The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-25
TRIED IT HERE.

The story has a local significance from
the fact that one of the forged orders was
sent to the Citizens Bank for collection.
The order is one of the WellS-Fargo Com
pany's, Series H, No 667 $50, drawn at
| Chicago for $50 on Savannah. The order
is drawn in favor of George
Monroe on Savannah by e. S.
Cole, and is Endorsed by George Monroe
in green ink, and by B. n. Trand in
a darker writing fluid. 1t bears the
signature of the Chicago agent, Arson
Gorton, which is a forgery, as are the
names of the parties on the back.
Accompanying the order was circular
letter, which was dated St. Louis, Mo,
May 10, 1894, and signed "Trand, Smith
& Forster, attorneys at law" Among
other instructions is the following:
WANTED NOTHING BUT CURRENCY.
"In making returns to US always remit
in currency, making up odd change in
and 2 cent postage stamps, and sending
same by registered mail in envelope in
| closed for that purpose.
please bear this in mind, whether re-
hitting TO firm or individual members
thereof
DO not send money by check, express,
draft, money order, or in any other way
than that stated above"
The envelope mentioned was addressed
to Bertrand n. Trand, attorney at law,
St. Louis, Mo-, while with a rubber stamp
'2l03 North Ninth street" is inserted .
All these facts gave the order a most
suspicious aspect, and MIR. George c.
Freeman, cashier of the Citizens Bank,
turned the order over to Mr.. Cooper and
asked him if it would be paid. MIR. Cooper
| said in his opinion 1t was q forgery,
but he would pay it If
the Citizens Bank would be respou sible
| for the genuinsness of the Endorsements
| This the bank refused to do, and Mr..
| Cooper. on May IA, the day the order was
! received, wired the Wells-F'argo Company
agent in Chicago, receiving an answer
May Is stating the order was forgery.
1t was probably the telegram OF MIR.
| Cooper that led to the arrest of the
wouldbe swindler.
TRIED AN EXTENSIVE GAME.
The swindler endeavored to make it
| appear that he, with Smith and Forster,
| was running a collecting agency, and was
| endeavOring to collect an order drawn In
! Chicago April q. The extent to which
| his operations would have reached had
he not been discovered early in the game,
can be understood when it is known that
| he sent similar orders to Bremen, Flo
! villa, Waynesboro, Townsville and AL
| bany, Ga, and to Troy, Ala, within MIR
! Cooper's knowledge. The orders were all
the same as that described above, bearing
| the same numbers, date. and signatures,
and were all drawn for the same amount.
Breeding, alias Trand, took advantage
of Sunday intervening, sending all the
orders from St. Louis Thursday, MAY TO-
and making calculations so that they
would all reach their destinations Sun
| day, May 10, or Monday, May IA, at latest.
AS Sunday is not a business day they
would all have been presented Monday.
Some of the drafts were paid at Troy,
Ala, and Waynesboro, Ca, and remit
tances made to St. Louis.
NOTIFIED OF THE FORGERIEs.
The postmaster, however, as is shown
| by the foregoing circular, had been mott
! fed of the forgeries, and all the letters to
! Trand containing remittances were hello.
| The letters are now awaiting the decision
of the department at Washington, when
the money will be restored where it be-
longs. Traud probably sent the
same orders to many other
places. of which MIR. Cooper had
not been informed. Two of the
agents who were doubtful about the or
! ders sent them to Atlanta. where it was
noticed they we're of the same series and
number. This, OF course. showed them to
| be forgeries, and the Wells-Fargo Com
pany was notified of the discovery, though
this was some days after Mr.. Cooper S
| telegram was sent.