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checks　as　drawn　by　Davis　or　in　failing　to　discover

the　forgeries　at　an　earlier　date　than　that　at　which

they　were　made　known　to　them。



〃The　relation　existing　between　a　bank　and　a

depositor　being　that　of　debtor　and　creditor；　the

bank　can　justify　a　payment　on　the　depositor's　account

only　upon　the　actual　direction　of　the　depositor。

'The　question　arising　on　such　paper　（checks）

between　drawee　and　drawer；　however；　always　relate

to　what　the　one　has　authorized　the　other　to　do。

They　are　not　questions　of　negligence　or　of　liability

to　parties　upon　commercial　paper；　but　are　those　of

authority　solely。　The　question　of　negligence

cannot　arise　unless　the　depositor　has　in

drawing　his　cheek　left　blanks　unfilled；　or　by　some

affirmative　act　of　negligence　has　facilitated　the

commission　of　a　fraud　by　those　into　whose

hands　the　check　may　come。'　（Crawford　v。　West

Side　Bank；　100　N。　Y。　50。）　Therefore；　when　the

fraudulent　alteration　of　the　checks　was　proved；　the

liability　of　the　bank　for　their　amount　was　made

out　and　it　was　incumbent　upon　the　defendant　to

establish　affirmatively　negligence　on　the　plaintiff's

part　to　relieve　it　from　the　consequences　of　its

fault　or　misfortune　in　paying　forged　orders。　Now；

while　the　drawer　of　a　check　may　be　liable　where　he

draws　the　instrument　ill　such　ill　incomplete　state

as　to　facilitate　or　invite　fraudulent　alterations；　it

is　not　the　law　that　he　is　bound　so　to　prepare　the

cheek　that　nobody　else　call　successfully　tamper

with　it。　（Societe　Generale　v。　Metropolitan　Bank；

27　L。　T。　＇N。　S。＇　849；　Belknap　v。　National　Bank

of　North　America；　100　Mass。　380）　In　the　present

case　the　fraudulent　alteration　of　the　checks　was

not　merely　in　the　perforation　of　the　additional

figure；　but　in　the　obliteration　of　the　written　name

of　the　payee　and　the　substitution　therefor　of　the

word　'Cash。'　Against　this　latter　change　of　the

instrument　the　plaintiffs　could　not　have　been　expected

to　guard；　and　without　that　alteration　it

would　have　no　way　profited　the　criminal　to　raise

the　amount。　。　。　。〃



A　Pinkerton　case　of　international　repute；　best

known　as　the　〃Becker〃　case；　included　the　successful

〃raising〃　of　a　check　by　chemical　means　from

12　to　22；000。　The　criminal　author　of　this　stupendous

fraud　was　Charles　Becker；　〃king　of　forgers；〃

who　as　an　all　round　imitator　of　any　writing　and　manipulator

of　monetary　instruments　then　stood　at　the

head　of　his　〃profession。〃　Arrested　and　taken　to

San　Francisco　he　was　brought　to　trial。　Two　of　his

〃pals〃　turned　state's　evidence；　and　Becker　was　sentenced

to　a　life　term。　Through　an　error　on　the　part

of　the　trial　judge　he　secured　a　new　trial　on　an　appeal

to　the　Supreme　Court。　The　jury　disagreed　on　a　second

trial；　but　on　the　third　trial　he　was　convicted。

Becker　pleaded　for　mercy；　and　as　he　was　an　old

man　and　showed　signs　of　physical　break…down；　the

court　was　lenient　with　him。　Seven　years　was　his

sentence。



After　his　incarceration　in　San　Quetin　prison；　he　described

in　one　sentence　how　he　had　risen　to　the　head

of　the　craft　of　forgers。　〃A　world　of　patience；　a　heap

of　time；　and　good　inks；that　is　the　secret　of　my　success

in　the　profession。〃



On　completing　his　sentence；　his　reply　to　the　question；

〃What　was　the　underlying　motive　which　induced

you　to　forge？〃　was　one　word；　〃Vanity！〃



The　detailed　facts　which　follow　are　from　the　〃American

Banker：〃



〃On　December　2；　1895；　a　smooth…speaking　man；

under　the　name　of　A。　H。　Dean；　hired　an　office　in

the　Chronicle　building　at　San　Francisco；　under　the

guise　of　a　merchant　broker；　paid　a　month's　rent　in

advance；　and　on　December　4　he　went　to　the　Bank

of　Nevada　and　opened　an　account　with　2；500

cash；　saying　that　his　account　would　run　from

2；000　to　30；000；　and　that　he　would　want　no

accommodation。　He　manipulated　the　account　so　as

to　invite　confidence；　and　on　December　17　he　deposited

a　check　or　draft　of　the　Bank　of　Woodland；

Cal。；　upon　its　correspondent；　the　Crocker…

Woolworth　Bank　of　San　Francisco。　The　amount　was　paid

to　the　credit　of　Dean；　the　check　was　sent　through

the　clearing…house；　and　was　paid　by　the　Crocker…

Woolworth　Bank。　The　next　day；　the　check　having

been　cleared；　Dean　called　and　drew　out　20；000；

taking　the　cash　in　four　bags　of　gold；　the　teller　not

having　paper　money　convenient。　He　had　a　vehicle

at　the　door；　with　his　office　boy　inside　as　driver；　and

away　he　went。　At　the　end　of　the　month；　when

