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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 exception than any other which had come under
my observation。 Becker was a sort of genius in the juggling
of bank checks。 He knew the values of ink and
the correct chemical to affect them。 His paper mill
was his mouth； in which to manufacture specially
prepared pulp to fill in punch holes； which when
ironed over； made it most difficult to detect even with
a magnifying glass。 He was able also to imitate
water marks and could reproduce the most intricate
designs。 He says he has reformed。
During the last twenty years quite a number of
cases have been tried in New York City and vicinity
in which the question of inks was an all important one。
The titles of a few not already referred to are given。
herewith： Lawless…Flemming； Albinger Will； Phelan…
Press Publishing Co。； Ryold； Kerr…Southwick； N。 Y。
Dredging Co。； Thorless…Nernst； Gekouski； Perkins；
Bedell forgeries； Storey； Lyddy； Clarke； Woods；
Baker； Trefethen； Dupont…Dubos； Schooley； Humphrey；
Dietz…Allen； Carter； and Rineard…Bowers。
CHAPTER XXV。
INK UTENSILS OF ANTIQUITY。
THE GRAVING TOOL PRECEDES THE PENCLASSIFICATION
UNDER TWO HEADS； ONE WHICH SCRATCHED AND THE
OTHER WHICH USED AN INKTHE STYLUS AND THE
MATERIALS OF WHICH IT WAS COMPOSEDPOETICALLY
DESCRIBEDCOMMENTS BY NOEL HUMPHREYSRECAPITULATION
OF VARIOUS DEVICES BY KNIGHTBIBLICAL
REFERENCESENGRAVED STONES AND OTHER
MATERIALS THE EARLIEST KINDS OF RECORDSWHEN
THIN BRICKS WERE UTILIZED FOR INSCRIPTION
PURPOSESMETHODS EMPLOYED BY THE CHINESE
HILPRECHT'S DISCOVERIESTHE DIAMOND AS A SCRATCHING
INSTRUMENTHISTORICAL INCIDENT WRITTEN
WITH ONEBIBLICAL MENTION ABOUT THE DIAMOND
WHEN IT BECAME POSSIBLE TO INTERPRET
CHARACTER VALUES OF ANCIENT HIEROGLYPHICSDISCOVERY
OF THE ROSETTA STONE AND A DESCRIPTION OF
ITSOME OBSERVATIONS ABOUT CHAMPOLLION AND
DR。 YOUNG WHO DECIPHERED ITITS CAPTURE BY
THE ENGLISH AND PRESERVATION IN THE BRITISH
MUSEUMEMPLOYMENT OF THE REED PEN AND PENCI