The evening times., 1897-03-10
VICTIMS OF SHARP FORGERs
Operated From Alexandria and
Duped Washington Brokers.
CHECKS TO COVER MARGINS
Mr.. L. III. King, Stock Dealer, Is
One of Those Taken in by the
Crooks--Had No Suspicion That
Anything Was Wrong Until Check
Was Returned as Worthless.

Victims of the swindler, or gang OF swim
dIers, who, with Alexandria as their base
of operations, flooded Washington with
forged checks about two weeks ago, as
then told in The Times, continue To null
tiply, Until it is estimated that their nutn-
Der VIII aggregate no less than twenty
five. The latest TO be added to the list
ia w. t. III. King, a stock broker at the
corner of Seventh and F streets northwest,
who was taken in by what's characterized
at the detective office as 1.-The smoothest
swindling game ever worked in Washing
ton"
On Saturday, February 27, messenger
called at Kings brokerage office with
check for $71.25, bearing the signature
of James +. Brown, well-known real
estate dealer OF Alexandria. Accompa-
nying the check was a letter requesting
the broker TO use the amount OF the check
to cover the margin on 1000 bushels OF
wheat. What gave the matter greater
semblance OF authenticity Was the fact
that the note was written ON one OF Mr..
Browns letter heads. Across the face Of
the check was the acceptance OF the Citi-
zens' Bank of Alexandria, printed with
rubber stamp, another detail, which also
helped to silay any suspicious MI King
might have entertained.
BY Monday, March / wheat had gone up
two points, thus sho wing that the opera
tor, besides being swindler, was extreme
ly well posted on the grain market, for II
the wheat had not risen, the scheme would
have fallen through. AS it was, however,
on Monday Mr.. King received another note
from the same source as the first, which
stated that the writer, Mr.. Brown, was
about to leave town, and requesting there
fore that the deal be closed.
The broker accordingly sent the profit Of
the deal, S5075, in cash, with the mes
senger, the original check remaining in his
possession.
Ii was not until several days afterward
that the check came back from Alexandria
dishonored, and the broker discovered that
he was exactly $132 out by the transac-
ton.
Mr.. Kings case, as well as those OF
many others, whose names are not di-
vulged, have been placed in the hands OF
the police, who say that the operations
on this particular graft" will reach
into the thousands OF dollars. Besides
Mr.. Browns name, that OF W. II. Lam
bert. cashier OF the Citizens Bank OF
Alexandria, upon which the checks were
invariably drawn, was also signed to some
OF them.
The game was worked In various ways,
but in almost every instance the Swintilers
showed familiarity with the movements
of the stock market, and chose broker as
their victim. One OF the "rackets' worked
was to send a letter, with check inel9sed,
addressed to someone well known TO Mr..
Brown. The letter would ask that the
check be cashed, as it was after banking
hours, and Brown desired to leave the city
on a short business trip, and was short OF
funds.
Yesterday the police located one OF the
messengers employed by the swindler, and
from him obtained very good descrip-
ton of the forger. 1t is believed the man
is a former resident OF Washington, and is
we'll connected here. Not only are the
banks out the amount OF the forged checks,
but the brokers who accepted them are
also losers to the amount OF the rise in
the stocks in which they invested and made
return to "Mr. Brown"