Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-30
Local Brokerage Firm Buys
Worthless Bonds.
A SLICK STRAIN GER
CONVINCED THE BROKERS he
WAS MAN OF MEANS.
Gets Cash Without Formally Of In
quiry as to Validity Of
Securities.

A man who spent few days in this city,
and who was known as G. d. Fairbanks,
was in demand last night. Representatives
of the brokerage firm of Post & Co. and
members of the local detective force were
anxious to find him and have him explain
a bond transaction in which he figured
Thursday afternoon. and which netted him
S. 400 Seven $1,000 Wabash railroad bonds
were disposed of by the stranger to the 10
cal representative of the New York firm,
and when they reached New York it was
discovered that they had been Cancelled.
Whether they had been lost or stolen Mr..
c. b. Chapman, manager of the local office
of Post & Co.. unable to inform Capt.
Roardman last night.
Fairbanks. as the customer introduced
himself first appeared at the Office about
six weeks ago. He was well dressed and
seemed to- have plenty of money. Much OF
his time was spent about the stock broker S
office at 18th and streets northwest, and
those who came in contact with him re-
garded him as man of means. There had
been nothing about his transactions to
cause the slightest suspicion that he was
not all he appeared to be- and by his man
ner of dealing he had established himself In
the confidence of the people in the of1ce:
No reasonable request made by him would
have been refused. Wednesday when he
called at the office he requested that $2,OO0
in cash be put in the safe for him over
night. He was accommodated and the
next morning he called and got his money.
1t then occurred to him. he said. that he
should sell his Wabash bonds as they were
going down and asked if the firm would
buy them. Receiving an affirmative an
swer he produced the bonds and handed
them over.
In the ordinary course of business he
would have to have waited to hear from
New York before getting so large sum.
but he told Mr.. Chapman he was anxious
to get the money that day. as he wanted
to use it, and having the fullest confidence
in the man the money was handed over
to him.
Leaves Description of Mr.. Fairbanks.
Mr. Chapman. who lives at 1902 Belmont
avenue northwest. called on Capt Board
man at police headquarters last night to
inform him of the transaction. Mr.. Chip
man was accompanied by a clerk in his Of
flee and a local attorney. He had then
been told by the main office that the bonds
had been cancelled He related to Capt.
Boardman the story of his dealings with
Mr.. Fairbanks. and said he was anxious to
have the detectives find him. Mr.. Fair
banks is described as being between thirty
five and forty years old. He is about six
feet tall and usually wears a gray suit of
clothes. He has a smooth pale face and
mixed gray hair. When the story of the
bond transaction had been related to Capt
Boardman the latter detailed Detectives
Baur. Muller. Horne and Hartigan to look
for the man who had received the money
for the bonds. After being furnished the
mans description they started out to as
certain something additional about him in
order that they might be able to trace him
in event of his having left the city. Last
night they found nothing which would as
sist them in tracing him.
Capt. Boardman called up the New York
police department last night and asked
their assistance in the matter. The captain
was anxious to learn something concerning
the manner in which the bonds disappeared
In order to cause their cancellation This
information he was unable to ascertain. It
is the belief of those who met Fairbanks
that he was from New York and that he
had had considerable experience in stock
matters
Bonds Said to Have Been Lost.
According to a New York paper the bonds
were reported lost March o. Ten of the
Wabash debenture bonds disappeared at
that time. Their par value was $40 600, but
their market value was only s7775. The
New York police were told of their loss by
the firm of Boisseran & Co. brokers. The
bonds were given to a messenger boy to
take to the transfer office of the Wabash
Railroad Company. There was tear in
the lining of his coat and the bonds droDped
through this opening. 1t is said At the
time of their loss the numbers of the
bonds were sent to all the brokers' offices
II is stated that the firm of Boisserafn &
Co. may be liable for the value of the