The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-02-12
SECRET CHECK SIGNS,
Ways by Which MiIIionaires Pro-
tect Their Signatures.
FOILs AGAINST FORGERlES.

FOILs AGAINST FORGERlES.
In the Absence Of the Hidden Mark
Bank Will Refuse to Pay-An In
stance Which Shows How the Secret
Sign May Serve Other Purposes.
If all reports be true, then the life
Of the millionaire, like that of the po-
liceman, is most certainly not a happy
one.
There is little doubt that certain
class Of criminals regard millionaires
as legitimate prey, and the million
aires. knowing this, are compelled to
contrire schemes to thwart their cum
ming
The modern method of doing busi-
ness by check has to a large extent
provided the forger with opportunities
for the exhibition Of his workmanship.
Therefore many of the lnillionaire's
schemes for his protection relate to
his signature on checks, and these
schemes, which usually consist of Sc
cret marks entirely apart from the
signature, Indicate to the bank the
genuineness of the checks and are
mostly of simple character.
Far and away the most clever idea
for protecting a check signature is the
one utilized by an American million
aire whose name is as we'll known IN
Great Britain as in the States.
His idea is an extremely simple one.
It is this: On the back of each check
tit he signs he makes a tiny blot,
which looks so innocent and natural.
But should the blot be missing then
the bank will decline to honor the
check. This little blot saved thu mil
lionaire $4,000 on one occasion alone.
Early one morning he was kidnapped.
His captors threatened violence unless
they received 100000 Immediately. The
millionaire thought. Then, after hesl-
tation for a few minutes, he offered to
write out check for the money then
and there on the understanding that
Immediately the check was cashed he
was to be released.
The terms were accepted, and the
millionaire wrote out the check, but
he left out>the blot. He certainly had
great confidence in his plan, for it was
impossible to tell what might happen
when the check was presented and
payment Of it refused.
However, the kidnapers went of to
the bank and presented the check. Of
course the cashier looked for the blot,
and when he saw that it was missing
he suspected that something was
wrong. Payment of the check was
refused on the ground that it was in
complete, and the men went away, fol-
lowed by officials of the bank, who
were fortunately able to rescue the
millionaire from the desperadoes
hands
Another man Of great wealth dis
poses Of the signature difficulty in a
different way altogether. he protects
himself by never giving an uncrossed
check, and this fact has duly been
notified to the bank.
Each day his bank pass book is ex-
amlned by his private secretary, and If
there is an entry in the book which
has no business there then the matter
can be looked into at once. Of course
if the bankers pass forged check,
then, generally speaking. they must
bear the loss themselves.
This system has many disadvan-
tages. 1t means that the man mnst
never allow his check book out of his
possession and must place unreserred
confidence in his secretary and his
staff.
The private secretary supplies his
employer with any cash required, re-
ceiying in exchange duly crossed
check for the amount. 1t is the private
secretary, therefore. who has to protect
his signature from forgery. and this
he does in . very ingenious way. He
has had copy of his signature cut
out Of cork This he uses as he would
an india rubber stamp, and he claims
that it is as impossible to initiate the
markings Of the cork as it is impossi-
BILE to duplicate the impression OF the
human thumb.
At any rate, the novelty Of the idea
has suficed to scare of would be for
gers, for it is stated that no one has
ever attempted to copy the cork sig
nature.
Placing a small grease spot on the
check is another protective idea,
though the spot has in this case to be
precisely in prearranged position.
In further case the check is never
torn out Of the check book quite
straight. There is always a little
piece torn of down part of one side,
seemingly in quite an accidental man
ner
But still all these devices may fail
at times, and in every case the expert
ence and cuteness Of the bank officials
afford additional protection. Indeed,
this experience is perhaps the greatest
safeguard of alI-Pearson's Weekly.