The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-03-24

st. Louis, March 23.-A series of for
geries Of the most remarkable kind has
been unearthed in this city and detec-
tives are now at work upon it.
At least eight banks have suffered
the forged paper will reach $4,000 all
of which sum has gone into the pockets
of a gang of professionals who have
succeeded, by the use of a system new
er before equalled, the principal feature
of which was the securing genuine
blanks and full knowledge of the SER
ial numbers, by which knowledge they
were able not only to minimize the
danger in uttering, but also delay de-
lection.
The Continental bank, Bank of the
Republic and Citizens bank admit suf-
fering losses, but individually state
that no one bank will lose a large sum.
They Were Very Versatile.
The number of persons in the gang
of forgers is supposed to be not eX-
ceeding three, but their knowledge of
banking and business methods and the
versatility of their autograph artist are
admi- tedly ample.
Their preparations were elaborate
and consumed some time, but when
ready their haul was made with as
founding rapidity. AS only a few of
their checks have been passed upon by
alleged drawers, it is impossible to say
how much the forgers took, but not
less than $4,000 The forgers first took
account of the fact that checks drawn
by business houses are written usually
upon the firms own autographed head
ing, protected by numbers on checks
and stub. The forgers, therefore, not
only counterfeited the blank check
forms of their Victims but numbered
their checks close to the numbers of
the checks then running with each
victimized firm. To get this latter,
opportunity to see the genuine check
book was accomplished in various
cases. In one case, that of the Charles
w. Melcher Machine company, whose
signature was forged to check for
$500, a young man stating that he rep
resented the printing house which lith-
ographed the firms checks, asked per-
mission to see their check book, as he
was sent out to trace up books alleged
to have been badly Autographed.
The ruse succeeded and was probably
used in other cases. In this instance
the Continental bank lost $500. AS
there were eight or more other banks
victimized, and no one knows how
many firms, there is no way to tell. the
total loss However the police will not
communicate.
AS nearly as can be learned, all the
forgeries were committed last Friday
and Saturday. The only banks which
acknowledge suffering are those named,
but practical assent was given to in
quiries made at five other banks, and
it is possible that more were visited.
The signatures of F. E. Little
& Co., feather dealers, and julius
Labsap, wholesale clothier, are known
of the c. w. Melcher Machine COM
lpany.
Quick Work Done.
AS one instance of the work of the
gang, in less than an hour after the
call of the alleged printing house repre-
sentative upon Mr. Melcher, a $500
check, bearing C. w. Melcher's sigma
ture, and being an exact duplicate in
| its engraving and printing of the green
checks of the firm, was presented al
the Continental bank and paid. 1t had
all been previously prepared except the
serial number, which was supplied at
the last moment for the reason stated
1t happened to be four numbers out of
the way by the time the forger reached
the bank, but this was close enough fol
the purpose of the swindlers.
/ In the case of Julius Labsap, another
of the victims of the gang, not only
was the signature of Mr.. Labsar
cleverly forged, but the forger was very
familiar with his business. The forged
check was honored promptly.
| Wood & Co., who printed the checks
for the Melcher Machine company, and
e. Z. Little & Co., are very much in
terested in having the guilty parties
run down.