The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1924-11-07
MASTER FORCERS'
TRICKS EXPOSED
The Perfect Forgery" Always
Has a Weak Spot That Leads
70 Penman's Downfall.
NATIONWIDE DRAGNET OUT
.,,kers Working Together to Catch
Crooks Who Cause Losses OF $780,
600 900 With Bad Checks Yearly.

iv ike all OF them. LED 10 It's own IA
ysntor being trapped. is described by
parben A. Lewis. Jr-. In the American
p.rkers Association Journal The
s-,,cle. which says forgeries cost the
hanks and business concerns at least
tts0 600 900 a year. deals with the
ways OF forgers and the relentless war
fare being conducted against them by
the bankers
~crime does not pay" Mr. Lewis
.,vs soon the Law reaches out and
seIzes the misguided operator who
thinks he can get away with II. For
one OF the peculiar things about tie
forser is that. while he may devise a
rleyer scheme that brings a rich re
turn on its initial trial, he continues
10 work II until caught
Fortunately. there appears to be
weak spot In the best laid scheme
And iust as soon as this weak spot is
uncovered. II Is broadcast to all the
hanks in the land. So the banks. In
formed as TO the method OF approach
that the forger will make. and the 1T
lie pecuiarities of the JOB. are on the
alert 10 nab him when he makes his
next temperance.
The King :. .orgers
"The master forger' is William
Hamilton Harkins. probably the most
dangerous operator known to the
barking world. Several times in the
tolls of the law. Harkins has managed
to escape The daring king Of the
forgers made a confession that he had
defrauded banks OF more than $780,.
600 during the years OF his career.
His scheme follows a certain set
pattern. The key to Harkins' plan
is obtaining a blank check from the
checkbook OF q well known firm Re
Gently Harkins sauntered into the OF
fee OF a granite dealer. He ordered a
monument and rendered a check for a
substantial part of the memorial. He
requested the proprietor of the store
to permit him to dash eff letter to
pitlous moment. Harklns spotted his
checkbook. noted the exact balance
tore out a sheaf OF checks and disap
peared
Reproducing the proprietor's sigma
ture Harkins drew up sizeable
scribed his alias as the payee and
then added after o. X the facsimile |
of the depositor's signature This |
acted as an Identification Endorsement |
80 when he presented the check at the |
bank II was readily casted
The Weak Spot
The weak spot in Harkins' scheme |
is the Identification Endorsement. II /
the teller, before cashing any check |
bearing this alleged Endorsement. tele |
phoned to the deposition and checked
up on its Issuance. the scheme would
have short shrift"
Banks throughout the country have
been put on guard against Harkins
and his plan and It is believed he can.
not operate long without again falling
into the net The scheme that was
pronounced unbeatable was devised (
by forger known as F. Mayer and
conferred around the certified check
fraud. Mr. Lewis says. continuing:
IF. Mayer would open accounts
with four or ave banks In a sizeable
city. The largest account ran around
10000. BY kiting checks back and
forth between the several banks. he
would establish his identity with the
tellers and become known as a man
accustomed to deal In large figures.
After conducting these preliminar
les for few weeks. Mayer would go
10 the bank where he had his largest
account and ask that a certified check
De issued to him for substantially all
Of the money remaining 10 his credit.
From the genuine check. he would
make four or five duplicates.
In turn. Mayer would visit the 9th
Or banks, where he had established
mail accounts. Inasmuch as he had
'ashed checks for some time. Mayer
generally had little trouble In getting
ne banks to honor the certified
'hecks. II q teller took the precaution
u calling the Issuing bank on the tele'
none to inquire II II had made out
uch certified check. he would gain
confirmation.
The Forosr Caught
But even the perfect forgery
cheme cannot be worked with i'm
unity. Mayer succeeded In defraud
ne Kansas City banks out OF $4,000
nd made his escape. A few months
alter he was walking down the streets
y Los Angeles when . teller who had
IGNORED one OF the bogus checks In
ne middle western city recognized
I'm. Mayer took to his heels with
ne former teller In hot pursuit. and
he criminal lost"
The losses sustained through for :
cries BY banks may be mainly at
riouted to the failure OF the tellers to
oserve the rules against cashing
hecks for strangers or allowing de
ositors to draw on uncollected items
relentless, rustained hunt is con
ucied to apprehend the forgers The
eN twists. the variations In the
'ethods. the latest ruses used are fol
wed by the detectives The modes
operation are brosdcasted through