The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1882-12-21
rPmhAUL
DIETS In Ills work on The CITY National
Bank.
Details Of The Scheme so Admirably Exc.
cuted,
In Spite of Every Precantion.

The city was thrown into state OF excite
mont Sunday last by the fact being made
known that the City National bank, OF this
Mace had been victimized to The extent Of
40 100. The banks here had been on the
lookout for several weeks past for gang of
bank swindlers, against whom they had
been cautioned by several chiefs of police,
but, as in all cases of large thieving opera
tions. the blow came from an unexpected
quarter. and no one who has examined
critically into the circumstances OF
the present forgery will suggest any.
thing that was left undonc Dy the officers OF
the City National bank to guard against
such a casualty. AS lar as our reporter can
Judge, If any blame attaches to any one, it
ia TO the officers of the eastern bank, who
first laid the foundation for the subsequent
forgery by issuing to the THIEF the letter Of
Identification, which removed all suspicion
as to his real character and purpose. or
course, the cashier, Mr.. Balm, must have
been equally taken in, though in the pres
emit instance he suffered no harm from
the error committed. The forgery
carefully executed, and recital
of ali the circumstances OF the case will
prove interesting reading to those who VIII
would learn "a thing or two" in the diff
cult art of manipulating credits. A re-
porter of the HERALD called at the bank
Yesterday and the following facts were
cheerfully made known: On November
q the City National bank OF Dallas received
the following letter from the Exchange Ma
tional bank Of Norfolk, Virginia:
"E. J. Cannon, esq.,, Cashier City Ma,
tional Bank, Dallas, Texas. Dear Sir-I
have this day given Mr.. George Coleman
orr check OH the Hanover National
$500 Mr.. Coleman is a stranger
in your city, and, as means OF Identifying
him, he has placed his signature on this
sheet and l enclose bis photograph. he
has also a $40 note of our circulation.
trnst this will be sufficient. Yours, very
respectfully, George Nj. Balm, jr., cashier. "
Ks will be readily Inferred the bank note
which Coleman held was an excellent means
for identifying Mr.. Bain's signature to the
letter received by the bank. Perhaps two
hours after the receipt OF the above letter,
Mr.. George Coleman made his appearance
at the bank and presented the $5,5Oo
draft to the cashier. Papers We're
examined, signatures compared, the photo
eraph closely scrutinized and found to cor
respond with the original subject and the
money paid over to the party. One pecu-
Iiarity was noticed by the teller when TAX
inc Colemau's signature. He held his right
hand tightly ciutched with his left, the
palm of the left hand covering the back OF
The right hand. There was no doubt some
method in that singular performance, but
that he was exceedingly nervous from over
smoking during the long trip south. Cole
man appeared to be man 40
wears of age, with full black beard, shaped
| into a cone under the chin; black hair;
sharp, piercing eyes, which were. perhaps,
the most distinctive feature OF rather
commonplace face; he was dressed IN neat
clothes, that hung rather loosely about his
person. and the man formed good picture
IF a weli.to.do eastern farmer, who had
lust emerged from the exigencies OF hard
work. His hands, especially his fingers,
bore the burrows which only hard, honest
labor will give, and, taken altogether. Cole
man presented nothing very alarming
| i'm his general appearance. lie
stated his mission to the officers OF the
bank, having come west to engage IN the
sheep business. and expressed desire 10
follow the present transaction, with others
If a like nature, should his first investment
prove profitable to him. His signature
was accordingly placed on record in the Of
flee and the man disappeared. he mace
his second visit to the bank on Saturday.
When he walked back to the cashiers office
he was Immediately recognized by that ON
cial as the individual who had had DRAFT
cashed three weeks before Inc
draft had been sent forward IN the
regular order of business and had been daily
bonored by the drawee. Coleman took out
of his pocket book a draft drawn by the
same Norfolk bank upon another OF It's
New York correspondents, the National
Park bank, No. 62,922, for 50 700, and asked
Mr.. Cannon to give him 5000 cash upon
the same and place the balance, $o,4oo 10
his credit in the bank. The BALANCE ne
would call for in eight or ten days. Ihere
identity of the man, for he had
been Immediately recognized as the
holder of the previous DRAFT
In view of the first formal introduction,
there was nothing to be done but to exam
inc the signature of the drawer, george M.
Balm, IT., cashier, and that corresponded IN
its most minute details with the signature
of the letter Of introduction. Coleman was
asked to endorse the draft and as the out
side of the teller's counter was lined with
customers making their deposits-it being
nearly closing time-he did SO at the writing
desk In the Office with his back tc the tel
Ter. The endorsement was so quickly
made that the cashiers attention
Was called to the iact. but
nothing was thought of this, as the fellow
might have got over his nervous spell. The
money was paid him at his equest, in large
hills principally fifties and hundreds, and
he awaited himself OF the offer TO step into
tine hack room TO verify the count. when
running over the bills the cashier noticed a
hlue tattoo mark on the back OF his rlgbt
hand, This, however, was nothing very
strange, and the scoundrel might have gone
his way in pence If he had not been ques-
toned as to his movements In the sheep
business. His aDswere were 80
unsatisfactory that the cashier
became nervous about the transaction and
sent the following telegram to the Exchange
National hank of Norfolk: "Did you issue
draft on National Park bank December 9TH
10 George Coleman for 50, sou AT o CLOCK
the first evidence OF the fraud was had IN
the following message sent IN answer 70
the one sent by the City National bank:
@Did not issue check for $3.50 December
OH in favor of George Coleman. a
second message, closely following the
first confirmed the suspicious oil
The parties most interested: "lssned no
snch check; think he is a fraud; gave no
check except one in letter described you
| November 3D." The officers then reallzs9 !
| fullv that they had been victimized, ana
sei about hunting the pseudo sheep man.
That was no easy task, for much valuable
time had been lost in telegraphing. Trains
we're were closely watched, but nothing was ever
seen of the thief and SO, 100 Of good, SOLID
money had 70 be charged 10 prom
and loss account, especially the loss par
III that valued account. There u nc
doubt in the minds Of the officers OF tht
hank that Coleman was but the einciehl
torl 10 others who were experts IN the
/ f,~gsrv business. and the forged check wai
c.i9ulsfed 10 deceive the best posted: BE
sides- banking customs bad been closely
studied and advantages was reaped IRON the
established courtezy existing Detseeh
bankers in matters Of Identification end IN.
PRODUCTION. A telegram was cent SATURDAY