
done. They hadpreEiously execute
similar orders and these were strucl
off the original plate, Branscor
presented references from Jackson
vile to Crawford, which were &C
cepted as genuine. He had seal
; cut by two different men o.
Williams street. lie wante
/: then cut representatives of sigma
! lures, but they refused to compl
with his wishes, no doubt under a
} apprehension that he might us
them for some improper purpose
!, He was about to leave for the wee
/ to make arrangements for shippin
. fruits this fall, but di
: not intend to use the counterfei
instruments Immediately. Afte
completing the impression of th
seal on the bonds he carried tn
= plate seal on board. of the Ful.o
!, ferry boat and threw it overboar
,, into the East river. The accuse
j was committed temporarily on thi
9 showing Of the facts to await examl
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