The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1903-05-22
The Famous Fullerton
Forgeries.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
HTHEN a millionaire dies there's
w generally the dickens to pay
Two or three superfluous wives are
apt to turn up, or blackmailer comes
forward with bit of private history
or something. If nothing else happens
the heirs fight over the estate. And
then they spend it-spend quickly that
which it took years to accumulate.
In the case of Fullerton, however,
there was nothing of that kind. He had
no children, and his young widow
there being only one-succeeded to
everything real and personal whereso-
ever situate. After the funeral she
started in to settle up things systematic
cally. 1t was her purpose to begin at
the beginning and finish up at the end.
One bright day she stepped successive
ly into several banks in the town and
addressed the paying tellers.
These checks" she suggested at
each place, do not contain my hus-
bands signature. They seem to be
forgeries. Examine them, please"
They were examined. She was right.
They were forgeries. And there were
not a few of them, after all. When
every check had beer examined it was
found that more than 100000 worth
of paper, forged with the utmost skill
and cleverness, had been presented at
the banks and paid. That much was
clear. But the question was, who did
it?
''We'n find out" said the bank Off
GERS. And they started in. They sent
up three of the best experts in the
town and examined all the recent
papers of the millionaire.
One evening two officers in plain
clothes stepped into the bachelor apart
ment of Chauncey G. Ilingsworth,
where he was dining alone. Ilings-
worth had been private secretary of
Fullerton. the millionaire.
I'VE want you" said the men in plain
clothes. Ilingsworth turned pale.
"What for?" he gasped.
You know well enough" they re-
piled. "its forgery"
Hingsworth was lodged in >iail. and
although the prosecutor had made the
complaint on three checks only. agpre-
eating some $4,000, the court fixed the
pau at large SUM, and Chauncey could
not obtain it So he stayed where he
was ana ths county paid his expenses.
The day 6. trial approached. Aweek
before ltcame on Ilingswor.b received
? nete from one of the well-known
aaNyers OF the town. TWAS addressed
20 him, and this is what it said:
1ou are accused Of the forgery % checks
agEregating 100000 have had some sue
cess In forgery cases. and am somewhat
o. handwriting expert. will guarantee
20 clear You, and thacwithout charge Your
11tner once did me favor and am anx-
aous to reciprocate. Let me hear from Won.
Yours. LANDGRAF
1andgraf's services were accepted.
Landgraf was a man well known, and
By some highly admired. The whole
town respected his genius. Ilingsworth
had transacted considerable business
Tor the dead millionaire. Landgraf ex-
planned nothing to the prisoner-in-
deed, he hardly listened to what he
mad to say. But he assured him solemn
~ that he would see him cleared.
The prosecution based its case upon
three of the checks. They held the rest
n allegiance for future action. These
checks upon the trial, the prosecutor
introduced in evidence. Then heplaced
his experts on the stand and each testi-
4ed without reservation of any sort
that Ilingsworth had forged the checks.
LAndgraf asked the court if he might
withhold his cross-examination until
the morrow. The court assented.
lay-may take the checks. the
three exhibits, and examine them over
night?" he then asked. The court
crowned and looked at the district at
torney. That gentleman thought for a
moment or two. 1t was dangerous
placing this evidence IN the grasp of his
opponent. one who might be unscrupu-
lous-one who, perhaps, might DESTROY
& utterly. But, by George!" he rea-
soned with himself, '.if he does that
e ruins his defense. for the iury win
salt him then. worse than ever He
therefore smiled. and said of course he
would accord the privilege to Counselor
Landgraf. This with an air that meant
that to anybody else he of course could
not extend such = Avor. Landgraf
took the checks.
All that night Counselor Landgraf
at behind closed doors, with the three
CHEEKS before him, and with five repu-
table men. men of prominence in the
city, watching him do-what? On that
night only he and the five men knew.
At the trial next day, the first Of the
experts for the state went to the stand |
Tor the cross-examination. To him
Counselor Landgraf handed . small |
UP OF paper. On it were the words:
This is not my handwriting.
-CHAUNCEY G. ILINGSWORTH."