Year: 1867




THE BROADWAY BANK THE sUFFERER-THE


AMOUNT ST., ,500-A CLUE To THE PERPETRA-


TORS, ETC. ETC.


One of the boldest and most extraordinary
forgeries that has obtained publicity for many
years came to light yesterday. 1t appears that
about a month ago check was presented at
the Broadway Bank, payable to = or bearer,
for ST. 500, purporting to be in compensation
for work done on public schoolhouse in
TwentV-siXth street, where there is no building
of the kind. The check was signed with the
forged signatures of the President aud Clerk OF
the Board of Education, and the Chairman of
the Finance Committee. 1t was not one of the
checks of the Board, but very good litho-
accessible to any but the very few who
have the right to fill them. It was, however,
about an eighth of an inch shorter than
the checks of the Board. After being presented
and paid at the bank, it appears that it lay in
the safe until yesterday when it was sent to the
Office of the Board of Education among the
genuine drafts, and was noticed by the auditing
clerk of the Board, who called the attention of
Mr.. Thomas Boese the clerk of the Board of
Education, to II, and he instantly pronounced
it forgery. He then took the forged paper
examined and analyzed 1t carefully, and imme-
diately sent for James NJ. Mclean, the Presi-
dent of the Board of Education, who is also
President of several insurance companies and
the Board of Underwriters, B. H. Vance, the
Chairman OF the Finance Committee, of Mitchell,
Vance d Co., and submitted the check to them
and as business men they were not long also in
pronouncng it forgery. The officers OF the
bank were then communicated with, and detec-
tives were soon at work upon the case, having
obtained an almost conclusive clue before they
started, which probably only requires little
time to unravel to an unbroken end.


The check was made, as already described,
payable to bearer, which Is a very unusual thing
with checks sent from the Board of Education
to the bank for payment Again, checks for
such large amounts are seldom drawn, the
money for repairs and other work on school
buildings which are under the charge of the
Board of Education being paid in smaller install
ments. There might be other points of differ
ence noticed also in this forgery and the checks
OF the Board of Education, but enough has been
said to show that better management would do
our city banks no harm,


There are various theories as to who the perpe-
traitor OF this bold and slnlful forgery is, and
there Is only one opinion on the point. The
simplicity of the circumstance, which the per-
ception OF keen man tdrned to the advantage
of the detective officer in starting him on the
true trail, will be probably one OF the most lnte.
resting developments ever made IN an affair Oh
this nature when the time comes to lay 1t before
the public. Until then, however, patience must
prevail.


The ignorance of the whole affair which pre-.
vailed at the headquarters late last evening
In regard to the matter was not the least
singular feature of this extraordinary affair.
| No one there beyond the detective who had the
| matter in hand seemed to take any interest in
| It, or even knew anything of it.


As the forgery occurred one month ago, the
| person who presented the check at the bank is
| forgotten, and can only probably he remem-
| bered when again brought into the presence of
| the paying teller.


This Is the story thus far of this strange affair.
| The next chapter will unquestionably be far
more interesting.--M y. Herald


| .