The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-02-22
ALLEGED FORGERIES
oN TnE CANDIES on coAIpANY,
A Breezy Letter fsOm mir. W. a. Cooper,
UaSIs of Dr, +. W. Crooks, who Denies
Having any Connection With the
MAtlor-lhs hyStsry DsspsuS.

10 the ElLOr of NE IRtllt0aeer.
SIR:-My attention has just been Calle'
to an article published in the INrELLIaEN
CIR OF the eleventh inst, over the sigma
turs of, W, Tsggalt, in reference to L
w. Crooks connection with the SAINT
Barbara torgeFies Of drafts, purportIng t
have been drawn in my name, upon tn
Camden Consolidated Oil Company to thC
order OF said Crooks, DR., Crooks, al
stated in said communication, is my
nephew, and regret that the character
Of the communicate makes it u duty t.
myself, however painful it may be, to state
that never had any communication what
ever, either with DR., Crooks the Camden
Consolidated oil Company, or any one
else in reference to the purchase u any
land or property in California. l never
heard OF or knew Of the existence Of The
"Ortego Rancho" until read of tho sam
in connection with said forged drafts; and
II said DR.. Crooks claims TO have any let.
tsrs purporting to be from me In reference
TO the "0TLego Rancho" or any other
properly In California, they are iorKelieR.
have not received letter or direct
communication from DR., Crooks Within
the Last i've years, nor haYe written but
one letter within that time. That letter was
dated from Orlando, Fla, December 10Th,
1885, in acknowledgement olsoms photo
graphs, and message sent to me Ia let.
ter written by DR., brooks to my nephew,
Frank Cooper, at Jacksonville, Fla. /
have never remilted any money TO DR.,
Crooks In any way since he has been in
California,
INVOLVED IN MYSTERY.
The history Of this case as stated in
your paper is RstORishinEly strange and
mysterious, and from Information | have
received duplicates the First National
Bank Of Santa Barbara as being myste
riOusly connected with said transactions
In the first place the Bank Ct California
held two OF said drafts, amounting to
over tOrty-two thousand dollars, which
had been discounted or negotiated for the
said First National Bank OF Santa Bar.
bara. AS stated by the Bank OF Cali.
iornia, these drafts were taken up by the
First National Bank Of Santa Barbara i'm.
mediately alter the Bank OF California
was advised by tho Camden Consolidated
OIL Company that they were forgeries.
l am also advised by W, N, Chancellor
that as soon as the matter was brought 10
the attention Of the Comptroller OF Our.
renCy, he sent a bank examiner to exam.
Inc into the condition OF the First Ma.
tloual Bank oi Santa Barbara. lie re-.
ported that no such drafts were found In
said bank, and the books Of said bank
showed no evidence Of any loss To the
said bank by reason Of said transaction.
showing that said drafts had been taken
up or wero concealed by 1t.
The drafts having been disposed Of in
such a way that they cannot be found no
prosecution for forgery could be main.
tanned against the guilty parties. Itwould
therefore seem that said bank has for some
reason aided some one in destroying or
suppressing the forged drafts, thereby glv.
ing immunity from prosecution to tho par.
ties CommittinHsRld iorgeries,
DR.. Crooks and his friend Taggart, feel
log secure by the suppression OF the eyi.
denCe necessary TO establish the forgery,
are now no doubt endeayorlng to escapo
the odium Of the transaction by getting
up theory that involved myself as well
as other innocent parties who never knew
or heard Of the same until advised through
the Bank Of California, which held the
forged paper.
| am also advised by Mr.. w. N. Chan.
cellor that the matter has been brought
TO the attention Of the Attorney,G General
Of the United States, aud by him to the
United States piatriCt Attorney for the
district Of Santa Barbara, California, aud
It remains to be seen what he will be able
10 do towards looking to prosecution OF
the guilty parties in these transactions.
! mention thPge facts to chow that
this matter was promptly brought to the
attention ol the Comptroller OF Currency
and the Attorney General OF tho United
States, aud that means are being taken by
them to ferret out and punish the guilty
partiee, and unless the evidence Of the
existence OF the drafts has been suppress.
ed or destroyed, the guilty parties will be
brought to punishment.
HOLDERS OF THE DRAFTS WILL NOT COLLECT.
There Is, however, one thing certain ;
that Is, that no legal eioft will ever be
made by the holders Of said drafts, II they
are still in existence, to mako either my
self or the Camden Consolidated Oil Com.
pany liable for their payment, or to es.
tabllsh any knowledge or agency either on
my part or the Camden Consolidated OIL
Company in reference 10 the existence Of
said transaction, or 10 inplicate ns In any
tnanper whatever with said matter, which
is Of itself sufficient retutation OF the whole
Of Mr.. Taggart's letters.
There Is some mystery concerning these
drafts. Why don't the FiTat National
Bank Of Santa barbara or the Ortego
Rancho people try to:make somebody re-.
sponsihleP Who q protecting Dr.. Crooks,
To whose order the drafts purported 10
have been drawn, and allowing him TO 90
unquestioned, as mentioned BY Mr., Tag.
gart, after the drafts have been denounced
as iorgeries2 II pf. Crooks has no money
Of his pwp, es intimated by your CORE.
gpondent, who iB poCkeLlng the loss 2
These are questions which demand inVes.
tigation, and which think will he solyed
in due time. W. A. CooPKh
Orlando, EtOriaa, ltb. 10, 1885.
ID