The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-08-08
A QUARTER OF A MILLION
Will Not Quite Clear the Amount of J..
F.CollOm's FOrgeries at Minneapolis.
Well-GOnnected Young Lawyers Terrible Abuse
Of the Trust Imposed in Him-LOst 1t in
Wildcat Real Estate Speculations.

Minneapolis has confessed TO forging the
name of John T. Blaisdell, the millionaire
pioneer of this city, TO notes and other pa
per, footing up the huge total of S227,OOO.
1t has been known for some weeks that
something was radically wrong with Mr..
Collom's accounts. He has been the trusted
attorney for Mr. Blaisdell for several years.
1t appears that COLON began his peculiar
financial methods upwards of year ago.
Dir. Blaisdell had every confidence in the
young man until a few weeks ago. Then
his faith was suddenly shattered. The
story, however, never came to the ears of
the general public until to-day. Something
over three week ago +. A. Chamberlain.
cashier of the Security Bank, met John T..
Blaisdell upon the street. Mr.. Blaisdell
has for some years been one of the banks
heaviest depositors.
MIR. BlaisdelI,n began the cashier, chow
much or j.. L. Colloms paper are you onf'
The millionaire thought for an instant
and then replied: II believed have Endorsed
his paper to the amount of $4,000"
Mr.. Chamberlain became very much ex-
cited.
'sWhy, Mr.. Blaisdell,n said he, 1--WE have
nearly three times that amount of paper In
the bank Endorsed by YOU"
The capitalists face blanched at this:
1T must be a mistake, Mr.. Chamberlain"
ne sdiQ. : KNOW we never l0uOIstu OOl-
IONS paper to any such amount There
must be great mistake somewhere
There is no error regarding the amount"
retorted the cashier. II know what am
talking about. 1t strikes me. too. that we
had better look into this matter at once.
There is a Senegambian located in this
thing somewhere"
Then Mr.. Blaisdell and the Security Bank
officials put their heads together and the re-
suit of hasty inyesti cation showed that
al ING was rvs a V
brokers and money lOaners were visited anda
great amount of fictitious paper was soon
discovered. Within a very short period
the immense sum OF sS2!,OOO In notes anu
other securities was discovered, but to
only part of which Mr.. BlaisdelPs. name
was attached. Mr. Blaisdeu pronounced
all the signatures purportlng to lie his for
geries. The bank and Mr.. Blaisdell were
was at once set on foot. The entire matter
was put into the hands of ex-COunty AttOr-
ney Frank +. Davis. The attorney pro-
ceeded very quietly with the case. A pri-
waite detective was at once secured to
shadow COLON, the suspected forger. The
books and papers in the whole matter were
turned over to Mr. Davis and his associates
for inspection. Prof. e. &. Curtis, of the
Curtis Business College, was secured as an
expert TO examine the signatures attached
to the different notes and securities. Mr..
Curtis made a close and careful investiga-
ton and soon arrived at a conclusion. His
verdict was that j. Frank Cullom was the
guilty man. The next move of those con-
Quoting the investigation was to con-
front Attorney Colon with his crime.
This move was made yesterday. COLON
was called into the Office of Mr.. Davis,
where the situation was put before the
young man without any mincing of words.
Mr. Blaisdell and several of the bank Off
Gals were present at this meeting. The
young attorney at once broke down and
confessed his crime In detail. COLON cried
lxro r.A Il hoo not tfao
him. He was almost beside himself.
''Send me TO the penitentiary," he cried.
mo mercy is due me; do not ask for any.
i have been weak and foolish L can only
say that i deserve my fate. No one can
ever know how / regret that l have vio-
lated the confidence placed in me by Mr..
Blaisdell.n
That is about the way in which the young
man ran on. At one time. when be Gained
down little, he is said to have declared
that if he was only given one more chance
he would be able to recover the money and
his reputation. 1t 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.. Blaisdell. 1t was re-
ported shortly before noon that Collom's
father and other friends would come to his
assistance. If such proves to be the case,
it is probable the matter will be settled.
The Security Bank holds but So. 200 of the
forged paper, all of which is amply secured.
Young COLON occupied a handsome resi-
dence on Portland avenue, and lived in
good style, employing several servants He
has charming wife, and two or three
young children. Blaisdell's was the only
name forged. but a number of people are
per. The names of those holding
amounts anD 'phl held by paper each, n SO far
as brought to light, are as follows: Dean
Brothers. Min1eapolis. $4,000; H. n. Peck.
5000; Frank Rupert, Minneapolis, $500;
Eustis Brothers. Minneapolis S1S 600; Jul
Jus SCHULZ, Minneapolis, $50, 900; total, S102,-
600. The gentlemen and firms mentioned
above are nearly all engaged in the real
estate and money loaning business. just
what action these gentlemen will take to
recover their losses could not be learned
this afternoon.
c. j. lockwood. of the firm of lockwood
K COLON. was asked to-day if he could ac-
count for the action of his partner. He
replied: 81 would have trusted Mr.. Col
lom. SO far as honor goes, with all l have
T Fst hGPs to haze o this r sSenSs lat
night. He has lived here twenty years.
and during my business connections with
him have always found him reliable. He
was hard worker. He neither drank nor
used tobacco III any form. / know nothing
of his business matters. except that he has
owned good deal of real estate"
Mr.. Jonah Thompson. ST., COllom's
father-in-law. was at his Office this morn
ing, and when asked if he had any state
Ment to make, said: Il have not word to
say
There is report that you have decided
to aid Mr.. COLON. Is that truei"
L have not decided to do anything.
have not word to say"
lt mas since been learned that when
young COLON was brought into attorney
Davlss office. yesterday, and asked about
the discrepancy IN his accounts he at once
broke down and confessed. The young
man sprang 10 his feet a few moments later
and made break for the nearest window,
1t was evident that he intended to iumu
out and end his life. Il would have been q
fall of five stories had he been permitted to
carry out his intention. This purpose was
thwarted by those present He was soou
quieted. and seemingly gave up his sui.
cidal intention. Attorney Davis's Office
was thronged this morning with the ex.
cited and anxious creditors of Mr.. Colon
One young attorney. who made himself
spokesman of the crowd. said that there
was not the slightest evidence vet that
COLON was guilty of forgery. Mr. Blais
dell. he said, was IN old man who could not
read and could inst sign his name. lie had
been in the habit of signing checks fo,
whatever amounts were presented to him
Coliom had not been specializing and had
not lost any money. because he was able Il
show that he had $500, 900 in real estate. Il
seems very probable, in spite of the fact.
that have been known. that the CREDITOR
viii succeed in compromising the affair il
u nv Cfan N N :