The Washington times., 1905-06-24
GhSK|LL'S DIARY
TOLD OF FORGERY
Record of Wrongdoing Left
With Dying Brother.
LAYS BARE A STRANGE LIFE
Raised the First Certificate of Stock to
Aid 100000 Deal on
Change.
LAYS BARE A STRANGE LIFE

PHILADELPHIA. Pa, June 24,-With
death confronting him as the inevitable
result of his folly and misdeeds. Benja-
min II. Gaskiii. broker, whose forSer-
les caused the collapse of tho City Trust
Company gathered together slips of pa
per upon which he had jotted down stir-
ring Incidents of his meteor.c career,
pinned them into diary form and sent
them to his brother, E. George Gaslill.
at 52l2 Catherine street.
Now George Gaskill is dying. apparent
" from dropsy and Bright's disease but
in reality from the effects of the shock
which attended the revelations of his
brothers duplicity.
The diary tells a fairly complete story
of the life of Gaskill. At times there
are long intervals between entries. One
of these occurs about the time that Gas
kill decided to go into the brokerage
business Then, upon the hack OF the
envelope, is written the most dramatic
portion OF the diary.
First Certificate Forged.
1t tells how Gaskill came to forge his
first certificate He was about to en-
gineer a deal upon change, involving
100000 He had just started his broker
age business. was virtually unknown in
the financial community. and wanted to
raise money to conduct the deal.
In his sober sense Gaskill declared he
was incompetent of planning a cunning
movement. and SO he stimulated himself
with liquor. just as he did in his early
davs at Princeton, when he was a leader
in collegiate politics The thought came
TO him in flash 1t was SO simple that
he wondered that others had not
thought of it before-i
In his possession he had a rare old
days and he surveyed the surface OF
the paper critically. He saw that II
would be easy to raise the numerals
calling for one share to 100 shares. He
did IT, The first banking house he ap-
piled TO gave him a substantial loan
upon the forged certificate. Other GER
ufeates We're raised and then Gaskill
prepared to swing his big deal on
cent of money raised by the forgeries.
Tried to Reform.
When he stopped drinking and paused
to consider what ne had done, continues
the diary, Gaskill was filed with re.
morse, and he resolved never to drink
again. and to make up his losses b,
sheer force OF will and tireless work
Another period of drinking. another
forgery and Gaskill left the city to for
get penitence and remorse in the race:
at Brighton Beach. He remained ther,
for one week, and in that time he spen
all the money in his possession
He wa agered 81 900 upon horse aloa
and when the race was over he CAV
the jockey who rode the whining hors,
a liberal reward. AT this time he wa
thirty o years old.
1t was about this time that Gaskil
met John r. Warden, son of an oil
Eiagnate. When Joseph Leeds Warde,
died Gaskiil was made one of the ap
Lraisers of the vast estate. He wa
gradually becoming a closer friend o
john r. Warden, and soon they began
To take trips TO Europe
Some of the bankers with whom Gas
Kill did business knew of his friend
ship for the son Of the oil ma gnate, ant
IL was frequently said in the street tha
they were partners IN the Benjamin H
Gaskiil & Co. concern.
Obtained Big Loans.
That is why none Of the bankers wa
surprised when Gaskill, with his fac
flushed and his eyes unduly bright. walk
ed into their office on different occa
Eions and said:
Il want loan. a big one. today
Here are certificates for 100 shares O
Philadelphia Traction stock and Unite
Companies. I need some ready none
TO put little deal of mine through tn
market" :"
These bankers said that they woul
not be- q bit surprised to see Mr. War
den return to this country from Europ
at any time and settle up Gaskills IN
debtedness. This was somewhat shatter
ed. however, by the fact that Mr.. War
den sent a cablegram TO this city deny
ing that he was in any way connecte
with the firm of BENJAMIN H. Gaskf
4 Co
Nevertheless, from the time of he
husbands death until she left the city
Mrs Gaskill had been living with Mr.:
Sarah J. Warden, who is the mother c
GaskiIls friend.
AEnIIa ron nnuunu