New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-29
SCHEME TO DEFRAUD BANKS
,,1rDFNCEs AS TO AN ORGANIZED BAND
OF CHECK FORGERS.

MEMBERS OF TED GANG BREAK INTO TIE DESKS
or SEVERAL BROKERS' AND STEAL H'ANh
AND CANCELLED CHECKs-D1scovEREp
ruro1,cp THE ARREST OF G MELINE
rha arres. on Monday OF man who triec 10
aot = forged check for S12O2o cashed a. 'he
Nj, of the State Of NewYCrk was reported N
Wall street late yesterday to have ieo 10 the
disclosure or rather extensive series OF OPERA
.,ons IN forged checks. The nan. VINO was "'
,ee,ed N the bank while waiting for the paying
.auer 10 deliver the money n hlm' gave 'i'e
name Of Charles Meline and SAID ne N'eu a'
No A12 Wes, Thrty-seventh-st The check pu'
nortcd to he signed by Henry G. MorU'ie'' vi
Mortimer & Wisner brokers al NO oo reaNV'
=, ona was drawn to the order of Henry Bill
,nrs on the back was an Endorsement ov Bill
ings. and this Endorsement was guaranteed os-
te,sih1v hv Mr. Mortimer. The check lacked
tho nrivate mark which Mr.. Mortimer places on
bis checks Furthermore, II was numbered,
whereas Mr. Mortimer does not number his
checks.
IT was said that money on forged checks. all
for comparatively small amounts had been OBJ
tained from the Corn Exchange BANK fhenX
National Bank. Franklin National Bank and the
Union SQUARE Bank of New-York. ana the Ma
,ional State Bank, Of Newark. \. ). Ine names
Of four brokers with offices in the Cotton EX-
change Building were said 70 have been usec.
Two Of the brokers' names given were AE. BAN
berger and Victor Schatter. According TO the
story their Offices entered at night ana thelr
desks broken OPEN From their desks We're alb
stracted blank checks and cancelled checks. Inc
latter were used for obtaining the signatures to
be followed on the forged checks. More OF the
forged checks were said to have been presented
U-hiC n,
one was said TO have been passed on dealer In
mems furnishing goods in Cortlandt-st
II was said that evidence had been obtained OF
an ORGANIZED band " check forgers, 10 which
the man Meine. VINO was under arrest, appar-
emily belonged. The forgers were evidently en-
tirely familiar with the practices of the brokers
down town in making out checks and In secur-
ing the cash upon them at banks II was sus-
pected that one or more Of the band must have.
at some time OF other. been employed in brokers
offices.
Alfred NJ Bull. cashier Of the Phenix National
Bank. was seen last night his home. No. $50
Madison-ave Elizabeth. by a Tribune reporter.
He said that there TWO fraudulent checks
passed on that bank about month ago. but
none recently The checks were for about 500
each and bore the signature OF Y. Schaller, who
lives in South Orange. and has an account in
the Phenix National Bank. and also in the Ma
tionai State Bank Of Newark Doth checks were
cashed by the paying teller OF the PheniX Ma
t!onal Bank. who supposed that they were al!
right, and asked no questions on account Oh the
insignifcance OF the amounts.
The forgeries were not discovered until the
Phenix National Bank sent the checks 10 the
National State Bank OF Newark for collection,
when they were returned as they did not nave
MI. Schallers on them as president. or a
Newark association N which way he always
signed the checks ne gave out on the Newark
bank The Phenx National Bank people had
called his attention TO this and he promptly
pronounced both checks fraudulent. Then. the
matter was placed in the hands OF the Pinker-
ton Detective Agency, which is still working on
81.
Mr. Bull added that he heard the Corn Ex-
change National Bank had also been mlsled by
one o. these forged checks. He had little doubt
that the work done by members or gang
that tried 10 defraud the Bank II the state of
New-York. The teller o, the Pherix National
Bank Mr. Bull said had been summoned to
New-York Police Headquarters last evening 10
see if lie could Identify the man In custody
there Mr. Bull did noJ know the result OF this
visit
Attempts were made last night TO see a num-
Der OF the officials Of the Corn Exchange Bank,
the Franklin National Bank. and the Union
Square Bank. but the attempts were unsuccess-
full. most Of the officials were out OF town