The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-10-23

FORGERY BY
BROKERS' CLERK
John Van Mourik is Wanted by
the Police.
CHANGED NAME ON CHECK
WAS EMPLOYED BY E. C. COFFIN
& SON.
CHANGED NAME ON CHECK

John Var Nourik. steno apher and
messenger in the Office of z. G.. Coffin &
son, is missing and the police are look
Ing for him Prior to his departure
Van Mourik cashed a check for Ss5.
which he altered in his favor. He
leaves numerous debts unpaid.
Last Saturday night Van Mourik
went 10 hulletts store on Second south
street and. after purchasing an over
coat and other articles which aggre-
gated So, presented a check for So in
M The check was made out to
nm and signed by H~EliIton Coffin for
II. =. Coi1n * sen. 1t was cashed
without question and Van Mourik was
given his change, amounting to $40.
since men he has not been seen.
When the check went into the elea--
ing mouse at noon yesterday payment
or II was refused by the representative.
of Mccormick q Co., on whom it was
drawn Then il developed that Van
Mourik had been guilty of a clever
piece Of crooked work.
On Saturday the stenographer was
EeHsc out with some checks and stock
certificates to be delivered as part Of
the days trading. Among the number
was a check for S95. payable to +. n.
Heard Van MOuriN had instructions
10 deliver the check to Mr.. Heard for
100 sres OF Ajax stock. He was then
10 deliver the stock to r. L. Colburn
and get a check for $95.75.
Changed the Name.
Instead of performing the errand. he
took some chemical ink eIQssr ard
Obliterated MIR. Heard's name. Then Ee
wrote his own in its place, tore up the
purchase and sale slips he carried and
returned to the Office. This was about
noon The wallet or pouch in which
a Mourik had carried the papers was
hurriediy looked over by Hamilton
Coffin. but nothing unusual was dis
covered.
1t seemed a little unusual to members
of the firm that Van Mourik was in
such a hurry to get away Saturday At
teri 'on, but 10 idea of n criminal act
was entertained. Early sunday morn
ing T.. G. Coffin went out to one of the
mining camps. He a he began think
ing over the actions of Van MOurik and
at last concluded something must be.
wrong On returning to the city ne
spoke of the matter to his son. but both
decided to wait until Monday morning
before doing anything.
On Monday Van MOurik failed to
show up at the usual time. Then it de-
Veloped that he hadn't brought any
check from Colburn for the Ajax
stock. Mr.. Heard vas looked up and
asked if the yOLng man had delivered
n check to him. The reply was a neg
that something criminal had been done
and Mccormick < Co. were notified to
hold any suspicious looking checks.
Clever Piece of Work.
Yesterday in the clearing house the
S95 check came to light. II a been
deposited by George MuIlett in the
Commercial National bank. The era
sure of Mr.. Hcard's name had been
don so cleveTly that it would take an
expert to discover the fraud. A fact
calculated TO excite suspicion, though.
was that there were three different
styles of handwriting on the check.
In the first place the blank check was
dllcd out by Coffin < Sons bookkeeper.
hen il was signed by Hamilton COT
tin Finally. Ven Mourik's name. in his
own hand. was written on the line
where Heard's name had originally APP
pesred.
Van Mourik has been living with his
mother and aunt at 20 East First South
street. He is a youth Of 10 years and
has attempted II ravel a lively pace
Last May ne was in trouble with Cof-
I'm g. Son as a result of selling 300
shares of May Day stock which be
longed to the firm. For the sake of his
relatives, who are honest German peO-
PIE Of but a few years residence here,
he was allowed to go unpublished.
His latest escapade. however, has
been reported to the police. but n
young man has secured such a start
that it will be difficult to capture him.