Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-02-09
DOZEN MERCHANTS
FLEECED BY NEW
CHECK MANIPULATOR
Drawn by the Wholesale and tne
Scheme Was so Clever mat
il Worked.
BOGUS NAMES WERE USED

More than a dozen merchants or tnis
city have in the past two weeks been
the victim OF a particularly bold crook
who has gotten them to cash checks
drawn on a fictitious person by nc
titious firm. The merchants who were
fleeced dealt with the Central Naional
Bank. Security Trust Co. Farmers
Rank and Second Street branch Of the
Wilmington Trust co. but all checks
were drawn on the Wilmington Trust
Co. on printed stationery Of that IN
stitution.
The amounts Of the checks We're
small. being either for $3.50 or S26 30.
and because of the fiimflam game used
By the crook In Offering means OF
identified ton 10 the merchants. all OF
the checks were cashed without ques-
ton. This means OF Identification was
ordinary brass check that workmen
Of larger industries arc given 20 save
time and aid in the bookkeeping.
While the Wilmington merchants
were fieeced nearly two weeks ago. the
news did not leak out until this morn
INK. when one of the dealers. who is
member of the Chamber Of Com
rnerce, wrote to that organization. eX-
plaining how he had been deceived. and
asking that the check be returned TO
him, as he wishd to presesve II as
souvenir Of his stupidity.
So far as could be learned all Of the
checks were drawn about January y
and evidently were cashed that day.
The checks used were the usual green
tinted ones given 70 patrons Of the
, Wilmington Trust Co. There was no
Wilmington date line on the check, the
only date being at the bottom OF the
check, where was printed
The Bradford Foundry and Machine
Company, Manufactures. lI2 Canal
street
Underneath this firm name was the
signature written In Of H. A. Kennedy
Each check was made out 10 the order
Of Harold Glasener. and the check also
made TO look more like corporation pa
because OF the protection printed on
it which read not good for more than
| 800"
New angle 70 the swindle and the
| one which turned the trick on the mer-
chant was a statement printed on the
| back Of the check. Il read like this: :
Notice-as a means Of identity, every
employe is furnished with a brass check.
| the number OF which must correspond
to the payroll number or the face Of
this check.
Brass Disc Turned the Trick.
/ The mode Of procedure OF the man
/ presenting the bogus check was 10
| enter a store and purchase small
| quantity Of goods and then present the
! check in payment In each instance.
! when the merchant looked TO see II
| the check had been indorsed. he noted
=
| ing the identity Of the employe. This
/ resulted in a request for the brass
| check. and when this was produced.
the merchant did not bother 10 ask any
/ more questions. but cashed the check.
| In most instances the bill Of goods
bought was small. amounting TO but
two or three dollars. so that the man
presenting the bogus check usually re-
ceived between SIS and $50 change.
One thing that has occurred to the
merchants who were f1eeced. since the
checks were returned TO them marked
no funds" is that they never inquired
about the location Of the, Bradford
Foundry and Machine Company
The man who worked" the checks IS
described as being between 90 and 25
years old, smooth faced. feet 10 inch
es high, weighing $50 pounds with dark
hair, fair complexion dark clothes, with
overalls. and soft hat He gave the i'm
preston that he was more than an
ordinary mechanic despite his wearing
overalls
Most of the checks were presented
after O'Clock in the afternoon. when
the banks mad closed and also. when
the merchants had received consider
able money from the days sales and
were able to cash small checks easily
The matter has been placed in the
hands Of the Wilmington detective
force and also the secret service OF
the American Bankers Protective AS
sociation. The latter officials announce
that the game is q new one, where it
makes identity apparently assured
through the use of the brass checks.