The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-11-24
Three Clever FOrgcrs Caught.
HOW INSPECTOR BYRNES TRACED THE
THROUGH THE CHECK STUBS.

Three Clever FOracrs Caught.
HOW INSPECTOR BYRNES TRACED THEN
THROUGH THE CHECK STUBS.
New York Timesl
A tall, slim Young man called at the
clearinghouse OF IIowes q Co.. at No. II
Wall street, on Saturday last and presented
a check for S400, drawn to the order OF
James Tweed, and purporting to be signed
by j. j. Smith, real-estate broker OF No.
81 Cedar street, and asked for its certifca-
ton. The check was certified without
any hesitation and made payable at
the Continental National Bank. On
Monday the check was presented mt the
Continental Bank, and was cashed with
out question. On Wednesday another
check for 800 on Howes d Co.. drawn TO
the order of T. n. Barlow. and also signed
j. J. Smith, with the certification OF IIOwes
4 Co. on its face. was cashed at the Con-
tinental Bank. Later in the day another
check for $1,000. bearing the same sigma
ture and Endorsement, was presented at
the bank, but the paying-teler refused to
cash il unless the person presenting it was
properly identified. The person who had
presented il failed TO return, and his non
appearance excited suspicion. An in
vestigation was made, and resulted in the
discovery that the three checks were fOrg-
cries.
This information was at once placed in
the hands of Inspector Byrnes. An eX-
animation OF the signatures Of Mr.. Smith
on the forged checks convinced the In
spector that they had been traced from a
genuine check, and Mr.. Smith was re-
queSted TO submit the stubs in his check
book TO the examination OF the detectives.
Among them were found the stubs OF two
checks. one for S15 and one for $50, which
had been given to a Mrs. Mclean, who
keeps Il respectable clearinghouse at No.
1919 west Thirty-SiXth street. where Mr..
Smith had recently boarded. Mrs. Mclean
Is unfortunate in having a son, eddy"
who is a confirmed thief, and who has
been frequently arrested, and whose pic
ture adOrns the rogucs' gallery. Mrs.
Mclean informed the officers that the
check for Sl5 had been stolen from
her by her son, who subsequently told her
that he had lost II IN a game OF poker to
sporting man, William Mclean. The lat
ter person was hunted up, and on being
questioned he recollecled that he had
loaned the check to one Edward b. Dar-
lingtOn. This was OH or about, the 11th
instant. Darlington had retained the check
for twenty-four hours, and had then re-
turned il TO him. Darlington is known to
the police rs q bold and expert forger. He
is man OF fine education and literary at
tainments, and is said to be the author Of
several successful plays which have been
performed in this city. Three years ago
he was arrested for forging check on Col
gate & Co.. the soap manufacturers. and
was convicted, and he has only been out of
prison few months.
Search was made for Darlington. and at
O'Clock on Thursday morning he was
found asleep in his room at a boarding.
house, No. 10 west Thirteenth street. lie
was arrested and taken to poIice headquar-
tero. At the clearinghouse he was sup
posed TO be a gentleman of leisure. A
search Of his room showed that when pay
ment OF the third check had been refused
he had been shrewd enough to destroy all
criminating evidence in his possession.
He had burned one OF HowcS & Co.'s
check books. which he had obtained from
that firm through a messenger whom he
had sent for il undar the name of Mr.. j. j.
Smith, and also destroyed the certificatiOn-
stamp and the tracings be had made Of
Smiths signature. A check-book Of the
Pacific Bank was found in his room, and
also a note in his handwriting, as follows:
Charlie,-Billy was here twice last
night and this afternoon for feaI you might
send somebody down to-day, as there was
trouble yesterday afternoon. If You have
done so there will he trouble soon dead
sure. This YOU see is the consequence of
not turning up on time. Billy wants to see
YOU at the house tonight. Everything is
destroyed. b."
The Charley" to whom this note was
addressed was discovered to be Charles
Fisher, a burglar and forger, who lived
with his parents at Thirty-fouith street
near Tenth avenue. The detectives went
to this house. arriving there at 2 o'clock
Yesterday morning; they were ereaccOmpanicd
bv Inspector ByInes. They drove up in
cab, and the cabman was directed TO enter
the house and tell Fisher that Darlington
wanted TO see him at once. Fisher came
down in q hurry, dressing himself as he
came down stairs. "Hello! Billy; what's
up?" he exclaimed, rs he thrust his
head into the window OF the cab. He
was at once seized by the detectives. He
made a show of resistance, but was over
and handculed, and was driven
rapidly 10 police headquarters. Fisher has
been in prison number OF times. Some
years ago, while Detectives Slevin and Do
ian were endeavoring to arrest him and
Ned Farrell for robblng man OF $4,000, !
be fired several shots at the officers. !
q Dick" Davis, the confederate of Darling
ON and Fisher. was arrested at IL O'Clock
yesterday morning. lie was identified as the
oerson who had presented the forged checks
'or navment. The prisoners were arraigned |
before Justice Duffy, at the Jefferson
Market Police Court, and were remanded
lntll to-day. They have made fnll con-
ession OF their crime to Inspector Byrnes.
Darlington traced the signature OF j. ).
smith from the genuine check, and then |
obtained the check-book from Howes &
%. After the first check was certified by |
be cashier OF Howes Co. stamp was
made TO correspond with this certidcation.
md was used 10 certify the other checks. |
All the work was most cleverly executed.
A western Vendetta.