The morning call., 1892-03-30
INGENIOUS FORGERY.
Discovery of James w. Hussel.
man at Pittsburg.
How He Swindled the Overland Trau sfer
Company Out of $1,000 and Pre-
tended to Commit Suicide.

ingenious cases Of forgery ard fraud ever
successfully perpetrated In San Francisco
Rarely indeed has such consummaie cunning
been displayed in either the eommittal OF a
crime or in efforts to conceal q criminal act
and escape the consequences thereof.
Only as recently as last November there
was no brighter young fellow in the employ
of the Overland Freight Transfer Company
of this city than James w. Husselman
Though only 81 years Of age, so we'll had lie
fulfilled the duties assigned to him that he
was daily entrusted with large sums of
money to pay into the corroration's cur
rent account at the Croker w oolworth
Bank. Jim Husselman's employers had
every confidence In his intelligence and in
tegrity. lie was always punctual and oblIg-
ing In his conduct during business hours,
and prompt in the discharge of his regular
dnties. Furthermore. beyond the slight dis
sipati0ns of an occasional glass of larger
beer or game at pool or cards with his
friends no fault could be found with his
conduct in bis leisure hours so far as any
one knew. lie lived quietly at home with
MS mother and two sisters at PAT Oak street,
and he appears TO have been a general all
round favOrite.
Transfer Company to have its bankbOok
balanced by the bank officials on the last
day OF every month, and this was done as
usual at the end OF October and satisf factor
lily checked off. On November Hussel-
man was entrusted with Sl9i6 to deposit to
the credit of the corporations account. He
returned from the bank, the SI916 had ap-
paTently been duly entered and the book
was accordingly marked correct by the COM
| pany's cashier. HusSelman still continued
| TO discharge his duties as cheerily as ever
until November IL, when he was last seen
alive at p. NJ. by Sam II. Vincent at the
wharf at the foot OF Fourth street. Here he
was in the habit of hiring boats for an oc-
easlonal row from Vincent and always re-
turned from his evenings exercise at
fairly early hour, that is about $50 or 10
O'Clock. On this night lie did not return,
however, and the following morning Vim
cents boat was brought back by boy
named Dick Lynch and in IL was found
HuSSelman's coat, keys and p0cket-b0ok
Some thought he was drowned, others; in
Guiding bis mother, thought he had been
shanghaled aboard some outgoing vessel.
All sorts OF surmises were afloat but, not
outstanding the pecuniaTy reward offered
by his employers, no trace of his WHERE
abOuts was ever found. Chief Crowley,
who had been notified. detailed Officer
Eagan to Investigate the mystery 1t was
never solved, however, and public interest
died away.
HUssELMAN's ACCOUNTS.
In the meantime Husselman's accounts
be apparently correct. But when the time
came TO compare and balance up the bank
account the woelui discrepancy of cool
thousand came TO light, aud, searching in
quirieS being made and the bank book care
fully examined, the ingenious methods
employed by young Husselman to swindle
his employers were brought to light. The
Fidelity and Casualty Company OF 2l9 San
some street were bound for Husselman's
honesty In exactly the amount of the iatter's
shortage, that is $1,000, and this amount was
paid by the insurance company 10 the
transfer company only last week in pursu-
ance OF its guarantee. This was not, of
course. done without thorough investiga-
ton. and that experienced detective, John
Curtin, was privately entrusted with the
case by the insurance company He quickly
succeeded IN proving TO the satisfaction of
both corporations that Hnsselman had only
deposited S9l6 out of the S19l6 at the bank
on November 2, and the former sum
was entered in the passbOok by the
bank clerk. On his way back TO the office
Husselman inserted the figure before the
S9l6 entry, thus made his deposit look cor
rect and pocketed the $1,000. As before
stated Husselman remained at work several
days after thlsiand daily paid sums into the
bank which OF course totaled up correctly
Bef ore lis disappearance, however he took
occasion to try and oblterate the forged en-
try Of the figure with some chemical fluid,
but the attempt was not very successful and
man TO take to fight and adopt the ruse of
attempting ia prove that ne was either
drowned or shanghaied to conceal his de-
parture. Anyhow, so cleyerly did be work
his plans that he left no clew whatever as
to his whereabouts, and his mother and
sister declared they had no knowledge
thereof. although as events have turned out
there Is reason to believe they did, have
always done and do now.
IL has been learned that young man Tho
I'm anf
claiming TO come from San Francisco, gave
himself up to the police authorities at Pitts
burg. Pa, on Friday last He made state
ment that he had just received letter from
his mother from San Francisco, warning
him against Pinkerton detectives, who, she
asserted, were on bis track for the alleged
em0rzzlement of $1,000 from the Overland
Freight Transfer Company. The young
man declared he was innocent of the charge
and made rambling statement that he had
been driven from California and all over
the States by the Pinkertonians. He WAS
finally sent to the workhOuse for 30 DAYS
A CALL reporter set to work upon the
story, and succeeded In worming out the
whole truth Of the matter, besides affording
the valuable news OF Husselman's where
aboats to the Fidelity and Casualty Com
pany, which has Just paid out It's liabilities
owing 10 the absconder's defalcations. His
hiring The boat was part OF al effectively
planned plot to escape the consequences of
self at Plttsbarg he might have eventually
gene scot free.
THE CALLS INVESTIGATION.
1t Is safe to say now, however. that owing
to THE CALLS investigation the eonsunn-
mate young scOundrel will be brought to
speedy justice. The outlines Of the invest
igation will be read with Interest, as sup
piled by the manager of the insurance COM
pany and Detective John Curtin.
j. X. Garniss, the manager of the Fidel.
ity and Casualty Company, was seen, and
admitted that his CORPORATION had cuaran-
teed and paid $1,000 to the Overland Fresh,
Transfer Company. But the rascal Is
drowned now," said he, land the company
can get no sort of satisfaction anyhow"
When Informed by the reporter that Rus-
selman had been found in Pittsbnrg he ex-
pressed astonlshment and pleasure, and
rushed off to find Reuben III. Lloyd and to
telegraph the authorities to hold Russell
man and the news TO the head Office in New
York. In the meantime THE CALL repre-
sentative undertook To take the information
along to Detective Curtin. The latter
was also surprised and delighted
TO receive the gratifying intelligence.
Il knew the foxy young scoundrei
had worked fake on everybody with his
6oat act,' said he. II knew it even before
l traced his forgery home to him. had no
end OF trouble with the case. and not soul
| knew about it outside the two companies
and myself until you got on the inside of
the story Today. L saw Husselman's
mother and sisters several times. but thew
| swore through thick and thin they did not
know anything about his whereabouts, but
believed him either shanRhaied or drowned.
| NO one could be come across who had seen
him, although some report was afloat that
ne had got safely away to Portland, Oregon.
lie was in the habit Of hiring boats from
vincent, and every probable clew was fol-
lowed up to try and find him or his BODY.
but without avail. His friends all gave him
good character. and no one would believe
that he was guilty Of any crime.
''Hls mother and sister Mera stariled