Jasper County Democrat, Volume 8, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 October 1905 — FORGERY IS DOME FOR EXPERIMENT [ARTICLE]

FORGERY IS DOME FOR EXPERIMENT

Plea of the Man Who Carried off $359,000 in Securities at New York. ILL THE WEALTH IS RECOVERED Forger Himself Sends Back $300,000 by Mail to Its Owners. Says He Did It on a Bet and to Show How Easy It Would Be to Beat the Bank System. New York, Oct. 3.—By the confession of Henry A. Leonard, a young clerk in the employ of Halle & Stieglitz, brokers at 30 Broad street, the mystery of the robbery on Wednesday last of $359,000 worth of securities from the National City bank has been cleared up. Leonard, who lives with his parents at 580 East One Hundred and Thirty-Sixth street, was arrested Sunday and kept In close confinement, while the detectives continued their search for the missing securities, every dollar of which has been recovered. Had No Criminal Motive. The prisoner, who is only 24 years old, and who has previously borne the reputation of an industrious and thoroughly reliable clerk, made the astounding statement in his confession that he had planned and carried out his scheme of forgery and robbery not from uny criminal motive, hut solely to show by what a simple device the elaborate safeguards of New York banks could be set at naught. That this statement is true is in a measure corroborated by the facts in the case, and is the belief of the young man’s employers, by whom he was highly esteemed. Sends $900,000 Back by Mail. Soon after the theft Leonard mailed a package containing $300,000 In securities to the residence of Dyer Pearl, senior member of the firm of Pearl & Co., by whom they were owned. The package was received hy Pearl Sunday. Yesterday Leonard’s father turned over to the police the yemain Ing $59,000 Eli stocks and bonds, which lie said had been found in a wardrobe in his house, where his son had said after his arrest lie had secreted them. First Clue to the Forger. Tlte first clue that led to Leonard's arrest was obtained when the detectives traced the rubber stamp maker whom Leonard had employed to make the imitation certification stamp used in the check he presented at the National City bank. As a modi ! for the stamp he gave the maker an old certified check bearing a fragment of the signature of Halle & Stieglitz. and also a memorandum in his own hand, which was identified by fellow clerks. Leonard was held in the Tombs police court in $50,000 hail for further examination. On leaving the court room on his way to prison he said, in response to a question: “I did it on a bet.”

DETAILS OF THE SCHEME

Leonard Tells How He Went About Obtaining the Roodle. Ix'onnrd told the police that he conceived the idea of the theft some three or four months ago, and had been planning during that time to execute it. On the 26th of September, he said, lie found four blank cheeks on the Hanover National bank. That was In the forenoon. Later in the same day. he said, he was in the corridor of the National City bank, and among the men waiting in line lie saw a man holding in his hand an envelope marked *‘300,000 —4% per cent.” on tin* envelope. He said he heard the loan clerk tell the messenger that the interest was 4% per cent., and not 4*4. Then, he said, the messenger departed. Leonard then had his cue, and went to the Bowery and there ordered a rubber certification stamp, but before doing so he out out the certification of an old check, from which the stamp was to be copied. After he secured the stamp be filled out the body of the check drawn on the Hanover Nntional bank. Then he said he went to Wall street and hailed a passing boy, and asked him if he knew where the National City bank wns. The boy said he did not. Leonard said he told him “Take this check to No. 52 Wall street, and hand it to the loan clerk." Leonard meanwhile stood opposite the custom house and saw the boy tnke the package and come out with the securities. Leonard said he took the securities to his home and with no delay put them iu a wrapper,affixed the necessary stamp, and took them to a mall box in the neighborhood of West Ninety-Second street and mailed them to Dyer Pearl, who is a member of the firm that owned the securities. There were, however, only 1300,000 worth of securities in the package, which were received safely the next day by Pearl. There were $59,000 worth of securities missing, and Leonard explained that by saying that to have enclosed them all in a package by mall would have made the package too balky, and he therefore kept them oat and only mailed $300,000 worth. ,In this connection It was noted by the police that only about $50,000 worth of the securities was negotiable.