Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-11-06
IN DISGRACE.
The Son Of Old General Bingham
Commits Forgery.
he ADSCONDS FROM KANSAS CITY.
He Forges His Sisters and Stepmother's
NAmse-AIso NotarIes'-A Gay Life and
Speculation the Causes OF Wrong
Doing.

0A-NOAG OAAAf 4AO.g GNOfs AAcAAAAH
Bingham tossed the keys to his rooms
ct the Washington to the clerk Sunday
night, saying he was going on short
journey, and left the city. He will not
return soon, for obvious reasons He
left behind him forged deeds of trans.
fers and of trust upon the estate of his
late stepmother, Mrs George c. Bing'
ham, which aggregate about S25, 900.
Bingham was treasurer of the Con-
so1idated Missouri Mining & Manu-
featuring Company, of which County
Assessor Thomas Edwards was presi-
dent and J. E Withrow secretary. The
large sums Of money he obtained from
his stepmother's property were largely
sunk in experimenting with what is
known as MerrilPs process of extracting
gold from fine sand
No young man was better known in
Kansas City. He was captain in the
Third regiment a lawyer of promise
and mixed considerably in politics. His
father was General George c. Bingham,
State Treasurer under Governor Gam
BILE, Adiutant-General under Governor
Harden, and an artist and writer of no
little reputation
In addition to his mining speculations
Bingham has been leading what is con-
ventiOnslly called gay" life.
It was when Mrs General Bingham's
death was drawing near that she first
learned of her stepson's waywardness
Mrs w. h R Lykins of 414 West
Fourteenth had conveyed to Mrs. Bing-
ham to hold in trust for some reason
certain property. Mrs. Lykins visited
her about a month before her death and
was greatly excited
"Will you tell me, Mrs Bingham"
she asked, ''how it happens that my
property has become incumbered?"
Il know nothing of it If it is" replied
Mrs Bingham. She was then told that
there was on file in the recorder of
deeds Office two deeds of trust against
the property, one covering a loan of
81, 400 and another of $500. Mrs. Bing-
ham was astounded Lawyers were
called in, consultation was held and
an investigation was begun. 1t was
found that the deeds of trust were on
file; that they were signed apparently
by Mrs Bingham and were duly
acknowledged by notary both by sig
nature and seal The notary was
visited. He declared his signature and
acknowledgment a forgery. The forged
deeds dated from April, 1889, to May,
1890.
Further investigations showed that
various brokers and money lenders had
advanced money to Rollins Bingham
upon the forgeries. Some of the deeds
were made to City Counselor Robert l.
Yeagcr. as trustee Tor NJ. Mcpherson,
covering oans aggregat;ng 81, 400. |
Among other persons who bought the |
worthless notes were Magnus w. Barber |
as trustee and Hicks & Foster as trustee |
for Charles r. Hicks
1t was learned that bingham had Sc
cured loans aggregating SO, 500 on |
property at Third and Main streets |
Tho property was willed by Bingham's |
father to his widow during her lifet: me. |
At her death the property was to go to |
Rollins bingham and half sister, Mrs |
King, who lives at SteveEsville, Tex,
so that at present each should have |
q ha.f interest in it 1t appears |
from the books in the recorders |
office that on May, 1889, deed was filed |
purporting to be a deed of transfer |
OF a half interest in the Main street |
property from Thomas Benton King and |
fe to Rollins Bingham. The deed of
transfer was forgery and the notary's |
Signature and seal had been also forged |
After getting the ent re pro perty into /
his hands so as tC show clear title, deeds |
OF trust were given by Bingham upon
the property forSlO, 500.
Many other similar forgeries were
medo, details of which will follow.
When the full truth of Bingham's acts
became known to Mrs. Bingham and
after she became convinced that the
prom Sc made in his letter to her to
mend matters could not be realized be-
fore her death, she sent for Mr. j. v. c.
Karnes, the attorney, and asked him to
draw up her will This he did as she
directed him in favor of nephew and
niece, Rollins being left moth; ;ng It
was the Saturday before her death.
September 20, and her grief almost
choked her utterance as her will was
made In it she appointed Mr. Karnes
of her estate
General Bingham married three times.
by his first marriage were born son
and daughter The son was killed in
the war, and the daughter, Clara, mar
ried Thomas Benton King, son of an
who is now practicing law
at Stevensville, Tex. General Ring-
hams second wife was a daughter of
Rev. p S Thomas, a noted Baptist di-
vine and professor in the Missouri
State University. Rollins Bingham
was the offspring of that. union. Gem
eral Bingham's third wife was the widow
Of Dr. Lykins, well known old-timer
Of this city.
The Grand Jury Evil