Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-10-18
LIFT WITHOUT REGRETS.
A Wisconsin fcrgsr Disappears
From sight
HE RAISED VERY NEARLY Sso,OOO
Upsa the Forged siEnatsrs OF Miiiiss-
Airs 0iiss and Thea ktsa Gss q ssa-
sEy-asw the Cissss kAssAl
Did His Work

GuNAtkEE, Oct LIME OF the
biggest foreeries ever know in the busi-
SECS history Of Wisconsin came 10 light
Friday afternoon The name of Gesrge
Hiles. the millionaire land owner and
capitalist hes been forged for nearly
SSa, 600 The fraudulent paper passed
through the hands of N. r. Hansen.
who was rcputsd 70 b . wealthy lum-
bcrman Of Hansen. Weed county.
which Is near Babcock
Mr.. Hiles has made il . rule for many
years never to give notes or indorse
anybody eise's note and ali such papers
bearing his name as forgeries. Ham
sen disappeared sever~l days a9S asd
his Whereabouts are unknown. Eas
mills and property have been at
taehed by creditors He had been 10
business ~ Hansen for several years
and had had extensive business trans-
actions with Mr.. Hiies. Up 20 the
present time he has been regarded as
an upright and honorable business man.
AMI was very prominent in lumber
cir .les- The first that was known of
tie forgeries Was when the Grand Rap
ids bank sent in a 5000 cote for Mr..
Hire TO pay, the note purporting 70
haze been made by Mr.. lilies To Han
sea and Endorsed by Hansen 20 ether
parties. Mr.. Hiles has not u scrap of
promissory papcr in the world, and it
WAS evident NJ once that for
gerry had been com mittea. Following
that came information Of two notes
Of 81. sou each 1t La Crosss and another
Of s.. ooV nj Centralia- just how much
more Il in circulation is not known,
but it is reported that trace has been
obtained Of several other notes for
large amounts. In speaking about the
fo:Heric. Mr.. Hiles said:
'Sflrst osenns suspicious when got word
from Grand Rapids that man named Harmon
he'd = note parporting 10 have been drawn By
ma ana indcssed by Barsen never give notes
ana never indofse the notes OF other people,
bus ] didn't suspect Hansen even then
Next received a letter from . La
Crosse bank that claimed TO have two Of my
NOES for q. 20 each, that were dated October
IinneGiateiy autographed the bank that
had executed no such notes. snd that starred
IN Investigation there. The forgeries were all
In tho form OF notes. so far as l can Lear. I
took up oil my cheeks ~ the Wisconsin ma
rine and fire insurance company hank today
and found that they were all right"
Mr.. lilies resides at IS Farwell av-
enue and has an Office At 452 East Water
street. He came to Milwaukee from
Dexterville a few years ago. He is
cons .dered to be worth from 81, 800, 900
to So. 900. 600.
Hansen is Scandinavian and about SO
years Of age. His numbering business
amounted to about s.5. 900 annually, and
everybody thought he was doing we'll.
The town of Hansen. where his mills
were located, has population of about
200. nearly all of whom were employed
by the missing man. The loss by Han
SENS failure will fall heavily upon the
men who were in his employ. some of
whom he owed as much as $4,000 He
kept general store and il was the GUS
tom Of his employees to draw only az
much Of their wages as was necessary
for food and clothing, leaving the bal
ancc in the hands of Hansen, as they
believed it wonld be as safe there as il
placed in bank. 1t is thought that
he is indebted to his workmcn in the
sum OF SIS. 600 to $4,000. Hansen also
owes large sums to merchants and
bankers at la Crosse, Grand Rapids
and Ccntralia. His liabilities will
probably foot up to $50, 900 or 500, 900,
with assets o: only s25. 900.
ToMAg, Wis, Oct 1.-THE disap-
pearance OF Mr. hansen, an extensive
lumber dealer in this section, has
caused a great deal of anxiety to his
numerous creditors. He lefs HON. q
week ago last Wednesday to trans
act business at Msrsheeld and
hiss not been seen since. His cred
itors have attached his property,
and now the lands. mills and thousands
of feet of lumber arc IN the hands of
the sherif. The principal creditors are
George Hiles and l.. Ward, of Eilwau-
kee, the Frat national bank of Grand
Rapids and the Messrs Anderson, Of
La Crosse. Many of his employees have
their wages tied up in the concern
without security.