Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1901-12-27


tions The Forgeries Preceded by Many
Genuine and Secured Notes How Many
More May Be Out Can Only Be Guessed
Neighbors Scout the Verdict OF Insanity
Some Unfounded Rumors Exploded.
one more chapter at least in the story
of Israel l.. Halls forgerles opens TINS
week. and for which the news IN last
weeks Reformer of his arrest at Shel-
burne Falls for an attempt TO utter
forged note of $500 was the introduc-
tion. On reading il the officers of the
Wilmington Savings bank began TO
look up the lineage of some notes
yariuuSly stated at from o3OOo TO
5000 which that bank held and were
astounded to find them forgerles. Inc
names used are those of Henry W.
Barber, thrifty farmer of Wilmington
and Henry NJ. Roberts and Charles II.
Waste of jacksonville, who all declare
that thev never signed the paper bear.
inc their names. The larger part OF
the paper bears Mr. Barber's name.
| Hall has been doing good deal OF
business in Wilmington and Vlcinlty
buying large numbers of cattle, paying
Good prices and as a rule meeting MS
obligations promptly. He kept his ac.
count at the Wilmington bank, ana 1t
was regarded as good one, with
| sizable balance most of the time, ana
he had worked up quite credlt III
that section considering his bad fall-
lre a few years ago. In the course OF
his business he had had a good many
notes discounted at the Wilmington
bank. and he had well prepared the
way for his forgeries, The earlier
notes when presented have the names
of the best men in Halifax and WHIT
inoham, and he represented that ms
sureties were secured by chattel mort
papes on the cattle purchased. Inc
hank neople on Investigation tound
that this was true and that the notes
were genuine, and naturally IN thlS
wav the confidence was gained ol tht
finance committee of the bank ana
notes whose signatures appeared an
right and regarding which he mace
like representations, were passed 10 u Il
credit. How many of these torgerles
there have been, how many such notes
in the past have been taken up WIN
out the alleged slgnerS knowing an!
thing about il, or how many more ol
them there may be elsewhere there l.
no knowing yet. But the Snelnurht
Falls attempt indicates that han ma,
done enough of il n the past 10 ge
careless. His imitation OF signature
is said to have been very good, pu
what created suspicion at Shelpurh'
Falls was the fact that the signature
of both the suretIes were Wrltteh II
: the same ink. thing that Will yer.
rarely be true with different people
and different times and places.
The Wilmington bank at once placed
an attachment on the personal prop
. erty of Hall or Mrs. Hall IN Whos
name he has done ia,ness for yea
or more past, and hopes thereby u
:. realize enough to nearly cover the loss
This is the first time, so iar d
known. in the nearly % years hlStor
of this bank that it has been Vlci I'M
lied by forgery. But even II tne "no!
f.. amount is lost, il will not affect I'M
sterling institution when mas SUI
plus of over so, 600.
Reports of daily papers have told' a
an eInlanation of the Shelburne Fall
= attempt. of a 81 800 note in Brattle
horo hank several times renewed o
which pavment had been demande
January 1st. But so far as we ca
learn there has not been a dollar {
Halls paper in yBrattleboro bank &c
number of years. The last one wa
a note of about $1,000 which his tatht
had to pay for him. -
People in the Southern part of tn
county among whom Hall has operate
scout the insanity theory and OF
jacksonville correspondent wrote Ye'
terdav that news had been receive
there that Hall had been returned
Greenfield from the Northampton as!
lum whose doctors had pronounce
him not crazy. But telephone lnqull
le of LAWYER W. \. Davenport of Greer
| field. Halls counsel. brings the rep
NJ that there is nothing to the story
r. least so far as he knows ana he Wou.
of course know if it were true