the　Crocker…Woolworth　Bank　made　returns　to　the

Woodland　Bank；　it　included　the　draft　for　22；000。

Here　the　fraud　was　discovered；　and　here　the　lesson

to　bankers　of　advising　drafts　received　a　new

illustration。　The　Bank　of　Woodland　had　drawn　no

such　draft；　and　the　only　one　it　had　drawn　which

was　not　accounted　for　was　one　for　twelve　dollars；

issued　in　favor　of　A。　H。　Holmes　to　an　innocent…

looking　man；　who；　on　December　9；　called　to　ask

how　he　could　send　twelve　dollars　to　a　distant

friend；　and　whether　it　was　better　to　send　a　money

order　or　an　express　order。　When　he　was　told　he

could　send　it　by　bank　draft；　he　seemed　to　have

learned　something　new；　supposed　that　he　could

not　get　a　bank　draft；　and　he　took　it；　paying　the　fee。

Here　came　back　that　innocent　twelve…dollar　draft；

raised　to　22；000；　and　on　its　way　had　cost　somebody

20；000　in　gold。



〃The　almost　absolute　perfection　with　which　the

draft　had　been　forged　had　nearly　defied　the　detection

of　even　the　microscope。　In　the　body　of　the

original　12　draft　had　been　the　words；　'Twelve

。。。。。。。。　Dollars。'　The　forger；　by　the　use　of　some

chemical　preparation；　had　erased　the　final　letters

'lve'　from　the　word　'twelve；'　and　had　substituted

the　letters　'nty…two；'　so　that　in　place　of　the

'twelve；'　is　it　appeared　in　the　genuine　draft；

there　was　the　word　'twenty…two'　in　the　forged

paper。



〃In　the　space　between　the　word　'twenty…two'

and　the　word　'dollars'　the　forger　inserted　the

word　'thousand；'　so　that　in　place　of　the　draft

reading　'twelve　dollars；'　as　at　first；　it　read

'twenty…two　thousand　dollars；'　as　changed。



〃In　the　original　12　draft；　the　figures　'1'　and

'2'　and　the　character　''　had　been　punched　so

that　the　combination　read　'12。'　The　forger　had

filled　in　these　perforations　with　paper　in　such　away

that　the　part　filled　in　looked　exactly　like　the　field

of　the　paper。　After　having　filled　in　the　perforations；

he　had　perforated　the　paper　with　the　combination；

'22；000。'



〃The　dates；　too；　had　been　erased　by　the　chemical

process；　and　in　their　stead　were　dates　which

would　make　it　appear　that　the　paper　bad　been　presented

for　payment　within　a　reasonable　length　of

time　after　it　had　been　issued。　The　dates　in　the

original　draft；　if　left　on　the　forged　draft；　would

have　been　liable　to　arouse　suspicion　at　the　bank；

for　they　would　have　shown　that　the　holder　had　departed

from　custom　in　carrying；　such　a　valuable　paper

more　than　a　few　days。



〃That　was　the　extent　of　the　forgeries　which

had　been　made　in　the　paper；　the　manner　in

which　they　had　been　made　betrayed　the　hand　of

an　expert　forger。　The　interjected　hand…writing

was　so　nearly　like　that　in　the　original　paper　that　it

took　a　great　while　to　decide　whether　or　not　it　was

a　forgery。



〃In　the　places　where　letters　had　been　erased　by

the　use　of　chemicals　the　coloring　of　the　paper　had

been　restored；　so　that　it　was　well…nigh　impossible

to　detect　a　variance　of　the　hue。　It　was　the　work

of　an　artist；　with　pen；　ink；　chemicals；　camel's　hair

brush；　water　colors；　paper　pulp　and　a　perforating

machine。　Moreover　the　crime　was　eighteen　days

old；　and　the　forger　might　be　in　Japan　or　on　his

way　to　Europe。　The　Protective　Committee　of　the

American　Bankers'　Association　held　a　hurried　consultation

as　soon　as　the　news　of　the　forgery　reached

New　York；　and　orders　were　given　to　get　this

forger；　regardless　of　expensehe　was　too　dangerous

a　man　to　be　at　large。　It　was　easier　said　than

done；　but　the　skill　of　the　Pinkertons　was　aroused

and　the　wires　were　made　hot　getting　an　accurate

description　of　Dean　from　all　who　had　seen　him。

Suspected　bank　criminals　were　shadowed　night　and

day　to　see　if　they　connected　with　any　one　answering

the　description；　but　patient；　hard　labor　for

nearly　two　months　did　not　seem　to　promise

much。〃



Not　satisfied　with　their　success　in　San　Francisco

these　same　bank　workers　began　a　series　of　operations

in　Minneapolis　and　St。　Paul；　Minnesota。　This　information

by　chance　reached　the　Pinkertons　who　laid

a　trap　and　captured　two　of　the　gang。　Shortly　afterward

Becker　on　information　furnished　by　them　was

also　arrested；　taken　to　California　and　after　three　separate

trials　as　before　stated；　sent　to　San　Quetin。



This　triumph　of　the　forger's　art；　I　examined　in　the

city　of　San　Francisco　and　although　it　was　not；　the　first

time　I　had　been　brought　into　contact　with　the　work　of

Becker；　was　compelled　to　admit　that　this　particular

specimen　was　almost　perfect　and　more　nearly　so　with　a

single　except