The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-03-15
HIS PAST CAREER.
Desmarais, the Forger, as
a Bank Clerk.
CIeverness of His Work Accounted
for-StOry of How He SwindIed
Laidlaw & Co.

Captain Lees has been busy searching
into the past record of Henry E. Desma-
rails. alias John Matheson, the globe
trotter and would-be rancher, who was
arrested on Sunday at Oroville by De-
tective Seymour on the charge of forgery.
and is now in the City Prison awaiting his
preliminary examin alton.
The captain wired to Laidlaw g. Co.,
bankers. New York. agents for the Bank
of California, for particulars as to the for
gerry committed by Desmarais in 1891. and
received reply that he was a clerk with
the Oriental Bank Corporation, London,
England, and distracted one of the bank s
blank forms of letters of credit and forged
the bank officials names, making it pay
able to John Boyce. He was tried at the
Old Bailey, London, and convicted.
The captain also received from the local
manager of the Bank of California copies
of letters and cablegrams that passed be-
tween Laidlaw & Co. and the Oriental
which contained a history of Desmarais'
past life.
Desmarais was born in The island of
Maurltius and was educated in Melbourne,
Australia. He decided to follow the
career of a banker, and his first position
banker, of Paris, France. He left Paris
and secured position with the Oriental
Bank in London. While there he was one
of four clerks who had access to the
letters of credit. On August %. 1891. he
resigned his position with the bank. giving
out that he was going to Agiers.
Before leaving the bank he had ab-
stracted several of the blank forms of the
letters of credit and forged the names of
the officials to one of them for $4,000 in the
name of john Boyce. His statement that
he was going TO Algiers was only blind.
as on SeItemb Der 1 he sailed by the Gallia
for New York. Soon after his arrival he
presented the forged letter of credit to
Laidlaw & Co., but before doing so he
showed his cleverness by indorsing on the
back that e1500 of the amount had been
paid by the Melbourne branch of the
Oriental Bank and 4500 by Bruce. the
Paris banker. which gave ii the appear
ance of genuineness. Laidlaw d Co. paid
him S11. 800. He told them he was jute
merchant from Bombay, which should
have aroused their suspicious, as there are
no iute merchants In Bombay.
Desmarais, with the S11, 900 in his pos
session. sailed for Liverpool OH the Um-
bria on September 19 with his brother-in-
law, a Mr.. Pike, and made his way to
Paris. He was arrested there and extra
dIted to London, where he was tried at the
Old Bailey and sentenced to four months
| Imprisonment, as he confessed and re-
| turned the bulk of the money. 1t is sup
posed that the more serious charge of fer
gerry was Withdrawn and a charge of petty
larceny substituted for stealing the blank
| forms OF letters of credit In view of the
legal complications shat might arise as to
the country Ia which the forgery was CON-
| mitted.
On April Is, 1891, Desmarais was mar.
ried to Mabel Pike, whose father is a
wealthy resident of Chicago, and her sis
ter Emily came here with her and Desma-
rails on December ID last.
Neither Mrs. Desmarai5 or her sister
had any idea that he was attempting to
swindle Hellman Bros. e. Co., the bankers,
of this city, by means Of forged letters of
credit He wrote all his letters in the
Union Hotel. Oroville, because, as be told
friend. it did not pay to let the women
| folks know anything about ones business
transactions. His arrest on Sunday was q
great shock to bis wife and her sister, as
they thought the lesson of the past bad
cured him Of such folly. They came down
from Oroville yesterday morning and
called TO see him at the City Prison.
| While the Sheriff was removing Desma-
| rails effects from his ranch at ThermalitC
| on Monday he discovered ia secret
place some blank forms of letters o.
credits. on one of which a signature hat
been forged by the use of carbon, as iI
the case of the one presented tn HellmanT
Bros, and rubber stamps, one with tn,
word accepted" and other incriminatiD.
papers, which he forwarded to Captain
Lees.
Captain Lees says he has a clear cas-,
against Desmarais and he will in all Droba
| billty spend some years across the bay
The prisoner, however, keeps uD nj
know-nothipg, indifferent manner, whicl
would lead one TO suppose that gross in
suit had been cast upon him by the mer
suspicion that he was a forger.
Suit has been filed by Leo Goldmark & Co. Q
| New York against The Krelngs To recove
| $1,000 for royalties due over certain opera
! produced at the Tiyoli 0pera-house.