Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 203, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 August 1912 — INDIANA BANKS NOTE AN EPIDEMIC OF FORGERY. [ARTICLE]

INDIANA BANKS NOTE AN EPIDEMIC OF FORGERY.

President of Local Institution Asserts That Bad Checks are Reported Every Day. Indianapolis Star. That there is an epidemic of forgery in Indiana was the conclusion reached by Frank D. Stalnaker, president of the Indiana National Bank, after a couple of rural banks called the Indiana National yesterday and told of false checks having been presented them for payment There is seldom a day, Mr. Stalnaker states, that some bank does not call by long distance telephone to report a case of forgery or to inquire if some person has sufficient funds on deposit here to pay checks he has circulated. “It seems to be in the aiT,” commented Mr. Stalnaker, “and I have never heard of as many cases in Indiana since I became a banker. Forgery appears to have a vogue of several weeks every few years. It usually begins by some small bank, or large one for that matter, receiving a check over which some- question develops, and in most instances it is discovered that the check bears a false ,signature, or is presented by some man against a distant bank where he has no deposits.” While Mr. Stalnaker was discussing forgery, Gwynn F. Patterson, cashier at the bank, asserted that a check for SSOO, which was presented at an Indianapolis store several days ago by a strange man, had just been reported of no value by a bank in Michigan against which it was drawn. The man in this case appeared at local establishments and began making big purchases. He was regarded as one of the shrewdest buyers the store had seen in some time and after he contracted his purchases, issued a check for SSOO on his “home bank” in Michigan. The goods were not to be removed until the store heard from the Michigan bank, which was entirely satisfactory to the buyer. This fake purchase, it appears, was merely a ruse by which the forger hoped to cash a check later. Some time after closing the deal, and, as he knew, before the firm could get in touch with the Michigan bank, he returned and indicated that he was in need of some ready money and presented a S3O check, which he asked to have cashed. He was refused and left. He never returned for the goods he bought and efforts to locate him failed. Yesterday it was learned that the man did not have a penny on deposit at the Michigan bank.