Amador ledger., 1907-07-26
Running Down a
FOrger.

testimony cleared his prisoner, al
though he had a good case, but he did
not hold it up against her, as would
have been natural
For long weeks kept tab on Hogan
as a citizen. He acted just as another
man would. His admiration for the
little widow impelled him to seek an
introduction. After that he was hard
hit. He became frequent caller, and
in time we all came to know that he
was one of her suitors and the favored
one. 1t seemed funny that he should
send her bouquets and don dress suit
, and accompany her to the theater.
One day was surprised out Of my
boots by the detective sitting down
with me and giving me his confidence.
Don't imagine it was about any off,
cial case. 1t was as man that he
wanted to talk with me about being In
love with the widow. A very young
man or an old bachelor will often do
that. She. hadn't accepted him in SO
many words, but he was sure that his
love was reciprocated. He was low
ing her as man, but he had sized her
up as a detective. From his reading
of her character she was close upon
the order of angelic. He had looked
for flaw in vain. He was satisfied.
and more than satisfied, and naturally
he wanted all others to be so. I could
tell you here that 1 differed with him
in many respects, not orally, but men,
| tally, and thus make out that l was
| possessed of superior acumen, but i
| am not posing in that direction. To
some one else 1 might have said my
say, but not to Hogan. He would have
been down OH me at the first word.
The case In which the widow had
been witness for the defense was
one of forgery. About the time Hogan
gave me his confidence three banks
were victimized the same day. Sigma
lures of depositors were counterfeited
and over $4,000 hauled in. In each
| case the check was presented by
woman, fairly tall woman, weeping
! glasses and supposed to be over mid
| die age. AS her identity was vouched
| for, the teller had to count out the
| money. The case was given to Hogan,
and he took it up with the utmost
ardor and confidence. A week passed,
and there were two more forgeries.
Then, few days later, two or three
| checks were kited. 1t was all done
by the same woman, and yet Hogan
hadn't struck a clew. He was so hot
on the trail, however, that she changed
her tactics. She intrusted the checks
| to an old man and raised $4,000 in O
| day. whats the matter with Ho-
gan?" was being asked at headquar
| tiers; but, bestir himself as he would
| and did, he could not advance his case.
BY forgery and check raising the gang
scooped in nearly $4,000, and not one
of them was spotted.
Then occurred what some of US call
| ed laughable thing and made merry
over. Hogan was a thrifty man. He
had saved money from his salary, and
he had specialized, and his bank ac-
count stood very close to $4,000. He
| was q depositor at state bank, and
one day the same old man presented
check for $4,000 and drew out the
money. 1t was Hogan's signature as
plain as day, and he had not only
vouched for the signature of the 9TH
er, but had sent along a brief note.
The teller tried to reach him at head
quarters, but failed to get the con-
nection, and the check was paid. Two
hours later Hogan was roaring around
that bank like an angry lion. He had
been done for. 1t was only natural
that he should call on the widow that
evening to relate his loss, and, her
| sympathies being aroused, the climax
came-that is, she leaned her head on
| his stalwart shoulder and murmured
that she would be his. She was sorry
| both.
Two evenings later he went up to
make sure of the date of the wedding
| day, and she was out. He did not go
again for q week, being busy on his
case, and when he next appeared the
house was empty and had been for
several days. His petite fiancee had
fed. For day or two the man fought
hard against the belief that he had
been duped. Then the man took
| back seat, and the detective came to
the front, and 1t did not take him long
to figure out things. The cute little
widow was no widow at all, but the
wife Of an adventurer. She had been
an actress, and she knew all about
makeups. She had been driven to ev-
cry bank in a carriage in shoes that
increased her natural height by six
inches. Pencil and paint had put on
wrinkles and lines, and she had taken
care to dress for the occasion. Hogan
himself would not have known her ON
the street Her husband had been
just as artfully disguised, and when
the point of safety had been reached
the field had been abandoned.
The thing must have come hard on
| the man, but he was full of grit, and
| he braced up. He was given carte
blanche as to his movements for q
year, and he drew out the balance of
his money and crossed the ocean on a
| trail he had picked up. For ten months
he followed the couple over Europe.
| losing the trail here and there, but al
ways picking it up again, and then oae
day, when he was within twenty miles
Of a Swiss hotel where the couple were
topping. his train was wrecked. and
he was numbered with the dead. We
l!Gn't critic:se his falling in love or
his false reading of human nature, but
re read the newspaper paragraph and