The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-12
HE'S A CLEVER SW|NDLER
How a Respectable Looking Man
Did Up d Montana Bank.
HE CLEANED UP $1,000
He Bought New York Draft in ST
Paul, Got a Forged Duplicate
Cashed In Montana and Then
Cashed the Original.

The following story of clever fraud
| perpetrated on Montana bank Il, told
| by the st. Paul Pioneer Press:
"A novel fraud by which a Minnesota
bank was induced innocently to abet the
robbing of Montana bank has perplexed
recently one of the detective agencies. In
| quiries made last week at st. Paul ho-
tel as to a possible guest who wore a silk
hat, Prince Albert coat and gray NUT
ton chop whiskers, revealed the nature of
the criminal scheme. But the inquiring
detective would not repeat names.
"A few weeks ago, said the detective,
the very respectable gentleman with the
silk hat bought of a country bank not
far from ST. Paul draft on New York
for $1,000. paying for it in currency. He
explained that he was going to a small
town in Montana and that he did not care
to take so large sum with him in cash.
Would the cashier kindly notify the only
bank in that Montana town that he had
the New York draft to Mr. Hat. and
that Mr. Hat would cash the draft at the
Montana town? Certainly the cashier
would write. He did write And when
the owner of the draft appeared a few
days later at the Montana bank he found
forged copy of the draft.
YOU'RE Mr. Hat of Philadelphia. of
course said the exchange clerk in Mon
tana. We received a letter from the
bank that sold your draft. Let's see?
Tall. gray side-whiskers, very subdued
manner. Oh, yes-thats all right. De-
scription a matter of form, you know.
Your signature? Exact, of course.
so. with apologies for taking the usual
precautions, the clerk, upon comparing
the signatures of Mr. Hat. accepted his
receipt and gave him all in gold. as be-
came banker of the mining state,
$1,000. AS the new customer went out he
made particularly good joke about the
Montana weather.
1.-The old gentleman with the subdued
manner had copied the original draft
upon blank that he had somehow Sc
cured from the Minnesota bank. The
letter from that bank would naturally
have quieted any suspicion in Montana.
for the letter gave, as usual, the number
of the draft and other details, which
were fully corroborated in the forged
copy. Inasmuch as the letter proved to
the Montana bank that Mr.. Hat must
possess an original draft for the amount
required. the bank would never entertain
the thought that a forged copy would
be presented by the holder of that origi-
nal Thus the cashing of the forgery
was easy.
"At once the gentle defrauder took the
next train for Minnesota. He reappeared
before the cashier of the Minnesota bank
and smiled through an unctuous apology.
I" I'm extremely sorry to trouble You
again. said the urbane gentleman, but
you see, I've decided not to make that
Montana trip this month. ] have found
little real estate deal up in st. Paul
where l can invest the money to better
advantage, atsleast for the present. Now,
will you be good enough to cancel your
draft here (extending the bona fide orig
inaD and let me have that $l,60O?'
1.-THE Minnesota clerk was as agreeable
as had been the Montana clerk The
agreeable Philadelphia received his sec
ond 81. 600. He smiled. The cashier smiled.
The Montana clerk kept smiling whenever
he thought of the affabe stranger who
made so pleasant a little joke about the
weather Everybody continued to smile
until the Montana bank drew upon the
Minnesota bank for $1,000 advanced upon
a draft Then there was but one smier
left-the polished. the respectable, the
witty Mr.. Hat of Philadelphia.
But We'll catch him yet. said the
detective to the hotel clerk last week.
We've only had the case two weeks.
And the detective entered in his eX-
pense account to be paid by the Bank
ers' Protective association, Hotel bill one
day, So Extras drinks and cigars with
clerk, S.. "