Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-09-14

eus,ness which brought him to Jaw York.
and was about to return to his western hosna
he found the money he had placed in SAT-
roa,s hands ives needed in his business, but in
q short time he hoped to be able to start
little account again, and conduct it By tele-
craph. His account wes accordingly closed
and check given for the balance, which, in
spite Of ell the drafts made upon il, was
lar-er than the amount be had originally
placed il bis brokers hands
A few days passed, ard Colt made his ep-
pearance one morning with valise In his
hand Els train, he said, left in a. hour,
but having some final business TO attend to
down town be had called in to say good-by
to his Wall street friends
-Cy the way he remarked, looking at his
watch there is one man | wanted to see,
and now | an too late to go to bis place.
Can talk TO him over your telephoneF
Permission was readily accorded, and Colt
rassed some minutes in the little boxed in
clasct in which the telephone hung. All that
was heard was therefore the usual amount Of
Signaling, and considerable talking by Colt,
who however. came out in a little while de-
ciared tina. tho instrument did not work, and
that hc would therefore have to see his man
after all He there Gre shook hands with the
broker. and receiving his wishes for pleas
1T journey FASTENED away, not withou. some
regret on Safron's part, who was naturally
sorry to lose so successful and profitable
customer.
A few momeIts llaatsy q clerk from the
Bank Of the NeB Netherlands hurriedly en-
tered Safron's Office, with an inquiry as to
whether be had that n rning drawn q check
in favor of Loner n. Colt for forty thousand
ard odd dollars, numbered about one hundred
fi-urcs higher than his checks Of the proceed
ing day, producing ct the same time the slip
of paper which in all respects was perfect
duplicate OF the checks Sifron used, and
with his own signature SO perfectly initiated
that only the fact that he lad signed no such
document convinced him It was q forgery.
.'Ir is a forgery" hs finally gasped Ibid
you pay itf
Luckily not I: was presented by q
young man, whom It's Mr.. Colt introduced
as his son, and who lately came several times
with large checks, which were all right
THO pa ying teller, however, had some doubts
about paving as large an amount as this, and
tho young man suggested telephoning you to
sec if it was oil right The teller called you
W, but Just as he commenced to ask about it
tho teleDlOne prO@e uOWu, anu ue cOuiuu Y
talk to YOU When he said to the young man
that he had better get some one here to como
around with him, he made q sudden break
for the door, leaving the check behind him,
and I've been sent to see about it."
at is mighty lucky for the bank" said
Saffron, las the loss on a forged check would
have been theirs. Perhaps, however, | would
have been cha geable for my negligence in
letting an outsider use my telephone, for
evidently Colt timed himself to be at the in
strument when the bank called me up, and
say it was all right"
The chief clerk here remembered that Colt
had inquired who their stationer was. and on
inquiry it was ascertained that on pretense
of having some similar work executed, he
had obtained a sample Of Safron's engraved
checks The attempted forgery was there
fore laid bare, and Subsequent development
! in criminal history showed that the Omaha
lumber merchant, Mr.. Colt, was none other
| than Coyote Jim," a daring western forger
ard bank thief, who had lately served out a
long term in a western peni ,entiary, and
who, after victimizng some western bank
had escaped with share Of his plumber.
"Well," said Saffron. I've learned not &c
accept customer without personal intro
| duction; and as for the telephone, the best
service it ever did me was when 1t broke
down. Gavin Pendergast in Once Week