New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-30
FORGING A CITY,s BONDS.

a. NJ. BRANsCoM. OF JACKSONVILLE. FLA' FOUND
WITH FORGED BONDS AMOUNTING TO $137ooo
IN HIS PossFsspN-HE CoNFEssBs HIS GUILT
HOW TIKI DISCOVERY WAS MADE.
curious story of the discovery OF q forgery OF
bonds worth large amount came TO nrn' Justice
Duffy A well-dressed. mddle-aged man named
c. M Branscom, OF the firm of &: Nj. Branscom o.
Co orange packers and commission merchants OF
Jacksonyillc Fla. was charged by Robert PInker-
ton the detective. and Chief OF Police w. u
Cooper of Jacksonville, with forging bonds repre-
sentinc e 81 900. and known sanitary improve
ment bonds of jacksonville. The bonds were pay
able in 1878, and drew interest at the rate OF per
cent -. n:,o
ton to prevent the flooding of the market WIN
these forged bonds reached him about Jnly |
through a Mr.. Sutton, of Brooklyn, who informed
him that a man living at Frenchs Hotel had IN
lsced the friend of boy who worked IN Suttons
6fiicc TO sign number OF bonds. aud that tne CIR
cninStances were suspicious. 1t was learned that
teen of No 1913 FiGhth-s.. South Brook lyni who
SAID that while he sitting in the City Hall PARK
out of work, about week or ten days previous TO
July 4, man approached him and asked II ne
could write good hand. The boy answered
"yesr and he was invited by the stranger 10 go
with him to French's Hotel. There he was gwen
letter to copy and the penmansnp appeaTso 70 sen
for within "A week. He received postal cara I'D q
few days directing nm to call at frenchS hO'ei
lie did so, and signed the name OF A. j. balGM,n
81 90 as conversation for his services
Detective Pinkerton communicated these par
tcuiars to j. Ramsey Dey, the mayor Oh Ja o''i
somviIle, and requested him TO sehH
"A competent officer here to assist In following up
the clews obtained. Mayer Dey sent Chief OF Police
Cooper TO New>Gork, who, with PInkerton, WenC 20
the house Of RvcrsOn and brought him 20 New-l oTk
He identified BraDScom ut tTenchs hotel ana Ne
after some evasion, admittod that he nad pefpe-
trated the forgery. He added that most OF me
bonds were in the yalIse il his room, NO w. III
this vase were found Gnoty-two $500 bonds ana
forty-one $1,000 bonds, all purportinS to DC
signed by the proper authorities. and attesieu
bv the seal Of the CITY Of JackGOnviile
The signatures Of the bonds written by dit
ferert persons and puportcd to be fac SMILES Of
those OF l.. Stokes Boyd T. J. Daniel Theodore liar-
tridge and James Is. Crab'ree. The name a. j.
Baldwin. written by RycTsOn, that OF the
former Mayor Of Jacksonville. Branseom said that
about S25 600 of the bonds were i'll tho hands OF
merchants who were innOcently betrayed INTO
aiding his scheme. His intention was to pnt up
these as cOllaterals to get goods. and 20 procure
money to move the orange crop North tins ialI. lie
had made partial ARRANGEMENTS for this, and had
deposited with T. s. Atwater, dealer in b2gs, at No.
83 PeaTl-st 50 500 IN bOnds; with i. +. Hale q Co.,
No. 50 Park-place, so 800; and with Haver Il Co.
of No. 101 Park-place, $4,000 the money none, de-
posted with Mr.. Atwater was for bags. The col
laterals with Mr.. Hale were for orange paper, and
those left with Mr. iiaver were to cover money
a1TSeEgS com6eted The bonds were hoaphcd
by c. G. Crawford Of Nos. 40 and 81 Park-place,
on what purDorted 10 be a genuine order from the
Mayor or Jacksonville addressed 10 DrahscoHl
They had previously executed similar orders
and these were struck from the original plate.
Branscom presented references from Jacksonville
to Crawford. which were accepted as genuine.
He had the seals cut by two different men in Will
lam-st. He wanted to have them cut representa-
ions of the signatures but they refused to comply
with his wishes. doubtless under the apprehension
that he might use them for some improper purpose.
He was about TO leave New-York for the West to
did not intend to use the counterfeit instruments
immediately. Branscom threw the plate of the
seal into the river from Fulton ferry boat. The
accused man was held TO await examination by
Justice Duffy,