The morning call., 1893-06-15
BANK FORGERIES.
Two Local Institutions
ViCtimiZed.
CLEVER OPERATORS AT WORK
Two Drafts Raised by Adding Ciphers
and Other Means-The Loss
of $4,000.

Two of the ''slickest" cases of forgery
known in banking circles on this coast
have been perpetrated on banks in this
city. the victims being the London. Paris
and American Bank and the London and
San Francisco Bank.
The forgeries, amounting together to
$500. were committed on Saturday, May
13 last, but it was only yesterday that the
fact was made known to the police.
On the date mentioned a draft for $500.
drawn by the bank of Butte County. in
Chico, on its correspondent in this city.
the London and San Francisco Bank, was
presented at the latter bank for payment.
1t was drawn in favor of a man named
Bartlett and. as il was Endorsed by Cashier
Charles Faulkner of the bank in Chico.
the amount was at once paid.
On the same day draft for $500.
drawn by the Farmers Bank of Fresno on
the London, Paris and American Bank of
this city in favor of George Clark. was
presented at the latter bank, and as it
bore the Endorsement of Cashier John
Reichm an of the Fresno bank it was
promptly cashed.
Nothing wrong was suspected until the
city banks sent statements of their ac-
counts to the interior banks, which were
accompanied by the drafts that had been
cashed. A hurried investigation showed
that each draft had been raised by the ad-
dition of two ciphers. the original amounts
being $55 and S3S respectively. The word
hundred" had been added in the body of
the draft. in an excellent imitation of the
writing of the exchange clerk in each
instance, and two ciphers of the sum In
figures in corner OF each draft.
AS an additional safeguard all banks in
issuing drafts cut the amount in figures
through the paper. and on each side of
these figures is check mark TO prevent
the addition of another figure. In both
drafts these marks. cut through the paper,
had been skllfully filled in with pulp, the
two cphers cut out and the proper check
mark added. All this had been so cleverly
done that 1t passed the scrutiny of the
paying teller without exciting the least
suspicion. and was only discovered after a
close examination with glass.
The forgery of the cashiers signature on
each draft was also so cleverly done that
at first these officers pronounced them
genuine.
Cashier Charles Altschul o the London.
Paris and American Bank said they dis
covered that the signature had been
tampered with about two weeks ago and
they determined TO put experts co work on
it. In the opinion of experts this piece of
work was the cleverest that ever came TO
light in the city and one Of the finest ever
seen anywhere. 1t was calculated to de-
ceive any one, and evidently completely
deceived the cashiers of the interior banks
He believed George Clark to be fictitious
person, though, of course, the original
draft for S3S was genuine. The sum in
voVed was comparatively Insignificant.
but the fact that there were operators
capa bic of doing such piece OF work was
source of worry and vexarion to banking
men. They had not yet decided whether
it was the work of an individual or of q
gang of counterfeiters.
The experts submitted their report yes
terday afternoon. One of them did not
agree that the punches had been filed,
but thought the cashier of the Fresno
bank had failed to punch the draft. An
other th fought tue punch holes had been
filed with disks cut from piece of paper
similar in texture and color to the draft.
The mark of the pen on the blank line
where the amount was spelled out was
visible in the fiber of the paper. The
erasure had been made with acid.
Both drafts were presented for payment
at the banks here during the busiest hour
in the morning, and the paying telers
have o idea of the appearance Of the per-
sons who got the money.
Captain Lees was notified of the for
gerles yesterday afternoon and all dill
gence will be used in tracing out the
clever swindlers. The Chico bank had
placed their case in the hands of local
detective agency when the forgery was
first discovered.
It is believed that the forgeries have
been committed by the same parties or
operating In Kansas, as It. is only short
time since that the Topeka and Kansas
City banks were victimiZed by the same
process.
Whether any other local banks have
been victlmiZed is not vet known.