The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-29

a eisurely luncheon and returned: the
check went through the mill without fur
ther question.
In a small Western city where he stop
ped over on his travels he happened to
pass a church where a series of revival
meetings were in progress and strolled in.
According to his own story, thes exercises
| made a decided impression upon him--so
much so that he asked himself, with some
establishment, whether he was actually ex-
perinecing a change of heart without his
own volition, as he had heard of other
persons doing. Evidently something in
his face showed what was passing In his
mind, for a benevolent looking old gentle
man who was taking part In the meeting
seemed to feel an interest in him, and
presently came and urged him to go up
to the anxious seat.
Il should hardly like to do that now"
answered Grmme THE kind of life
have been leading is not such as to fit me
for association with religious persons
The old gentleman was more than ever
interested. He begged his new young
friend to come back the next day, and
also to call on him. Grimmell accepted
both invitations. During his call he al
lowed himself to be drawn out, as fast
as the other chose to question him, till
he had told in fragments a very clever
story of his being agent for a large drug
house which had contracts with the gov
eminent. coming to the city as a strang-
'er, and finding himself there with a gov
eminent check which he must have cash
ed to enable him to continue on his jour
ney. His benefactor "shied" "A little at
this suggestion, remarking that he made
practice of keeping his religious and
his money matters wholly apart, or he
would be glad to be of service in the
emergency. Grimmell turned this off
with an air of semi-indifference and let
things drift Day after day he attended
the revival meetings. The old man was
an officer of the church. and passed the
plate whenever a contribution was taken
up The forger carfuly seated himself
always where he would be among the
contributors to his friends plate, into
which others threw nickles and dimes
but to which he added each time a some
what larger sum, beginning with a half
dollar. BY the time he had invested
about s. in this way he had won the old
man over The next day he was invited
to call once more. an offer was made to
cash his check. without further ado, and
when he left town the midnight train
his purse was heavier by $500
favorite name for his forgeries was
that of f. d. Smlthers Major and Pay
master, U. S. A. 1t had very good look
on paper, and fitted nicely into the story
the forger knew how to tell most glibly
One day he walked into bank where he
was totally unknown, and presented gov
eminent check signed with the Smithers
name and drawn to the order of S. A.
Byrne. Across the back was written IS
A. Byrne," and under meath Endorse
ment correct" with the Smithers sigma
ture again, precisely like that on the
face
But how do know that you are Mr.
Byrne?" inquired the teller, who was be-
ginning TO fall under Grimmells hypnotic
spell.
Grimmell cogitated a moment. Then ne
seemed to be struck with a bright idea
why" he exclaimed, II can write my
name again under there in your presence,
and you can judge for yourself by com
parison whether / am not the original in
dorser'
Dipping a pen in ink, he suited action
to words; and the ease and rapidity with
which he wrote the name, and it's perfect
reproduction OF the Endorsement at the
top, left no doubt longer in the mind Of
the teller who paid out a few hundred
at once--failing to reflect, until the next
day, that he had never before seen a sig
nature Of Maj. Smithers or known of that
gentleman's existence.
1t was the atmosphere of genuineness
with which he surrounded all his opera
lions, his own easy manners. and the alb
solute simplicity of his devices for swim
ding, that combined to make Grimmell's
brief career a story of success TIL the very
n narrow escape. This was in the city OF
Memphis, Tenn. Here he had Changed
the trump and instead of figuring as