The morning call., 1892-06-02
CHARGED WITH FORGERY.
The Worlds Fair Commission in
More Trouble.
1t Accuses John Craig, the Assistant Score
retsry, Of Forging Checks to the
Amount of S2450.

John Craig the assistant secretary OF the
Worlds Fair Commission. WAS arrested yes
terday afternoon on charge of forgery-a
crime of which his host of friends believe
him utterly incapable.
Craig, who comes from one OF the best
families in the State, secured a temporary
position in the commission when 1t was or
ganized last year. Attached to it was a
salary OF 500 q month, which he retained
until the beginning OF the present year. In
January the directors appointed him as
sistant secretary to the commission az
salary of $3.50. and the prospect of being
given the full secretaryship on the removal
or resignation of the incumbent, concern
ing which rumor was very busy few weeks
ago.
FALL FROM GRACE.
Yesterday the commissioners seem to
have changed their opinion. and Craig. IN
consequence, Ianguished in the City Prison
with eight charges of forgery against him.
The commission alleges that in December
and January last Craig forged the names oil
President Scott, Mr.. Moulder and Secretary
Thompson 10 eight several checks upon the
Croker WoOIwOrth Bank, three of which
were made during the months mentioned
for $3.50, $500 and $50 respectively, and
FIVE others during the months OF March ana
April, for sums aggregatng $500, or total
of $3.50, all of which he is charged with ap-
propriating to bis own use.
1t is alleged that on February % Craig
was sent to the bank to have the passb0Ok
written up and balanced; that the book
was subsequently delivered 10 Craig, but
before returning it to the commission he
withdrew the forged checks from the
package of cancelled vouchers which had
been inclOsed In it and destroyed them;
nyvT FIJI role ah
the balance in the bassbOOk to correspond
with the balance shown by the commissions
ledger and that by this means detection
was avoided until the passbOok was again
written up.
THE CRIME DETECTED.
4 few days ago Secretary Thompson dis
covered that sheet Of checks was missing
from the back of the commissions check
book, and that the stubs had been pasted to
the preceding one, with the evident design
Of preventing suspicion. The discovery at
once aroused suspicion, the bank was notl-
fed, aud the paSsb0Ok again sent TO be
written ny. Then the bank officials ascer-
tanned that their balances and those OF the
paSsboOk varied considerably. An investi-
CATION revealed the fact that three OF the
cancelled sheets were missing, and that the
other five drawn in the months OF March
and April were not authorized by the COM
mission. On examining the signatures OF
these latter they proved to be forgerieS.
Craig has not worked much at the COM
mission for the past two weeks. When
asked by his friends the reason why his in
variable reply was that he was not feeling
well.
WILL VINDICATE HIMSELF.
When arrested he denied all knowledge Of
tho forgeries, and when placed in the prison
hospital became very restless. lie re-
fused to make any statement 10 the re-
porters further than that he would viDdi-
cate himself when given an opportunity in
court
Craig is a married man and has one child.
He was never known as high-r0ller ana
his most intimate friends say that he not
only never drank nor gambled, but was 4
home man In every respect.