The Helena independent., 1889-08-08
C0LLOM A FORGER.
Prominent Young Attorney Swim
dies the Public for a Quarter
of a Million Dollars.
The Trusted Agent of John 3. 6lais-
dell. He FORCES His Name to
Many Notes.
The Money Used to Speculate In Real
Estate-Confession and Prospect
of Restitution.

MIsSEAPoLIs, Aug. III. Frank Col
lom, one of the best known young attor
neys in Minneapolis, has confessed to forg
ing the name OF John +. Blaisdell, million
aire pioneer of the city, to notes and othel
paper to a total of s227, 900. 1t had been
suspected for some weeks that somethine
was radically wrong with Collom's &C
counts. He had been the attorney for Blsis-
dell for several years. Ii appears Col.
lom began his peculiar financial methods
upwards of year ago. Blsisdell had
every confidence in the young man until a
few weeks ago, when z. A. Chamberlain,
cashier OF the Security bank, met him in
the street and asked. allow much of J. r.
Collom's paper have you endorsed ?' The
lars" Chamberlain became excited. "Why,
Mr.. Blaisdell." said he, 1--WE have nearly
three times that amount of paper in the
bank endorsed by you" The capitalists
take" he said. 81 know l never endorsed
Collom's paper to any such amount There
must be a great mistake somewhere"
There Is no error regarding the
amount" retorted the cashier. "It strikes
me We had better look into this
matter at once" Then Blai dell and
and the Security officials put their heads
together and the result of hasty investl-
cation showed something was very seri-
Ousl wrong. Several brokers and money
lenders were visited, and within a very
short period S2z4, 900 In notes and other Sc
curities were discovered, but TO only part
of which BlaisdelPs name was attached.
Blaisdell pronounced all the signatures
purpOrting TO be his forgeries. Detectives
were set 20 shadow Collom, and his books
were Overhauled by an expert accountant,
and the opinion OF an exp IT on hand
writing was secured TO the effect that Col
NnlI h..v, nfar,-
fronted with the evidence against him.
Without many words the young attorney
at once broke down and confessed his
crime in detail. Coll I'm wept bitterly, and
begged the people he had wronged
almost beside himself ''Send me
to the penitentiary," he cried, ''DO mercy
is due me and l do not ask for any.
have been weak and foolish. l can only
say | deserve my fate No one can ever
know how | regret that have violated the
confidence placed in me by Blaisdell-"
It is stated the money secured from
Blaisdell by COllOm WAS lost entirely IN
real estate deals. The young man has con
siderable real estate and equities ana all
has been turned over 70 Biaisdell. IL is re-
ported to-day that COllOm's father and
other friends will come to his assistance.
Ii such proves the case it Is probable the
matter will be settled. The Security bank
holds S23, 200 of forged papers, all of which
is amply secured. IL was discovered late
this morning that Collom had forged the
names OF several other prominent citizens
for amounts ranging from IS, 600 70 $50, 900.
COllum occupies a handsome residence on
Portland avenue and lives in good style,
employing several servants. He has
charming wife and two or three young
children.
Ii now appears that BIaisdells was the
only name forged, but that a number of
people are out by reason of holding the
forred paper. The names of thoes holding
spurious p per and the amounts held by
each so far as brought to light are as fol-
lows: Dean Brothers. Minneapolis. SIS 200;
Y. Ptch, Minneapolis, SIS, 500; Z. w. Peit,
st. Paul, S5 900; Frank Export, Mime
apolis, S1S 500: Eustis Brothers, Mime
spOlis, 5000; Julius Schult Minneapolis,
$50, 600 The gentlemen and firms men
toned above are nearly all engaged in real
estate and money loaning. Just what ac-
tion they will take has not been learded.
c. j. lockwood, of the firm of Rock wood
& CollOm, was asked to-day II he could ac-
count for the action of his partner. He re-
piled, Il would have trusted Collom so
far SIS honor goes with all 1 have or hope 10
have