The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-01-26
CHICAGO SWINDLED.
FOrgers Rob the Mail Boxes and Cash
the Checks They Find

FOrgers Rob the Mail Boxes and Cash
the Checks They Find
CHICAGO, Jan. 26.-Bolder and more
daring than any swindle perpetrated on
the bankers of Chicago in many years
are the operations of a gang of forgers
whose system was discovered by prom
inent financial house on La Sale street.
Beginning with the promiscuous loot
ing of mail boxes on the busy streets,
the gang next committed double
forgery on all checks and drafts found
in the stolen letters and completed the
daring work by passing the altered
check on the biggest banks III town
The system has been SO generally prac-
tised that j. ]. P. O'Dell, president of the
American Bankers association. has ad-
dressed letter to every bank cashier in
the city warning him of the gangs
operations and pronouncing the system
she most dangerous that has appeared
in many years"
So carefully was every detail of the
plan executed, that it is considered very
doubtful whether any of the men will be
caught; the government secret service
has its best detective talent at work on
the case. The gang SO chose their time
as to give them start of almost four
weeks ahead of the officers and It
is believed in that they have cushed all
their forgeries The crimes were evil
IDENTIFY committed by persons familiar
with the banking business, for they
waited until the first week in January
before plundering the mail boxes
At that time the mails were very
heavy with letters containing
checks in payment of holiday
presents. etc. No better time could be
selected for the robbery. After forging
the checks aud presenting them for pay
ment the gang could reasonably be as
sured that the crime would not be dis
covered until the first week in February,
when pass books were sent in to be
balanced, Then the forgeries would
naturally be detected. The amount
realized on the operations will not be
known until all the pass books have
been balanced, but already it is
known that thousands of dollars
were paid out on the checks sold.
A hurried examination of unsur-
the forgers had reaped golden harvest.
Checks of $500 and $500 were found at
several places, while in other banks
number of smaller ones were discovered
Speaking last night of the audacity of
the gangs of swindlers, Mr.. O'Deu
said: "rhe forgeries were so
carefully executed that paying
tellers accepted the paper without
question. Ia some cases where checks
were drawn by corporations the gang
would use a stamp exactly similar to that
employed by the drawer of the check
aud then forge his name. OF course,
check of that description would be ac-
cepted without question"
Mr.. O'Dell had no idea how much the
forgers realized from their operations.
81 have asked all the banks to notify me
of the number and amount of these
checks that were cashed. The
plan was discovered accident ally.
A patron of one of the banks brought
his book in earlier than usual and when
it was balanced and returned with the
surrendered checks, the forged indorse-
ments were detected and the matter was
reported.
Il at once sent out a letter warning
every banker in town to look out for
checks endorsed by the persons who
drew them. 1t will be week or so be-
fore the banks can tell how much paper
was cashed for these bold workers"