The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-08-01

Instead of Forging Draft inns "''
Forge- "A Cashiers Letter of Credit.


The Chicago branch of the PinKer'on
Detective Bureau has sent circular 10
the members OF the American bahNc's
Association. warning them to be on the
watch for n clever swindler, VINO cans
himself Il. =. or Il. Il. Afford. on july
22d. the man Afford succeeded III so'ui
ing 81 go from a Chicago bahh' WIN 'Ie
assistance OF an innocent young man,
whom he had eu~loyed os.e.sl ,'',.,,., ,o'
office work. His 'nethod OF PROCEDURE
as described bv the PinkertOn circular, Is
as follows:
He first places an advertisement In
newspaper TO this erect
MAN for general office work and CORE
spondence; good salary. Address H.
ssl office.
In the instance referred 10 here,
Young man of good address. and well
connected. answered the advertisement
and after meeting Afford and comforting
with him for a day or two. was en-
gagged Afford represented that he was
an agent OF the Il. Lombard Investment
Company, Of Boston. and that they had
an Office i'm Bloomington. ILL.,, and he
would necessarily bee absent frequently.
lie wanted the young man TO stay In the
office here in his absence. and directed
he was hurried. and would be absent for
n DAY or so. and on his return. ne would
have funds placed 20 the young mans
credit in one OF the banks. and would
allow him 20 draw checks against his
account. 10 pay rent. stationery. office
expense. etc. As instructed the young
man rented an Office at No. $40 Ogden
building. \ day or TWO following Al
ford showed him n letter of credit for
81 800. and requested him TO sign IL. so
he could draw against IL at the bank.
Subsequently the Chicago bank received
2. letter from their correspondent in
Bloomington. which read as follows.
ANY drafts drawn or us 10 the extent
OF 81 so. by Mr.. --- during the course
Of the next ten days, please pay ana
charge to our account. - VIII sign.
Respectfully. ."
The paper on which this vas WRITER
the heading OF the bank IL Bloomington.
and tho signature of the cashier. We're
genuine. but the subject matter In the
body OF the letter had all been erased
by acids or chemicals. and the fore
going substituted therein. il is believed
that Afford wrote the bank az Blooming
ton on some business pretcnco, and in
this way secured the lettor-head paper
and signature of the cashier OF the
| Bloomington bank.
I'm due course. the letter Of credit was
received. and the amount Of $3.50 placed
TO the credit Of the young clerk. Two
davs later Afford sent the young man
/ 10 the bank 10 see If the letter OF credit
! had arrived and finding IL had. directed
him 20 darw $3.50. which he did. bring
| ing the money 10 Afford. who met him
I'm the Office building took the money.
disappeared. and has not been seen since.
Later Il developed that neither Afford
nor his dupe. the young clerk. had an
account at the Bloomington bank, nor
were they known there The several
meetings between Afford and the clerk
all occurred at different hotels or office
buildings. Afford did not appear az the
| bank ar all. nor is be known az the
hotel where Doe registered and where he
failed to pay his hotel bill.
Afford is about twenty-eight years old.
! between five feet ten inches and five feet
eleven inches I'm height. of slender build,
and weighing about 80 pounds. He has
a large nose. receding chin. and a
large mouth. which he keeps open most
Of the time He sto0rs slightly when he
walks.-New York sun.