The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-28

CHRONICLES of the runs upon the bsnF
and the expedients by which it has been
saved. In l145, for instance, the coTpo-
ration adopted an ingenious method fo- re-
I tanning Its specie. Agents were employed
% enter vita notes, VINO, 20 gain time. were
palo IN slx-penny pieces az centsl, and, as
t1ose who came first were entitled TO priority
OF Payment, the agel went out at one door
with the specie they had received, and
brought it back by another, so that the
bona fide holders Of notes could never get
near enough TO present them. But pro
vision has since been made by parliament
to protect the bank against the injury
which might result from a repetition of
such "runs.n
Some curious instances are also on record
OF the peculiar uses to which bank notes
have occasionally been placed, from ignor-
ance of their value. A gentleman who had
missed his path in HEREFORD rode up to
cottage for directions. Here, with an old
ballad stuck against a window pane,
was a bank note for 500. The aged
couple to whom it belonged could neither
read nor write, and were overjoyed at the
money of which they had been in ignorant
possession.
If only half of the talent and ingenuity
which is employed in the cause of dishonesty
and deception was devoted to upright and
worthy purposes, it could not fail to win
wealth. repute, and the worlds applause.
In 1850 gentleman of eminence in the
mercantile world was grieved by the con
tents of letter which he received from a
CORRESPONDENT at Hamburg, the postmark
OF which town it bore. From the statement
1t contained, IL appeared that a person,
most nioutely described, had defrauded
the writer, under extraordinary circum-
stances, Of 200. The letter continued to
say information had been obtained that the
AAfr 4 -, "a
describe Twas occasionally to be seen on
the Dutch walk of the royal exchange.
The object of the writer was to induce
his correspondent to meet and invite
the party TO dinner, and, by any moral
persuasive which could be used, compel him
to return the money; adding that if he
should be found amenable to reason and
evince any signs of repentance, he might
be dismissed with friendly caution and a
friendly gift Of $4,000, as he was near
relative of the writer. As the gentleman
whose name the letter bore was profitable
correspondent, the London merchant de-
cided to carry out the wishes expressed by
him, and accordingly kept keen watca on
the Dutch walk, and was at last successful
in meeting and being introduced TO the
cheat. The invitation to dinner was
given and accepted, and the host having
given notice to his family to quit the table
soon after dinner. acquainted his visitor
with his knowledge of the fraud Alarm
and horror were depicted in the countenance
of the young man, who in tones apparently
tremulous from emotion, begged his dis
grace might not be made public. To this the
merchant consented, provided the SIS. 900
were returned. The visitor sighed deeply
but said that to return all were impossible,
as he had unfortunately spent part of the
amount The remainder, however, he
proposed to yield instantly, and
the notes were handed to the
merchant, who, after dilating upon the
goodness of the man he had robbed, con-
Guided his moral lesson by handing him a
check for $4,000 as proof OF his lbenefi-
cence. The following morning the mer-
chant went to the bank to deposit the
money he had received, when, to dis great
surprise, he was informed that tbs notes
were counterfeit. His next inquiries were
concerning the check, but that had besn
cashed shortly after the opening Of the
bank. He Immediately sent an express to
his Hamburg correspondent, who replied
that the letter was a forgery, and that no
fraud of the kind mentioned had been COM
mitted on him. The whole affair had been
plotted by gang, some of whom were on
the continent and some in England
Again in 1888 an ingenious fraud was
perpetrated by Francis Fonton, a clerk in
the Bank of England, and one of those men
whose real sin is covered by an appearance
of sanctity. Having been requested by a
friend to purchase $3.50 worth of stock,
Fonton gave him a forged receipt, and in
duced him, in addition, to sign a transfer
for 81. $50. under the impression that it was
an acceptance of the $3.50. He remarked to
friend shortly after his conviction that
she had taken care of his soul, and did not
mind what they did with his body" which,
needless to say, was dealt with according to
law. 7Ah