The times., 1897-04-25
A VERY CLEVER FoReER.
Forged q Left-Handed Signature and
Lost His Case.


About twenty years ago young man
named Richard Robinson, whoiiYed IN the
city of New York, bought 160 acres OF land
near Kansas City. The land was worth
only S3 or 81 an acre at that time and
Robinson, getting into trouble, deeoed tie
land to his lawyer in payment OF his fee
The lawyer gave no attention TO the prop
crty, and IL was sold for taxes, and his
title was good against all claimants except
infant heirs. When the land became vall-
able, owing to the gro with of Kansas City,
an unscrupulous real estate dealer OF ST..
Louis induced young woman OF that city
to impersonate a daughter of Robinson ana
to bring suit to recover the property. The
girl was proved to be an imposter and the
suit decided against her
The case attracted wide attention, and
the fact that the title to the land seemed
somewhat in doubt caused a disbarred
LAWYER named Reed, once a resident OF
Chicago, to look into the matter carefully
and finally 10 conceive a plan to obtain
possession of the land through forgery.
When everything had been prepared Reed
brought suit Of ejectment against the man
who had possession of the property, claim
ing that he had deed toit from Robinson
dated prior to the one given by Robinson
to his lawyer, thus invalidating not only
that title. but all subsequent titles which
had been given.
The only way to break this claim was to
prove thatthe deed alleged to be signed by
Robinson was q forgery After long
search Robinson was discovered by the at
torney for the defense, living in an obscure
town In Texas. lie had passed through
many wild experiences on the frontier and
in a personal encounter had received
pistol ball in his right arm, which made
amputation necessary. subsequently, ne had
served as county clerk in Missouri, and his
signature was thus readily accessible to
the fCrger. Robinson was brought to Kan
sas City by the defense, and his testimony
was relied on to prove that the signature
attached to the deed was a forgery.
When the case came to trial and the deed
had been offered in evidence Robinson was
placed on the stand He examined the
signature with the greatest care, ana TO
the astOnishmentand chagrin of the defense
he testified that the writing was his,
not line or dot in the signature differing
in the slightest degree from his usage. II
seemed as though the willy Mr.. Reed lad
gained his case, when the attorney for The
defense, taking up the deed, glanced at IL
q moment, then dropping it upon the table
he suddenly asked:
''Mr Robinson, when did you lose your
right arm"
About Fifteen years ago, was the reply.
as your signature 10 this deed written
with your right or left hand?f
.,With my left hand "
'.Did you ever employ your left hand
in writing before you lost your right arm?'
Never"
THAT is ALL" said the attorney. ''Cal
MI Reed to the stand.
The plaintiff took the stand and the at
torney handed him the deed. You swear
that this deed was made to you by Mr..
Robinson"
do, a1d he has identifiedhis signature, '
replied Reedtriumphantly.
"On what date was the paper Hven?"
1T is dated April 10, 1876"
"1hat was six years before he lost hfs
right arm, and yet the deed is signed with
his left hand How do you account toI
that?''
The witness was silent, he turned pale
| and then attempted to escape from the
courtroom He was arrested and held OF
the charge of forgery. His technique Lad
| been perfect-so perfect, indeed, AS TO de
| ceive the man whose signature he fac
| forged-hut he made the mistake OF imi'
tating the left-handed writing of Robinson
and had dated the deed six years prior
| to his loss Of the right arm.
Of course the suit was decided in favor
! of the defendant, and at present Reed is
serving a twenty-year sentence in the
! penitentiar ry for forgery; his fate parallelini
! that of Ivan Ivanoff, not through lacl
of Technique, d" but rather because of his
perfection in that matter. Chicago Times
Herald.