The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-11-26

, His companion clerks in the office dis
scented from this view, but Leonard
persisted.
FIRST STEP IN CLEVER SCHEME.
The time came when he was able
to verify his opinion. One day he came
across an old check of the firm by
which he was employed bearing the
certification of the Hanover National
Bank. He clipped off the banks at
testation, took it to a maker of rubber
stamps and ordered a duplicate, alleg-
ing that he had lost the stamp and
" ould lose his situation if he could not
substitute an exact copy. He was hard
to please and several stamps were
made before he was satisfied When
he had obtained what he wanted he
ordered it sent to an assumed address
in care of a branch of the Young Mems
Christian Association, forgetting to
claim and take away the Cancelled
check which he hadlef with the stamp
maker as a sample. He had the fore
thought, however, to make certain that
the new stamp was an exact reproduc-
ton of the old one. This was the first
step in the scheme, and he waited for a
futher opportunity.
OPPORTUNITY CAME QUICKLY.
It came sooner even than he had
expected. AS he stood one morning in
the City National Bank awaiting his
turn he CHANGED to overhear business
discussion which was going on between
a bank clerk and and messenger for
a brokerage firm. It concerned loan
of $500, 900 made by the bank to the
messengers firm, and the clerk was
explaining that a mistake had been
made in the interest-that it was 1-2
instead of IA per cent. as was mark
ed on the envelope. Leonard made
note of the correction and also of the
amount. 1t had occurred to him that
the opportunity for his projected coup
had arrived.
He proceeded to the Hanover Nation
al Bank and got a pad of blank checks
which any one might do without ex-
citing suspicion. Thence he went di
rectly to an obscure printer and bar
gained as to the price for printing the
name of a firm on the checks. Finally
he told the printer that he would have
one done for q sample. This was fur
nished Immediately, Leonard suggest
ing the name of the firm which owned
the securities held by the bank for the
$500 900 loan. This was a further step
toward the grand finale. Thus far it
had succeeded admirably.
GOT POSSESSION OF SECURITIES.
The youthful experimenter in the
ways of finance then boldly filled in
this check with 100000 and the
correct interest. forged the sigma
ture of the borrowing firm, used the
rubber stamp which he had provided
and sought a messenger. Leonard
seemed to have no doubt of the success
of the venture for he remained in the
street Just outside the bank while the
small boy to whom he had intrusted
the check went inside and presented it
at the proper window. There was not
the slightest hitch in the ma tier. The
securities were delivered without a mo-
ment's hesita ton, and a few moments
later they Werc handed to Leonard
who paid the boy a quarter. put the
precious envelope in his inside pocket
and returned to his daily work.
LEONARD'S FATAL MISTAKE.
/ He remained in the Office until the
/ close of business, but no one detected
anything unusual in his manner When
! business was over he closed his desk
! leisurely, exchanged his office coat for
i the one in which the securities were re
/ posing and went home. One thing only
/ had been neglected-he had forgotten
] TO confront his fellow clerks who had
affirmed their faith in the security of
/ modern bank methods with the evil
/ dence of their mistake on the fol-
/ lowing day Leonard mailed the larger
! part of the securities to their owner.
Discovery had made their negotiation
| impossible. Those retained could have
/ been deposited as collateral for a loan
in almost any bank. But the rubber
stamp came forward with his incrim-
mating evidence and the Cancelled
check which Leonard had forgotten
and the guilty and laundering young
/ Napoleon of finance met his Water
loo.
4 SEEMS ALMOST INCREDIBLE.
It seems almost incredible that ir
these days of improved banking such
an episode as that furnished by this
beardless Office boy could have occurred