he Work-The Middle Man, Presenter, and Shadow-Methods for Detecting Forgery-Detail Explanation of How Forgers Work-Altering and Raising Checks and Drafts-A Favorite Trick of Forgers-Opening a Bank Acc

nst Forgers-Manner in Which Many Banks Have Been Swindled-Points

associates as the "scratcher"; third, the man who acts as confidential agent for the forger, known as the "middle

uently lays out the plans for work and obtains the genuine paper from which forgeries are made. He will, when necessary, fi

of credit, or to change the names on registered bonds. He is something of an artist, too, for with a fine camel's hair brush he can restore the mos

ker does with a shoe and then skilfully color the patch to agree with the original, so that it becomes a very difficult matter to detect the alterations even with the use of a microscope. This done and the writing cleane

If the forgery scheme is successful, the backer receives back the money paid out for the preparation of the work as well as any amount he may have lent the "band" to enable them to open accounts at banks where they propose placing the f

"stanch" man, but he must also be a man who has at least one record of conviction standing against him. This is for the additional protection of the

d in the defense of any member of the band who may be arrested on the trip. This money is called "fall money" a

adow will under the direction of the "middle man" follow the "presenter" into the bank and report fully on his actions. He sometimes catches the "presenter" in an attempt to

ck where the bank has been previously warned of his coming by an anonymous letter. This

tle by his ill-gotten gains is well illustrated by the

per, in microscopic examination of the irregularities in penmanship, in "labored" tracings that show exaggerated tr

to him a possible forgery of a document dated 1868. Holding the paper to the light, he found as a water-mark in it the

ckly marked in a forgery, though under certain circumstances a situation may be such as to force a person into this laborio

paper important in its bearing on the writer or his property will cause him to disguise his hand to so

erving just where this tremor falls. If it is in a difficult flourish of the signature and not elsewhere it indicates fraud; or if it be tremulous to the eye, in

paper. Also it will discover which of two crossed lines was last written. It may determi

he law recognizes forgery as a serious crime, and everywhere the punishment is severe. In the seventeenth century it was a capital offense in England, and there were more persons executed for that crime th

he men who make a business of defrauding the unwary. The simplest way

a certain amount of money, usually about fifteen hundred dollars, and a short time after this another draft would be procured from the same bank for a small amount, seldom over ten dollars. These drafts procured, they are handed to the "raise

e. The other confederate, upon the receipt of this information, would at once go to the bank where the drafts had been procured, and presenting the genuine draft for the large amount of money, would request that the money be refunded, giving as an excuse for not using it, either that he could not be identified in the New York bank, and for that reason could not collect it, or that the business he had procured it f

king about for favorable real-estate investments. His first move is to open a bank account, and then works to get on friendly terms with the cashier. He always keeps a good balance-sometimes way up in the thous

radually the notes increase in amount, from a thousand to fifteen hundred dollars, and from fifteen hundred to two or three thousand. The notes are promptly paid at maturity. After the confidence of the bank people has been completely gained, the swindler makes a strike for his greatest effort. He comes in the bank in a hurry, presents a sixty-day note, endorsed by first-c

the cash. The middle man must have a pleasing address, and be thoroughly posted on the commercial news of the day, and it is requisite that the layer-down be well dressed, quick witted, and possessed of an unlimited amount of polite assurance, a cheek that never pales and an eye that never droops. In selecting a person to fill this important position, the forger pref

reat many merchants believe they can prevent forgery by making certain dots, or seeming slips of the pen, which are known only to the paying teller and themselves. This precaution becomes useless when the forger uses the camera. Safe breakers are often called upon by forgers and asked to secure a sheet of checks out of a checkbook. When this is accomplished a few canceled checks are taken at the same time. These are given to the forger and he fills them up for large amounts, after tracing or copying the sign

a genuine signed bond is purchased, from which the signatures are copied and then forged. The same trick has been played on unsigned

kill, and labor in carrying out their nefarious schemes than would serve to earn the sum they finally secure, by honest labor. Every banker must, therefore, be on his guard, and should ac

ery effort should be made to acquire the art of detecting an imitation at a glance. This can be done only by considerable practice. It is asserted that every signature has character about it which cannot be

should cut off their names from the backs of checks and notes, and paste them in alphabetical order in

tter of advice a photograph of the person in whose favor the credit has been issued, and to stop the payment when the person who presents himse

eration can be performed is so complete that the most skilful eye cannot detect the imposture. A person may deposit a hundred dollars with a house in New York, and obtain their draft for that amount on Philadelphia;

are familiarly known to the class of criminals who make this a specialty. Every well-regulated bank now uses a machine for punching or pe

he filled check appears on one piece and the amount and name of the payee on the other. The checks having been held together while being torn, of course one piece of blank check will exactly fit the other piece of the filled check. The swindler then fills in one piece of the blank check with the name of the payee and an amount to suit himself, takes it

paid thousands of dollars on raised checks, and decided that it was ch

use all due diligence in protecting it, and the omission to use the most eff

skill or art than to accomplish a forgery that it has of late become alarmingly prevalent. Often where a check or draft is printed on ordinary pa

ments' more work upon the accomplished manipulator. He takes his strong solution of chloride of lime and rain water, or other prepared chemicals, and with a pen suited to the purpose, by neutralizing and abstracting the coloring properties of the ink, he carefully obliterates such portions of the lines in the figure

te the check, but only who signed it, he pays the amount specified, and the law holds the "maker of the check