The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-04

Ernest r Nfsharge, shinEie broker.
formerly OF the Gottsfstn building is said
10 f~s a mar OF ways that are dark and
tricks that are vain and for this reason
the police % this city ard sosne o. aas
victims would be glad 20 see hin in Seat
lie and. incidentally. in jail. A welcome
awaits r!s return. should ne ever return
tina, will not ne accompanied by TIE
music OF bands and = tender OF tEs
freedom Of the city. Mr.. Nienargs's sys-
tenn was that Of forging the names o. rail-
road agents at shipping paints 10 bills "a
lasing and then attaching the bills 10
invoices regularly made out on his COM
yany biliheads going 10 bank where ne
did business and collecting 81 per cent OF
The amount named as the value OF the
shipment. The hank would take the bills
and forward them 10 lis correspondent at
he purpo-ted destination. II was by do
ing this and finding no record Of the ship
rnepts at the railway freight Offices that
the crookeduess was discovered. A year
and half ago Nieharge got mixed Up IN
much the same sort of sc-ape that ne
now finds himself in at that time cperat-
ing with the bills Of lading of the Burning
ton and a Seattle bank. This time II IS
the Great Northern. the Seattle Inter
national and another local national bank
The harvest that resulted from the judi
cious sowing Of bills OF lading and his
own biIhsads is said 20 have Melted Me-
barge over S2,se.
The single broker signed the names OF
the agents Of both roads al Ballard and
Of the Seattle & International at Marys-
willie. These transactions are known;
how many more are yet 10 appear. time
alone can tell II Is said that second
bank Is on Nieharge's calling list, but II
SO ITS connection with the shingie brokers'
dealings have been covered UP. The pres
ident of the bank where Nieharge did
some business when asked by a repre-
sentative of the Post-Infeiiigencer con-
corning the banks connection with Me
barge admitted that he had been victim
ICED by the broker. but refused TO state
the amount He said that the method of
transacting the business was along iegiti
mate lines and that the hank frequently
made advances on commercial paper COM
ing from it's business connections. The
collections were sent TO the destination
of the shipment and were handled there
by the banks correspondents.
Nobody knows where Nieharge has gone
10. but that ne has fed the country no.
body doubts. II Is suggested that he has
gone with the procession TO the gold fields
OF the north, while others Cink tha. he
has crossed the international boundary
and Is ambuscading In ore of he British
Columbia towns. There Is said 10 be the
usual woman in the case" at least 40 say
the police. but who she is they refuse TO
tell She Is being watched or followed,
with the idea that sooner or later she will
reveal the forgers whereabouts.
There are al least twenty-six forgeries
that the railroads have been appraised OF.
averaging 800 each. The whole tidy sum
would be sufficient 10 land Nieharge a. the
dlggings with a very respectable outfit,
apd taking into consideration the fact that
he disappeared a week or ten days ago,
color is lent TO the belief that he is now
on his way TO the gold fields. Some peo-
pie place The amount of his forgeries at
s.edo or $500. The holding back OF 10 per
cent. OF the value of the shipments is said
TO have been TO cover the freight bills.
The foreeries were those OF Agents
Rathvan and Redmond, OF the Great
Northern at Marysville and Ballard and
Bsgelow, OF the Seattle & International at
Ballard. The name OF Beale was also
signed. The forgeries are attempts at imi-
tating the signatures Of the genuine, but
are very bad.