Evening journal., 1895-06-01
He is A BANK SWINDLER
Calls Himself William Black and
Has a Continental Record.
DARING AND ORIGINAL METHODS.

To Gets Duplicate Drafts From london |
Bankers and Gets Both OF Them Cashed
by unsuspecting Banlers In the South
and west some OF His Operations.
NEW YORK, June IA prominent
banking firm Of this city, with interna
tional connections and an extensive repu
tation has warned its correspondents in
this country against a clever swindler
who, under tho name Of William Black,
has viotimized several banks in the south
and southwest.
Black is believed to have several aliases
From the manner in which he operates it
Is thought that he is the same person who.
under the name Of Taylor, dofrnuded q
large number Of European bankers some
years ago. His methods which are ingen-
ious require a knowledge Of banking
and exchange.
IL Black and Taylor are identical. and
there Is no reason why they should not bo
for the latter was never captured--he Ia
a much travelled rogue and evidently OF
good address, for his swindes are oil Of
an international character requiring the
employment OF some original capital and
neoessltating frequent journeys between
New York and London, with shorter trips
in this country and Europe to take prof
its The New York banking firm the
name Of which Is withhold at the request
Of the members, but which is now warn
ing the inland banks against Black was
instrumental q year or so ago ia putting
the bankers OF Sweden, Norway, Italy
Spain and other countries on their guard
against Taylor who, II he be the Black Of
soday. has simply transferred his field of
work, with but triling notifications. 70
this country.
He Has Operated Extensively.
Taylor was In tho habit Of making sev-
eral Europeon trips o year. Before start
| ing he would lay out his capital In R200
| drafts, issued in firsts and seconds ON LoIA-
/ don. Arriving in London, he would pre-
sent the seconds or duplicates Of the drafts
i at tho Office Of the bankers upon which
/ thdS were drawn and secure the onsh. II
any one asked for the original, his excuse
was that It was lost In the mail or had
not reached him.
AS 1t is The otistom to issue drafts and
bills OF exchange Ia duplicate or triph-
cate, either of which being honored, the
others are declared void Taylor expert
enoed no trouble in securing funds on the
seconds whom they were presented. With
his original capital thus secured he would
start for the continent and in some small
city, first In one country, then In another,
he had no difficulty In selling the original
Of his draft on London. OF course when
this reached tho English capital the fraud
was detected and the loss fell upon this
swindled continental bankers,
Tho European field Of operation eventu
ally narrowed down until the rogue could
no longer work the ingenious scheme
abroad, so, taking the name Of william
Black, 1t is believed he has transferred hii
practices co this country
Tho man began to lay his plans IA Lon
don, where ne invested his capital in sev
eral checks Of 5000 each on Various bank
OF tho south and west.
Blacks shrewd Game.
The next step in Mr.. BlAck's scheme 1
/ not likely to find favor with the banker
Of this country. It consisted Of his asking
tho London bank Co forward his signatur
/ TO the drawees in AmHron, so that b
I might be readily identified when he pre-
I sented his checks
In this manner tho London bankers be
. came. all unknown to themselves, a me
dium for making the later swindles posi-
: BILE through giving tho rogue a oortai
standing With the way thus paved fo
him, Black travelled to America. and i
one instance it is known, invested othe
capital, the proceeds Of frauds in buyin
o draft in Jacksonville, Fla, upon Ne'
York 10 was for 5000 and issued in dr
plicate, in the same manner as only
y short time before, he secured drafts
2 New York on London.
Proceeding thence to another southor
4 city he presented one Of his genuine s2t
u checks. verified the signature forwarde
y from London and secured his none.
IS Whilo oonversing with the officers OF Il
n bank upon hts American experiences
2. produced the Florida check on New Yorl
. He explained that 1t was drawn for a lar
81 er amount than he could use, and ask'
ne tho bank TO change 1t for two OF thr
Or smaller checks
nas a Knowledge of Banking.
T. The hnnk, anxious TO oblige Mr.. Blac
- IN consequence OF his abundant funds al
y international connections, did So char
~ ing him q small commission, which he !
duestod thom 20 do for the accommodate
ana expense OF collection. Black and t
officials separated on the best Of tern
but when tho check passed through t
IL course OF collection Il was returned
~ worthless, although genuine, for dup
~ cate Of the same had been paid.
~ Tho banking house in New York v
X notified In the meanwhile al trace
Il William Black is lost but tho bankers
NJ the country may yet hear from him.
" pinkertons detectives have boon appris
NJ Of tho swlndler's operations and will i
M no time in warning tho financial insti
a tions Of tho new scheme.
~ Black, with tho weight OF indors0mI
that no has received from the nnsuspe
ing London firm, is able to carry out
frauds with little fear Of detection.
H. knowledge Of banking makes him an
~ oeedingly dangerous rogue.
o9ye A Big Mexican Contract.