The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1909-09-22
FRAUD BY TELEGRAPH
Bold SWindIes Perpetrated by
Use of the Wire.
THE WAY A BANK WAS FOOLED

A Lot Of Nerve and Little Telegram
That Was Properly Delivered by One
of the company's Messenger Boys
Made a Winning Combination.
Ninety nine men out Of hundred
will accept as gospel truth the contents
of a telegram when 1t comes from the
hands Of messenger boy. They buy
and sell, pay out large sums Of money,
start ON long journeys and do countless
other things upon the suggestion Of the
little yellow or white paper slips with
their condensed messages without in
the least questioning their authenticity.
This Is an interesting fact, upon which
hinges an enormous amount OF the
country's business, and 1t is also fact
upon which hinge some of the clever
est and boldest frauds In criminal rec
ords.
A lot Of nerve and little telegram
was a combination that made possible
smooth swindle on a Des Moines
bank. A well dressed man, apparently
business man of large affairs. called
at the paying teller's window with a
draft or check on an Omaha bank and
asked II the Omaha bank had tele-
graphed notice that the draft was
good. He got mo" for an answer and
then informed the teller that such a
telegram might be expected at any
moment. Soon afterward the telegram
arrived, delivered by a messenger boy,
appearing to have come from the Oma-
la bank and authorizing the Des
Moines bank to pay the draft. When
the stranger appeared again he was
given the $500. When the Des Moines
bank people took up the matter by
wire with the Omaha bank 1t found
that the latter institution had not sent
the telegram, and then 1t was discov-
cred that the whole transaction was 4
fraud.
But how could the swindlers send a
telegram from Omaha bearing the
banks name? They did 1t In this
manner: An accomplish of the Des
Molnes man stepped to telephone
booth In Omaha and called the tele-
graph office. This is the - bank, !"
he said. Send messenger at once
to get telegram for Des Moines."
entrance of the Omaha bank to meet
the messenger and there handed him
the message for Des Moines. The
telegraph company had no reason to
believe otherwise than that the bank
had actually signed the message. and
1t transmitted It. The Des MOines
bank also accepted the telegram as
of genuineness, and 1t paid out the
money to the swindlers, who timed
their fraud so that they got out OF
reach of the law on trains that left
Immediately after their game had beer
worked.
In two smaller western towns q sim
liar game was worked. only for sevel
or eight times the amount. An alleges
horse buyer appeared In one Of tn
towns and made purchase of carloa,
of fine animals to be delivered an
paid for at later day, preceding
which he made the acquaintance Of tn
officers of one of the banks. On tn
day fixed for the delivery of the horse
the alleged buyer deposited In tn
bank draft for large amount draw
on bank In another town hundre
miles away. At the same time tn
bank received telegram purportln
to come from the distant bank author
izing the payment OF this draft Th
bank believed the telegram. paid on
the money and then discovered tha
the telegram was fraudulent. 1t ha
not been sent by the second bank, bu
by confederate Of the alleged hors
buyer Later Developments DISCLOSED
that this accomplice had called up tn
telegraph Office In the distant town b.
telephone This IL -. cashier of tn
- bank" he said. please send thi
telegram for me-" Then he gave tn,
message authorizing the first bank Il
pay the bogus draft and this message
the telegraph company sent withou
suspecting that 1t was fraudulent.
Some years ago an eastern man wa
induced TO invest In worthless mining
stock on the basis of fraudulent tele
gram purporting to come from an ex
pert he had sent out to investigate tn,
mining property, but which was II
reality sent in manner similar to thu
above by confederate. This eastern
mans faith in kilograms cost him some
thing more than $4,000.
The story of fraud with an anus
Ing side comes from across the water
with London man Of rather convivia
habits as the victim. This man wal
forgetful and used to leave at home hi
office and safe keys. He also had .
practice of leaving the city surrepti
tiously for a day now and then for .
conviviai time with friends, all un
known TO his wife. One day this bust
ness man went on one Of his periodical
jaunts, and rogue who knew hi
habits ventured to send this telegram
to his wife: please send my keys
Love. Freddy" In due course Of tint
the keys were delivered at the Office
door, and the rogue was there to re
ceive them. He ransacked the Who'll,
office at his leisure, safe and all. Lat
that night the business man came hom
and was leased by his wife for his for
getfulness This was news to him
out he kept his counsel. The mex
morning he discovered that his ofiic,
had been robbed.-B X. Mann in Pitts
burg Dispatch.
The affections are like lightning. Yo'
rannot tell where they will strike unit