The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-08-08
A YOUNG MANS FALL.
He Secures Nearly a Quarter Of
a Million Dollars by
FORGING HIS FRIENDS NAME,
A Strange Case ofViolatIon of Conf.
dence by One Of the Brightest
Young Lawyers In the West,
A Bitter Confession.

MINNEAPOLIS, MIMI, August III,
Frank Collom, son Of the builder OF the
Collom block, one OF the best known
young Attorneys in Minneapolis, has
confessed to forging the name Of John
7, BIalsdell, the millionaire pioneer Of
the city, to notes and other paper footing
up the huge total Of S927,OOO. 1t has
been known for some weeks that some-
thing was radically wrong with Mr.,
Collom's accounts, He has been the
trusted attorney for Mr.. Blaisdell for
several years, 1t appears that Collom
began his peculiar financial methods
upwards OF year ago. Mr., Blaisdell
had every confidence in the young man
until few weeks ago, Then his faith
was suddenly shattered. The sensation.
al story, however, never came to the ears
Of the general public until to-day.
Something over three weeks ago, +. 4.
Chamberlain cashier OF the Security
Bank, met John Blaisdell upon the
street. Mr.. Blaisdell has for some years
been one OF the banks heaviest deposi.
tors.
"AIr. Blaisdell," began the cashier,
show much of j, F. Collom's paper are
you on2" Z"
The millionaire thought for an instant
and then replied: ~ believe have In.
dorsed his paper to the amount Of
MIR. Chamberlain became somewhat
excited. "Why, Mr., Blaisdell," said he,
I'VE have nearly three times that amount
OF paper in the bank endorsed by YOU"
The capitalists face blanChed at this.
ut must be mistake, Mr.. Chamber
lain," he said. ~ know I've never en-.
dorsed Collom's paper to any such
amount. There must be a great mistake
somewhere"
"Thcre is no error regarding the
amount, F" retorted the cashier; ~ know
what I'm talking about. 1t strikes me,
too, that We had better look into this
matter at once. There Is senegambian |
located in this thing somewhere"
Hh SSNFhSsbs hLLs
The next move OF those conducting
the investigation was to confront Altor.
ney COLON with his crime. This move
was made yesterday. Collom was called
into the office OF Mr., Davis. Here the
situation was put before the young man
without any mincing OF words. Mr..
Blaisdell and several Of the bank officials
were present at this meeting. The
young attorney at once broke down and
confessed his crime in detail. Collom
wept bitterly and begged his hearers not
10 spare him. He was almost beside
himself. Send me to the penitentiary,n
he cried, mo mercy is due me; do not
ask for any; l have been weak and fool.
ish. can only say that deserve my
fate. No one can ever know how re.
gret that have violated the confidence
placed In me by Mr.. Blaisdell."
That is about the way In which the
young man ran on. At one time when
he Gained down little, he is said to
have declared that II ho was only given
one more chance he would be able to re.
cover the money aud his reputation. It
is stated that the money secured FROM
Blaisdell by COLON was lost entirely In
real estate deals. The young man has
considerable real estate, and the equities
have all been turned over to Mr.. Blais-
dell. 1t was reported shortly before
noon that Collonl's friends would come
To his assistance. II such prove to be
the case, 1t is probable that the matter
will be settled.