The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-07-14
sTA|D, SOBER BANK CHECK
FALLS INTO BAD COMPANY
Presented With Forged Indorsc-
ment, 1t Finds Itself Dis.
credited.
BANK TELLER SETS 1T STRAIGHT
Owner Still Puzzled to Know How
Crook Got Hold Of Handwriting
Specimen In Order to Forge Sig
nature of X. r. Roberts.


Hearken to a plain. unvarnished tale
OF tho misadvcntures of an unpre-
tentious but highly respectable coun-
try bank check. Hearken TO the story
OF bank check. which was perfect
~ good and scrupulously honest when
II Jared forth, three weeks ago. from
the staid sober. peaceful precincts
OF the village where it was born ana
reared. amid the emincntly moral III
nucnces and environment of the First
National Bank OF North Fork. w. Va.
But, alas And exc alack.
Trailing after a theatrical attrac-
tion II fell into bad company. and this
evil association terminated In the In
evitable. 1t became corrupted. It
went crooked Instead of meeting the
Just and upright r. r. Roberts. who
was patiently waiting for 1t here, tho
good little country bank check was
diverted from its straight path by n
wicked stranger into whose hands evil
fortune flung 1t. Hence. this good
little country bank check found it.
self. a few hours after Its arrival In
Richmond. under suspicion. Nay
worse. It found Itself first discredited.
then dlshonored
LOOKED HONEST ENOUGH
At FIRST SIGHT
It's face looked honest enough, when.
accompanied BY the villain OF this
story. IL entered the First National
Bank of Richmond and made It's way
as far as the paying teller's window.
But the paying teller Is 81 man of per-
spicacity and not easily fooled by ap-
pearances. lie detected the fraud at a
glance and conhscated the false check.
"hercupon tho villain. in confusion
and confederation. beat a precipitate
retreat from the bank. abandoning the
once good little check forever
Real value. like truth
earth. will rise again. And the little
country bank check. now I'm good
hands. was put again In the path or
rcctitude. True. there was yet travail
and tribulation ahead, but tho work Of
redemption was begun. and. as will be
seen later on. the ,nisused little check
was even then retrieving It's good name
and its fair standing in banking cir
cles
The check journeyed from Richmond
TO New York City, meeting there n
business associate of the just and up
right Mr.. Roberts. who forthwith dis
patched IT back to Richmond. where
M- Roberts. who is the owner Of ex-
hibiting rights 10 the Annette Keller
mann films. received II.
Roberts looked upon the little coun-
try check, and at glance discovered
that al had not gone we'll with 1t. He
was surprised. He was amazed He
was mystihed. RE couldn't under
stand IT, the plight In which he be
held that little check from the coun-
try. at all, at all. Wherefore he hied
him right speedily TO the First Ma
tional EGnk, and seeking out the paw
Ing teller. he asked for an cxplana-
ton OF 1t. Thus the facts In the case
came out
ENVELOPE CONTAINING; CHECK
FELL. INTO DISHONEST HANDS
II appears that r. r. Roberts is "A
stakeholder and director in the First
National Bank Of North Fork. his homo
town When dividend checks were
mailed from the bank, three weeks ago
the check made payable 10 Director
Rooerts, drawn on his bank. was adj
dressed to him at the Bijou Theatre,
hichmond. The envelope containing
II was deposited by the mail carrier
on inc iedge OF the ticket window in
the lobby. Before Manager Harry
McNi"en came along to pick up his
morning mail a gust of wind whisked
The Roberts envelope and it's Enclosure
through the lobby to the sidewalk. II
Tell INTO dishonest hands. That same
day man presented the check. with
the forged signature OF F. F. Roberts
Endorsed on the back. at the First Ma
tionai Bank for payment. Mr.. Tyler,
the paying teller, noting that the check
was dividend check and drawn on
another bank, although presented by
man whose face he had frequently
seen on the streets here, suspected the
forgery and confiscated the check. The
man who had presented the forged
paper departed.
Then Mr.. Tyler forwarded the divi-
dend check to Mr.. Roberts In New
York. Mr.. Roberts, however, was In
Richmond. looking after his show at
the Bljou. and the check returned from
New York. reached him here.
well the 1Dvste,.y
solved" Roberts remarked to the nav
Ing teller of the First National yes
terday. But there is still une thing
ina; puzzles me greatly. am a
stranger here How did that crook
get hold of a specimen of my hand
writing, enabling him to make such a
good counterfeit of my signature?"
And. as for the little country bank
check, its honor has been redeemed. 1t
Is now money in the bank"
DR.. Morris Improving.
ht