New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-12-05
LOVE FOR FORGERY
LED HIM TO RUIN
Tonopah Stock Swindler
Once Trusted in BuSi-
ness World.

Alfred Hunter, forty-thrce years old,
Of No. - West Goth street. who says
he is a natural forgcr. although for
more than fifteen wears he led the
regular life Of a trusted employe IN
downtown business ofico. pleaded
guilty to forgery N the hrst degree
Yesterday before Judge Foster, In Cen
eral Sessions According 10 Charles +.
Bostwick. Assistant District Attorney
Hunter is the man who caused he
furry in North Star Tonopah stock
last summer through his forgeries.
Although Hunter turned TO stock
forgeries because of his familiarity
with the market his most artistic
work was done on checks. He not only
forged signatures and Endorsements,
but also sketched the check itself
script. blanks and all-with pen and
ink. So cunning was his work that
banks certified and paid the checks
without question.
His downfall was due to a miscal-
culation Of the balance the firm "t
Jones & Baker. brokers. kept on hand
in q certain bank. Hunter had certl-
fed and cashed one check for $500 IN
this bank and attempted TO do the
same thing with check for 5000.
The $500 check he gave TO NJ. \.
Forgotston, a jeweler in payment for
iewelry. When the check was pre-
sented Forgotston was told that 1t
could not be cashed Immediately, as
II would constitute an overdraft. For
potston became suspicious and took
the check to the Office OF Jones d
Baker. There it was pronounced
forgery.
When Hunter sent boy for the
Jewels the lad was followed by de
,ectives. who finally discovered that
Hunter himself was trailing the boy to
see if he was followed. They lmmedi-
ately put Hunter under arrest. After
his arrest il was discovered that he
was the man wanted for the Tonopah
stock forgery.
The indictment 10 which he pleaded
guilty charges the forgery or "A l'"Vo-
share stock certificate of the Tonopah
North Star Tunnel and Development
Company. He is said TO have obtained
81 900 on this certificate. His method
was 10 buy stock outright thus getting
his name on a brokers books and AT
the same time obtaining model from
which bogus certificates could be made.
lie took his model to an engraVer IN
Newark or In Brooklyn and had copies
made. The necessary signatures would
be forged by Hunter and the certificate
sent TO the broker, to sell or to be used
az collateral
Last July, when glowing reports sent
Tonopah North Star soaring, the mar
ket was flooded with bogus certificates.
John c. Weir, of the brokerage firm
of Weir Brothers, said that his invest-
cations showed that S42,OOO I'm $1,000
certificates had been forged. and about
$1,000 I'm certificates ranging from
500 to $1,000 Others estimated the
amount OF worthless certificates in cir
culation at as high a figure as SlOo-
600. Mr.. Weir said that he believed
the game had been worked in Chicago.
Hunter, who has accumulated lalf
a dozen aliases in his brief career as
a forger, told Assistant District At
torney Bostwick that he had only been
I'm the game for few months. He had
for years been employed by well
known downtown firm. The stock
market mred him and his work put him
in a position to follow it closely. He
finally became a somewhat reckless
speculator.