Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-03
BDHed
MNIke
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The date" Fleming explained "Those stamp
cd skins arc forwarded from Somerset House to
the various sub-offces, and they are dated on
the day they 60 out. The date figures arc very
small, and only the legal eye gives them any
value at ALL"
Field jumped up in great state Of excitement.
lie had made an important discovery
Then this is forgery, after all he said. ~
3 70 means the fourth Of April, 1898, and the
dee1 IS dated three years ago How arc you
going to get over that sirg take it, there
are no mistakes in the date?'
Even the lawyer was forced out Of his calm
manner Tor the moment. He looked very closely
ut the red stamp through his glasses. IL was
some time before he smoke
You are quite right" he said "And as TO
there being mistake in the date, that is ab
soluteIy out Of the question. You may be quite
certain that Somerset House makes mistakes
IKE that. 1t is most extraordinary"
Il don't see anything extraordinary about IT,"
Field said coolly. That rascal, clever as he
IS, mas made a mistake. Not knowing anything
oil legal matters in these minor points, IL has
never occurred to him to see whether these parch-
ment stamps are dated or not. He simply bought
SKIN and got engrossing clerk to make
out the deed. Then he put in the date and
there you are"
Stop minute, Mr. Field" Mr.. Fleming put
IN There is one little point that you have
oVeriookeo' over am quite prepared to take any
oaSn 10 Cne taet that the signature is genuine"
Field stared at the speaker He could find no
words for the ffioment He could see that Flem-
ing was In deadly earnest. The silence continued
for some time.
wei, | thought that had got to the bot
tom OF this business, but il seems to me that
l am mistaken" Field admitted. '1n the face
OF the evidence of forgery that have lust pro-
duced, your statement that the signature is gen
uine fairly staggers me-"
Inc deed purporting to have been executed
three years ago has only been executed few
days, or few months at the outside" Fleming
said what think is this-there must have
been some reason why the deed was dated back
Perhaps the old one was destroyed and this one
copied from the other, and executed say month
or two ago. Would that not meet the case? You
see l am taking legal view of it."
asked.
Absolutely On that head I do not hesitate
for moment Whatever else NAV hapnen. 7
am positive that Sir Charles wrote that sigma
ture."
Field scratched his head in puzzled kind Of
way. 1t was some time before he began to see
his way clear again. Then a happy thought
came to him.
"If they are so particular at Somerset House
the fact may help us. When those deed stamps
are sold to the public, are the numbers taken
and all that?"
$50 I understand. But what do you want to
get at! Yes, L think you right"
Anyway, I'm the right track" Field cried.
"If what ask is fact, then the people at the
subofice will be able to tell me the date that
parchment was sold / see there is a number
on the stamp. If I take that to Somerset
House"
Field spent half an hour at Somerset House,
and then he took a cab to Wandsworth He
stopped at the Inland Revenue Office there and
sent in his card Giving a brief outline of what
he wanted to the clerk he laid down his slip of
paper with the number of the stamp on it and
the date, and merely asked to know when that
was sold and to whom.
| He watched the clerk vaguely as he turned over
his book. 1t seemed long time before any
definite result was arrived at. Then the clerk
looked over his glasses.
! "I fancy I've got what you want" he said
what is the number your paperg'
"44791,'' Field said, "and the date"
Never mind dates, that is quite immaterial
Mr.. Field. You have now. That stamped
parchment was sold early this morning, just af-
ter the office open-why, 1 must have sold
it myself. Yes; there is no mistake"
With grim smile his face, Field drove
back to London. He began to see his way clear
er to the end of the mystery now.