The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1908-03-28
CHECKS PROTECTED
BY SECRET SIGNS.
Wealthy Men Have Ha,ks to
Prevent Forgery CT Namcs-Ona
Uses an Ordinary Blot. ...

IF all reports be true, then ,aa
life OF the millionaire. like that OF
the policeman, is most certainly not
naopy one.
There is little doubt that certain
lass OF criminals regard millionaires
IS legitimate prey, and the million
aires. knowing this, are compelled to
oontrive schemes to thwart their cum
aims. says Parsons Weekly.
the modern method of doing bust
ness by check has 20 a large extent
provided the forgcr with opportuni-
ties foT the exhibition Of his work.
naEship. Therefore many of the
milliCnaire's schemes for his protec-
ton relate to his signature on checks.
and these schemes, which usually
consist Of secret marks (entirely
apart from the signatu.e), indicate
to the bank the genuincness Of the
checks and are mostly of 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 we'll
known in Great Britain as in the
States.
His idea is an extremely simple
one. 1t 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 10000 On one
occasion alone.
Early one morning he was kid
naped. His captors threatened vio-
leEce unless they received 10000
Immediately. The millionaire
thought. Then, after hesitating for
q few minutes, he offered to write
out check for the money then and
there on the understanding that i'm
mediateiy the check was cashed he
vas to be released.
The terms were accepted and the
millionaire wrote out the check,
without. however, making the usual
suspected that something was wrong.
Payment OF the check was refused
On the ground that it was incom-
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
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 it 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 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 stat.
The private secretary provides his
employer with any cash required, re-
ceiving in exchange a duly crossed
check iOr the amount. 1t is the pri-
vate secretary, therefore. who has TO
protect his signature from forgery.
and this he does in ve:y ingenious
way. He has had copy of his sig
nature cut out of cork. This he uses
Is he would an India rubber stamp.
md he asserts that it is as impossible
% initiate the markings of the cork
Is it is to duplicate the impressions
u the human thumb.