Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-17
A FORGERs PLAN rHwARTED.
Edward Hall Arrested Again-How the
Illegal Printing of Guatemalan Bank
Notes was Prevented.

From the Nel0 York Tribune.
A tall, slightly-built man, aged 50,Visit-
ed the office of Schultze a. Benedum, en-
graYeTs and printers at No. 1873 William
street, on Friday morning, and left two
plates with the required shades ofink and
1900 sheets of paper partly printed, with
the request that the sheets be printed from
the plates. A bank note of 100 pesos, or
$1G0. of Ell Banco International de Guate-
mala was left as a sample of the form in
which the completed work was to appear.
The plates were skillfully engraved. One
was to be used in printing the portions
that appeared in red ink, and the other
for the portions in black INK. The stran-
ger gave the name OF George Wilson, and
said that he lived in One Hundred and
Twenty-ffth street.
AS soon as Wilson had gone Mr.. Bene-
dunn went to the office of Jacob Baiz, the
Consul Of Guatemala, and with him visit
ed President GoOdall, of the American
Bank Note Company. The original notes
of the Guatemala Bank were printed by
the American Bank Note Company. Mr.
Goodall at once began earnest efforts to
detect the person who had ordered the
plates to be printed which, it was de-
clared, were forged limitations of the real
plates.
Chief Agent Drummond, of the Secret
Service, to whom a report OF the case was
sent. ordered that the office OF Sehultze j.
Benedum be watched and yesterday morn
ing the man who gave the name Of VIII
son was arrested as he entered the build
ing. He was identified as Edward Hail,
who has served terms of imprisonment
for forgery, and who has been several
times arrested for completely in great
schemes OF fraud. Hall refused TO say
anything when arrested. lie WAS hand
cufted against his protest and taken be-
fore Commissioner Shields. MIR. Drum
mond had made a complaint under the act
OF March 6, 1884, which makes it Il felony
punishable with fine of $4,000 or impris-
Onment for five years to bring into this
country or to possess with intent TO use,
plates for printing counterfeit bills OfoOr-
porati0us authorized by the laws of for
eign government. Under this complaint
Hall was held in $4,000. Deputy Marshals
Billie and Jeftries took him TO Ludlow
Street Jail.
A man answering Halls description
took the same plates and paper TO another
euQraver for printing, two weeks ago, hut
the engraver was unable, after several
efforts, TO do the printing satisfactorily
and the plates were taken away on Thurs
day.
Ghl0i DfumlnOnNs WueN Ahheu as 10
HalPs career said. "Hall has been mix
ed up in most OF the principal forgery
cases OF recent years He Is a skilitul
penman and his part Of the work has usu-
ally been the writing Of the signatures.
lie is not known as an encraver and II II
not supposed that he made these plates
himself. but it Is possible that the sigma
lures Of the President and Of Il. II. Mar
tin, the Cashier Of the bank, were 10 have
been written By him. Han has been long
known 10 the police. He came under my
observation in 1873, when he was arrested
with William r.. Gray for the forgery Of a
check. In 1870 he was charged with CONF
pncity IN the forgery Of the Greene county
bonds In this state. he WIS arrested IN
1880 and convicted To- Reading. Pa, Of
the forgery 0f Reading Railroad scrip.
one af bis accnmpli1es WAS arrested m
Reading by Detective Finkerton, aud un-
other In this CITY by Inspector Byrnes.
Hall was sentenced % TWO years impris-
onment. While he was IN prison some
forged bonds II the Albany and suhqus-
hnnuu Railroad were uttered Va PhllAdel-
pha, aud soon aftor Halls release s6vV00
al these bonds wore set ail0at. Hal was
accused ~ having been concerned ~ THIS
transaction with George Engla, who -
dead. aud j. N. G0luWblni. who Us under
aningn long term Of imprisonment. Hall
gnvn hIs residence is Jersey city. lie
lives. I believe, in Hob0ken, but do not
know bis exact place Of residence. lie -
"a native of New Jersey.