Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1908-02-07
CHECKS PROTECTED
BY SECRET SIGNS.
Wealthy Men Have Marks TO
Prevent Forgery Of Names One
Uses an Ordinary Blot.

II all reports be true. then the
life of the millionaire. like that Of
the policeman, is most certainly not
a happy one.
There is little doubt that certain
r class Of criminals regard millionaires
as legitimate prey. and the million
aires, knowing this, are compelled TO
contrive schemes to thwart their cum
ming, says Pearson's Weekly.
The modern method OF doing busi-
ness by check has to a large extent
provided the forger with opportuni-
ties for the exhibition of his work.
manship. Therefore many of the
millionaire's schemes for his protec-
ton relate to his signature on checks.
and these schemes, which usually
consist Of secret marks Centirely
apart from the signature), indicate
to the bank the genuineness of the
checks and are mostly of a simple
character.
Far and away the most clever
idea for protecting check signature
/ is the one utilized by an American
\ millionaire whose name is as wei
known in Great Britain as in tn,
States.
His idea is an extremely simple
one. It IS this: On the back Of each
check that he signs he makes 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 the millionaire $4,000 on one
occasion alone
Early one morning he was kid
naped His oaptors threatened vio-
lence unless they received 10000
Immediately. The millionaire
thought Then. after hesitating for
a few minutes, he offered to write
out check for the money then and
there on the understanding that i'm
mediately the check was cashed he
was to be released.
The terms were accepted and the
millionaire wrote out the check,
without, however, making the usual
blot on the back. The bank oflicial1
suspected that something was wrong
Payment of the check was refused
on the ground that It was ineom-
plete. 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 pro-
tects himself by never giving an un-
crossed check. and this fact has been
duly noted by the bank.
Each day his bank passbook is
examined 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. II the bankers pass a
forged check, then. generally speak
ing. they must bear the loss them
selves.
This system has many disadvan-
tages. 1t means that the man must
never allow his check book out of
his possession and must place unre-
served confidence in his secretary and
his staff
The private secretary provides his
employer with any cash required, re-
eeiving in exchange a duly crossed
check for the amount 1t is the pri-
yate secretary. therefore, who has to
protect his signature from forgery.
and this he does in very ingenious
way. He has had a copy Of his sig.
nature cut ont of cork This he uses
as he would an India rubber stamp,
and he asserts that it is as impossible
to initiate the markings of the cork
as it is to duplicate the impressions
Of the human thumb.