The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1894-03-24
CLEVER FoRGERs.
81. Louis Banks Mulcted of Thousands no
the SWindlers -

~ Louis Banks Mulcted of Thousands nv
the SwiDdiers.
st Louis, Mo, March PA series of
forgerles OF the most remarkable kind
has been unearthed in this city and de-
tectIves are now at work upon it and at
least eight banks have sunered ana per.
( haps others.
me aggregate Of forged pepper win reach
$1,000, tn vi Wmcn sum mus gone mo
tAe ppcitet9 OF q gang uI plOfesgtnraI
swindters. who nave succeeueq in ths
use OF system never before put I'M prac-
ice SO extensively. The principal feature
OF their system was the seCutin4 ut aeit.
ulne check hlanks and ran kuowleure
o. serial numbers. by when kuowieuge
they We're not only able to in mintmlZe
the danger OF utteIhs bdt also decay
and danger of detection. The Confinement
the Bank of the Republic ana the Citl-
zens bank ADMIT suffering losses but
state that no one banE VIII lose "a large
gum.
1he number Of persons In the gang OF
forgers is supposed 10 be not exceed
ing three, but their knowledge OF bank
ms ana their autographs ability are
admittedly ample. Their preparations
were elthJraJu and consumed Some time
but when ready their haul was made wltn
ASTONISHING CelerIty. AS only IL few of
theh checKs nave been passed upon hy
the alleRaG drawers it is impossible To
say how much The forGer5 took, but ID
VIII not be less than S2U0jl. Tne forgers
litst took account NJ the iuct that checks
HlANA ~ uIaNltha HOUSES IRE written
usually upon the ilrm'ssown lithogapu5d
heading. protected By sevetat numbers
ON check and Stub. The loTgers therefore
not only cuunterfeitad tine BLANK check
forms OF their victims, but numbered
thoir checks close 10 the numbers OF the
cheeks then running with eaeh vlctm-
i2ed firTn
10 do this latter, opportunity to gee
the genuine check books was accomplished
In various ways
In one caae--that OF the Charles W.
Mo- TlaF alNnninp gDIlnluW. whose
ture was forged 10 check for &J0-a
young man, stating THAT nc represented
the printing house which AUTOGRAPHED the
FIRMS checks, asked permission TO see
their check book. as he was sent out 10
trace up books alleged 70 have been bad.
ly Autographed. The ruae succeeded and
was probably used in other cases In
this instance the Continental bank lost
$500
tlrnized and no ono yet knows how many
firing there y no way TO tel the total
ioss Moreoyvs the police are uneom-
:" M nearly as can be learned ali the
forgeries were uttered last friday and
Saturday
farlng are those named, hut practical
assent was given 20 inquiries made ~
ilye ether banks and So Is possible that
even moro were victilnized,
Of the alleged drawers OF forseu checks
.he SIGNATURES OF +. II. Little a. Co,
feather deaierA and Julius l.absapWhple-
sale ciothior, arc known 70 nave heen
forged In addition to that OF ., w.
iIoichnr Machine company. AS an m
stance OF the work OF the gang Ia less
thun an hour after the call OF the alleged
printing house representative npon M,
Mcicher, q $500 check bearing Mr.. Q. w.
Meleher's signature ana being an exact
duplicate IN IT'S engraving and printing
OF the genuine Of The firm waa presented
at the Continental bank and paid IL had
all been previously prepared except the
serial number. which was supplied at the
last moment for the reason stated Il
happened % be four numbers out q the
hank but this was close enough FOR the
purpose OF awlndiers.
IN the case Of Julius Iabsap, another
OF the Victims Of the gang, not only was
Mr.. Iabsap's signature forged. but the
man who did this was evidently thur.
nughiy cpnyersant with the clothinr's az
fairs. The latter as rule In drawing
checks puts IN narenihesls the purposes
for which the money is paid ont imme-
diately following the amount IN lie
forged check this popularity Was ub
served ana served 20 dlsarm suspicicn at
ehscIss fsr Ike Mecher Msehiha i es'nna ne
and r. n. Little g Co. and are very
much interested IN having the guilty
parties run down and have offered q re-
ward 70 the police for the capture Of the
me corps OF detectives and police WHO
have been set 10 work on the case nc
knowledge that they arc totally AZ sea
Rs 20 wis the mon are who are working
the banks and obtaining the infornafion
necessary 20 make these successful fnfs
eeries. The admissions 81 the police.
onenlng statement * this tem TINT f,iiv
eight banks have been VtctlmizAa Ia fha
amount ~ $4,000 Another theory ma
vanfed y that the forEcrlfs We're the
the rsNas hanks ~ meuns ii raisei
drafts.