Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-02-10
YOUNG JIM THE PENMAN.
Youthful Clerk Distinguishes Him.
self as Q Forger.

A Youthful Clerk Distinguishes Him.
self as . Forger.
TWO BANKS PAT OFT HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS on
couNrKRFEIrs OF DIR. A. p. FARDoN's NAME
How HE cLEvKRLY DESTROYED THE EVIDENCE
AGAINST HIN.
A series Of forgeries by which two Of the
national banks OF the city have been victim
ICED have been under investigation FOR
several days The result was q
decision reached this afternoon by
the officers Of the Columbia national bank
to place formally under arrest the young man
charged with the crimes. These forgeries are
startling, both in their daring and in the
amounts involved, when the youth of the ac-
cused u considered. The name OF
the young man is James NJ. Watson.
de IS about seventeen years old. He
was employed % clerk to q gentleman who
occupies desk in the offices of DIR. A. z. Far
don, the real estate broker. 1896 street
ne hao been so engaged since last
Aprli, and appears during that
time to have greatly improved his penman-
snip, In fact acquiring considerable facility
In Initiating the handwriting Of others. Re-
Gently DIR. Pardon was sick and confined to his
nome for several weeks. During that period it
appears young Watson obtained considerable
sums Of money from the Columbia bank and
the West End bank on checks, to which Dr.
Fardons name was cleverly forged.
COVERING HIS TRACKS.
The whole amount of Watson's alleged for
geries so far as discovered is about 81 600, but
he SO daringly destroyed the evidence of his
ira actin hat Il h,,t 81
he obtained . great deal more.
Dr. Farden's bank book and cancelled checks
were delivered to him by the cashier Of the
West end bank on an order afterward found to
be forged and Watson destroyed the cancelled
checks, SO that the evidence they contained
cannot be procured.
When required to sign his name on the back
OF a check it Is charged he appropriated the
name of Martin Ryan. one of DIR. Pardon S
clerks. When suspicion was directed TO
HIM and evidence was obtained Wat
son admitted his guilt. He lives with his
parents at 2l5 ~ street. Since last Friday he
has been under surveillance while the bank
officers have been taking steps to recover, if
possible, some OF the money. This afternoon,
as stated, it was decided to place him formally
under arrest.
DR. FARDoY's STORY.
His first forgery of my name so far as dis
covered" said DR.. Pardon this afternoon when
asked by STAR reporter about Watson's trans
actions, WAS just after had my bank book
written up in the Columbia bank about 0cto-
Der l last. This was check for the sum of
800, and dated October 5, followed some weeks
after by one for 1900 and other larger amounts.
aggregating in all about 81 GOO. In addition to
my account with the Columbia bank / opened
an account January with the West End bank
the day of the opening of that bank. had
drawn about twenty checks upon this bank and
left my book to be written up.
ION January "a he presented at that bank a
check for $3.50. which was paid. On January
order for my bank book. The cashier gave him
my bank book with the Cancelled checks and
paid the check OF $3.50.
HE BURNED THE CHECKS
"Watson burned up. as he states. all the
checks" DR.. Pardon continued. land placed
the bank book upon one Of my desks under
some papers. What led to the discovery of the
forgery was that when L sent my clerk to the
West End bank for my bank book and Cancelled
checks the cashier informed him that he had
given them to boy who came there with an
order for it. In pursuing the investigation as
to who got the bank book, from the cashier 8
description of the boy, suspicion rested upon
Watson and he was identified by the cashier
After one or two denials he became emotional
and confessed as to his transactions in both
banks. large part of the money that he
drew upon the last check paid him at the West
End bank was found upon his person.
HE WAS ALONE
'The young man is about sixteen or seven
teen wears Of age" said DIR. Pardon, ''and was
not employed by me, but was a clerk for Mr.
Eric Noble, an accountant who has desk room
| In my front office, which gave him opportunity
to become familiar with my signature. places
of deposit, &c. He confessed to his forgery of
all the checks and identified all that he had NOT
DESTROYED q stata1 at IN
with my office at all connected
with these transactions and that he
had forged the name of one of nv
clerks on the back of one of the checks. All
the checks were written payable to the order
or myself, aud he therefore had to forge nv
name, not only in the body of the check. but
| also as an Endorsement. Whether he has forged
my name to any other checks or papers have
yet been unable to discover He admitted
that he had practiced long while upon my
signature. and as it is a hard one to initiate
am surprised that he could have counterfeited
IL so we'll -