The sun., 1901-07-11
SOME FAMOUS FORGERS.
Remarkable Skill of Penmen Who
Applied Their Efforts to Tn
lawful Ends.

The history of forgery records many
arvelously clever and audacious
feats, but the most daring and skill.
full of them all stands to the credit, or,
rather, discredit, of that most dramat.
ic of forgers, Jim, the penman," says
Tit-Bts.
When "Jim" was arrested at Mem
phis, Tenn, on a charge of forgery he
was able TO produce so many striking
testimonials to his character from the
principal men in the United States
that the Judge considerably reduced
the severity of his sentence.
He had been in prison only few
weeks when the governor OF the gaol
received an official notification that an
influential petition, signed by the
judge, jury and many leading citizens.
had been forwarded TO the governor OF
the state, praying that 'he bore an eN-
ccllent character, and had been n
dupe, and not n willing or conscious
agent in the forgery" ana Il month or
two later an order was received from
the governor commanding his release.
1t was some time afterwards that
the discovery was made that testi,
monials, petitions and order for re-
lease were all the product Of "Jim's"
own clever pen, and that they had been
actually written in The gaol with the
connvance of Il friendly warder.
Twenty years ago a convicted muir.
derer was lying in Newgate prison I'M
der sentence of death, when rcprieye
was handed to the governor. Some in
formality aroused his suspicious, and
the matter was placed in the hands
of detectives, who discovered ( hat the
reprieve had been forged by Il man
who had a conscientious objection
to the death penalty, and who had
taken his daring means of preventing
it in this particular ease.
4 few years ago Greek presented
himself at the I'odlcian library, OK
ford, with a roll of ancient manuscript
which he wished the authorities Ia
| purchase. The most recent of them
dated from the thirteenth century
and one by one the muSty, time
stained parchments We're submitted
to the late Mr.. Coke. the librarian, who
/ examined them without comment
The last of them, II document osten
sibly as old as the most ancient New
| Testament manuscript, was proud,
i placed on the table. "Now, how ole
do you think that s?" the Greek asked
in undisguised triumph about tn,
middle of this century" Mr.. Cox,
quietly answered, as he examined i
carefully; and almost before tn,
words were out of his mouth the Greel
had snatched up his forgeries and wa
out of the room.
1t is doubtful whether any forger
ancient or modern, was more Skillfu
than b. who for many years baille'
the combined ingenuity of the banker
of London. Mr.. b = forte was tn
forging and manipulation of letters o
credit on foreign banks.
. About eight years ago he deposite,
a sum of E30O with London bank
, receiving letter of credit for thi
amount on the banks continenta
agent. Within few days he drew thi
amount from IA Swiss bank, the lette
being duly cancelled and the amour
drawn indorsed upon il. To anyon
!, but b the note would have been al
solutely useless; but he did not tax
this view at all. by means of chem
] icals he removed the cancellation
marks and Endorsement. and present
ed the note again in Belgium; agai
he used his chemicals and drew IN
other f3O0 in Paris, repeating tn
+. process until on that single note fo
e3O0 he had drawn ten times tn
amount.
, TO make such tricks impossible til
/ amounts were in future given on tn
: notes in water mark, to which ou
Y forger proceeded to add cipher, ais
is-a----4 -