, 1924-10-01
MASTER FORCERS'
TRICKS EXPOSED
The perfect Forgery" Always
Has a Weak Spot That Leads
to Penman's Downfall.
NATIONWIDE DRAGNEI OUT

~
nationwide ORAGNEJ OUT
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..,k... MARTINA rocether 70 Catch
$500. wi, c,,.. o.... a. $50.
80 noo Win a.a heck. Yearly.
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noru. check scheme that was &c
.,t.,r.i vound and business.ike thu,
:, h.c,m. tnovn In detectiye ci-cle,
-. an. ~. n.rtoc, ,orv.rx ;, hi, Hpa,
". ike ALI Of them. led to its own In.
vsntcr h.ins trapped. in described By
p.vh., AT.v,. IL I'm the American
p,rr.r. Association Journal. The
.r,icI. vhich ..x. ~forrsriss cost the
h.rt. 80 hu.,r... roncerns At least
s,ea oae "A. y..r A~.I. vith tn
80. ~ s.r.,, - ths rsieptlss. var.
80. 80. c..av.,.a .~.in.. thsm hv
..n..k... 10. r -
.cr,,,. A.. mt nav Mr.. L.svts
go .rco, ~. Ia rs.cses cut And
49,. ~. m-t.,vIasA VIM
th,rI. n. -, - .v.v vi,h IL For.
m. ~ ~. ,~.cmIi.r thfnr. ahsut the
,.,..r a. thai vhiIe - NAV deviss q
,,.v.. .chemc ina, hr,nrs = rich -
nm ~, ~, t.iti.I trtsi. he continues
y. loot 4, ..,u ..u.St-
.-rortvn.telv- thsre ap,eau u be =
-..r .cot n ths b>.e said sehems
Ana ,ust =. .oon a. this weak soot il
urcc,.red 4, 4. broadcast to ali the
h.,h. In The I.rd 90 the banks. in.
,ormed =. "a n. methoA NJ approach
! that hal orrer will make. and the lii
tia o~ecuif.rities Of the lob. are on the
alert to nah him when he makes his
mart
The Kin Of Foruer,
..rhe master sorrsr. In william
| Hamilton Harkius probably the most
dan,srous >~ner.tor known to the
banking world. Several times in the
tolls of the Law. Harkins has MANAGED
to . The daring king of the
foreers made n confession that he had
aafrauded banks of moro than $500.
900 during the year, of his career.
.His scheme follows 4 certain set
patteru. The kew to Hsrkins' plan
il obtaining a plank check from the
checkbook Of . we'll known arm. Re.
Gently Hark,ns sauntered into the Of
Ace Of a granite dealer. He ordered a
onume and rendered a check for a
substantial part Of the memorial. He
requested the proprietor of the store
In hermit him Tn dash on a letter 10
his folks at home. seixInx a uro.
pitious ome Harkins spotted his
checkbook. noted the a balance,
tore out a sheaf Of check and disap.
peared.
Reproducing the proprietor.. sigma.
ture. H.rkins drew nm a sir.sbIe
CHECK ON the rexsr.e side N. In.
scribed his alias al the navee ana
then added after % X. the facsimile
OF the depositor's signature. This
acted as an Identification Endorsement.
so when hs presentsd the check At ths
bank 1t vas readily ea.hsa
The ws.k s..t
"rhs weak spot IN Hsrkin.. sch.m.
il the Identification Endorsement. II
the teller. before cashinr anv ehect
bearing this alleged Enforcement. teIe.
phoned to the depositor and CHECKED
up on its issuance. the scheme vould
have short shrttt."
Banks throughout the eountrv b.v.
been put on guard axainst Harkins
and his plan and IL In believed he can.
not operate Ionr without again falling
into the net. Thu scheme that was
pronounced unbeatable vas Devised
BY 4 forgsr known A. r. MAYER ana
conferred around The certified ch.cs
fraud. Mr.. Lewis says, continuing:
IF. Mayer would open accounts
with four or ave banks In /. .issabIe
city. The largest account ran around
3 $1,000. By kiting checks back and
forth between the o banks. he
would establish his identity with the
tellers and become knovp Al. a man
accustomed to deal in large nrure..
"After c~onductip. ,h... ,r.Itu,..,