Evening star., 1911-01-07

name of the person the swindier will pur-
port to be when he is passing his spuri-
Gus paper. This confederate will be much
IN evidence around the hotel, giving the
clerks and ether employees abundant op
portunity to become familiar with him.
The principal crook will work the trick
and then hasten to his home town. where
ne makes it point to pay number of
outstanding bills. When he pays his gro
Ger it may be the tenth day of the month.
but he will remind the grocer that it is
the ninth. and ten chances to one the
grocer will not notice the error. He may
Pay half dozen bills in the same way.
-
When the law finally gets hold of him
was not the man
Proves Al1b1 who stayed there,
u1;xh.,& m. and can also prove
Wltnout ClaW. by the records Of his
tradesmen tnat he was in his home town
the very day he is accused of having been
somewhere else. Usually his alibi stands
and the law is cheated.
The American Bankers Association has
a bureau whose duty it is to run down
every criminal who defrauds or attempts
to defraud any of its members. promi-
nent detective agency Is engaged by the
year to trace swindlers and burglars, and
1t has been so successful in apprehending
violators of the law that swindlers have
playing the protective sign. Some time
ago confidence game was worked on a
western bank. Later the bank received a
letter by mail making full restitution and
berating 1t for not displaying the protec-
tive sign. What is poor fellow to do, .
said the writer. 'if you do not let him
know in advance that you are protected? -
This association also maintains a publica-
ton. several pages Of which are given to
the exposure of all the different methods
and tricks resorted to by swindlers Of all
classes and descriptions. Many of these
tricks are concocted by men who for
merly were bankers, and they are the
ones for which the banker must be on
the alert.
1t is said that the Post Office Depart
ment and the express companies transfer
Government Losses lars a year.
Comparatively Small. Sn' do net Set tnss ,oss
anywhere near as much in proportion as
the banks. This is due partly to the
fact that as soon a money order Is is
sued the office on which 1t Is drawn is
notified, and If there is any reason to be
suspicious the paying office is warned.
The present Postmaster General has de-
cided to eliminate this advance advice,
but many bankers regarded it as one of
the best safeguards Of the system and
have urged banks to adopt 1t.
Sometimes the swindlers of banks are
men employed in the banks. Knowing
all the ins and outs of the business. they
are able to find the weakest spots. One
fellow not long ago took to the practice
of checking on the dormant accounts
accounts that have lain idle for q long
period. Another clerk, who was assist
ant receiving teller. held back money and
deposit slips, and thus was able to use a
large sum of money for long time.
Sometimes the bank clerk unwittingly
lays the foundations that afterward make
him a defaulter. Not long ago the auditor
of a large bank was checking up it's ac-
counts and discovered some packages OF
bills containing note saying that the
cashier. the paying teller or the receiv-
ing teller had borrowed a dollar here and
another there, for personal use. He rep
rimanded them severely. asserting that
the law requires all loans to be passed
upon by the board. and these were loans
as much as IL they had been entered upon
the formal minutes Of the board of di-
rectors.
1t is said that the banks of Pittsburg
lost $7,JOO,OOO In single year through
the dishonesty Of Of
PlttSburg Banks fcials and employees.
rr A sort Of Bertillon
system is to be tried.
so that IL clerk or an Official should go
| wrong he could be the more easily locat-
ed. But more than that. the knowledge OF
the fact that this precaution has been
taken is expected to act as a deterrent for
many a young man who might otherwise
be tempted to go wrong. One Official was
recently presented with 5000 for his
| wise conduct of the affairs of the bank
with which he was connected. and not
| long afterward it was found that he was
| an emhezzler ON a large scale.