Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1924-10-04
MASTER FORGERS'
TRICKS EXPOSED
The Perfect Forgery" Always
Has a Weak Spot That Leads
TO Penmsn'S Downfall.
NATIONWIDE DRAGNET OUT
Bankers Working Together TO Catch
Crooks Who Cause Losses Of $780,
0oo. 900 With Bad Checks Yearly.

A bogus check scheme that was so
original. sound and business-like that
Il became known in detective circles
as "the one perfect forgery" but final
iy. like all OF them. led TO It's own In.
ventor being trapped. is described by
Reuben A. Lewis. Jr.. in the American
Bankers Association Journal. The
article. which says forgeries cost the
banks and business concerns at least
$3.50, 900 900 a year, deals with the
ways OF forgers and the relentless war
fare being conducted against them by
che bankers.
Crime does not pay" MIR. Lewis
says. soon the law reaches out and
seizes the misguided operator who
thinks he can get away with IT, For
one of the peculiar things about tie
forger is that, while he may devise a
clever scheme that brings rich re
turn on It's initial trial. he continues
90 work II until caught.
Fortunately. there appears to be a
weak spot In the best laid scheme
And just as soon as this weak spot is
uncovered, It is broadcast to all the
banks in the land. So the banks. In
formed as to the method of approach
that the forger will make, and the lit
tie peculiarities Of the Job. are on the
alert to nab him when he makes his
next temperance.
The King OF Forsers
"The master forger' Is William
Hamilton Harkins. probably the most
dangerous operator known TO the
banking world, Several times in the
tolls OF the law, Harkins has managed
10 escape The daring king OF the
forgers made confession that he had
defrauded banks OF more than $780,
600 during the years of his career.
Ills scheme follows a certain set
pattern. The key TO Harkins plan
is obtaining a blank check from the
checkbook OF well known firm Re.
Gently Harkins sauntered into the Of
fee of granite dealer. He ordered a
monument and rendered check .or a
substantial part OF tho memorial He
requested the proprietor OF the store
TO permit him to dash on a letter to
his folks at home. SEEKING pro-
pitious moment, Harkins spotted his
check book, noted the exact balance,
tore out a sheaf of checks and disap-
peared.
Reproducing the proprietor's sigma.
turc, Harkins drew up sizeable
check. On the reverse side he IN
Ecribed his alias as the payee and
then added after %. X the fac-simile
OF the depositors signature. This
acted as an Identification Endorsement
so when he presented the check at the
bank IT was readily cashed.
The Weak Spot
1.-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 depositor and checked
up on It's issuance, the scheme would
have short shrift"
Banks throughout the country have
been put on guard against Harkins
and his plan and II IS believed he can.
not operate long without again falling
into the net. Tho scheme that was
pronounced unbeatable was devised
by forger known as F. Mayer and
conferred around tho certified check
fraud. M Lewis says. continuing:
IF Mayer would opcn accounts
with four or FIVE banks In a sizeable
city. The largest account ran around
5000. BY killing checks back and
forth between the several banks, he
would establish his identity with the
teliers and become known as a man
accustomed to deal in large figures.
after conducting these preliminar
ies for a few weeks, Mayer would 90
to the bank where he had his largest
account and ask that certified check
be issued to him for substantially all
OF the money remaining TO his credit
From the genuine check. he woulo
make four or Ave duplicates
In turn. Mayer would visit the 9th
or banks, where he had established
small accounts. Inasmuch as he had
cashed checks for some time, Mayer
generally had little trouble in getting
inc DAHkA 70 uoAOI liiE Ntt hAiFu
checks II teller took the precaution
Of calling the issuing bank on the tele
phone to inquire If IT had made out
such certified check, he would gain
confirmation
The Foraer Caught
"But even the perfect forgery
scheme cannot be worked with I'm
punity Mayer succeeded in defraud
ing Kansas City banks out OF t27 O0t
and made his escape. A few months
later be was walking down the streets
OF Los Angeles when a teller who had
honored one Of the bogus checks II
the middle western city recognize
him Mayer took to hts heels viii
the former teller In hot pursuit. and
the criminal lost"
The losses sustained Though for
Eeries by banks may be mainly at
tributed TO the failure Of the telers e
observe the rules against cashine
checks for strangers or allowing de
posttors to draw on uncollected items
"A relentless. rustained hunt is con
/ Quoted 10 spprehend the forgers. The
new twists, the variations In The
vnathrdo the lafeaf rupes uqqd 70 FOL