The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1911-10-19

he came to the office and requested
us 10 go with him to the bank as
ne wanted to draw a draft. We
politely offered 10 do SO but in
formed him that we would not en-
dorse his draft as we made IL a
rule not to endorse strangers pa
pers
We then went across to the bank
and introduced him to Mr.. A. S.
Manning, the cashier. Hunter i'm
mediately told Mr.. Manning that he
had purchased the Observer and
that he wanted to draw a draft on
tne FIRST National Bank of Los
Angeles, Cal, for five thousand doll
ars. Mr.. Manning drew the draft
and presented 1t to Hunter to sign
which he did without even reading
the amount. Hunter also requested
the draft sent direct and not
through a New York bank so it
could be collected as early as pos
sfble. Thursday afternoon we came
TO the office about seven O'Clock. af-
ter the office force had gone home
ard everything was supposed to
have been locked up and found
Hunter doing some printing. He
mad remained in the office after
closing hours in order he claimed
.oS W uS III Iht way. Wnen we
first entered he was picking up
some papers off the floor and SEEM
ed 70 be In a hurry. Upon exam
nation we found his name set up
In type on the job stone with red
INK on the face of the type. This
was somewhat unusual to use red
lnk and especially in printing ones
name on a card case, which he
claimed he was doing. His very
actions and the work he was do
Ing looked suspicious, so much so
that we remarked about it next
day to the boys in the office. Fri
DAY night we left town and did not
return until Sunday morning, in
forming Hunter of this. Saturday
morning Hunter came down to his
breakfast dressed as If he intended
going away. The lady at the hotel
noticed this, owing toa the fact his
dress during the week had been on
the sporty order, consisting of
white trousers and soft shirt and
collar and went so far as to figure
up his board bill. Pretty soon af-
ter the banks opened he appeared
at the Bank of Latta and asked
Mr.. Manning to cash a little New
York exchange for him, saying that
ne needed little money for expen-
ses and it would be several days be-
lore his draft would return.
To make a long story short he 20
turned down but only after putting
up such a strong argument that
Mr. Manning became suspicious
and sent his assistant clerk out to
see If he boarded the train. He
canned he knew banker in Char
leston and would run down there
nh
clerk tailed to see him board the
train but he left, however. without
paying his board bill or getting his
baggage. and wrote a card to the
motel from Florence, saying he
would return Monday and to keep
mis- room just as he had left.
MONDAY morning Mr.. Manning
received September number of
the American Bankers Association
Magazine and found a photograph
and description of Hunter who had
operated out West under several
aliases. The association was i'm
medlately wired that he had been
mere and plans were made to trap
him in case he returned Mondav
night. He failed to show up, but
Tuesdays mail brought a letter
from him postmarked in Colum-
oia saying that he had been forced
10 go to Columbia to get some ex-
pense money and that on reaching
tnere he found a letter from his
sister saying she was critically i'll
and that he was leaving Colum bia
that night to go to her, but failed
TO state where she was. He re-
quested further that we have the
motel proprietor to take charge of
nls baggage, which he would send
ior at some future time. We sup
Fosed then that he had left some
worthless baggage along with his
board bill and Immediately hunted
up the chief of police and searched
MS baggage which was found to
contain about one hundred dollars
worth OF wearing apparel. His
nand bag was securely fastened and
IL was sometime before we found a
Key to fit so it could be examined.
IL was found to contain a protecto-
graph and some type with red
INK on the faces Hanover National
Bank N. Y.
Inc whole thing now was ex-
planned. Hunters reason for ad-I
vcrtising to buy a newspaper was
10 se- access to the plant So he
oou:d print his bogus checks and
tnat was what he was doing in the
oltIce the Thursday evening before.
inc New York exchanges used by
most ranks are similar to the re-
guar checks but have printed in
red letters in the left hand conner
the naule of the New York Bank
they do business with. This ac-
counted for his using red ink. He
no doubt prepared several checks ON
some bank in the West and wouId
nave passed one on Mr.. Manning
had he allowed him.
A detective came here the We'd
nesday night following and fol-
lowed him to Columbia, where he