A REMARKABLE CRIMINAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 230, 26 September 1903, Page 5 (Supplement)

A REMARKABLE CRIMINAL.

FORGER WHO DEFIES DETECTION. A recent New York paper announces the liberation from San Quentin State Prison of Charles Becker, "the Dutchman," called the King of Forgers by the detectives, and regarded as a model prisoner by the authorities. He was taken at the end or 1808 after passing a forged cheque for £2500 at the Crocker-Woolworth National Bank, San Francisco, receiving sentence of seven years in consequence, but his term reduced to four and a half years owing to his good conduct.

Becker has been a model prisoner and has never betrayed the wild beast that is under his calm exterior except at times when he has talked of James Cregan, his comrade, who betrayed him. He has amused himself while in prison by drawing designs for entertainment programmes, and other ornamental work, which shows plainly that his hand has lost none of its cunning. To look at Becker one would never Imagine that he was a criminal. He has a well shaped head, a full, intellectual forehead, German features, amd hands that any woman might envy, for the long supple fingers and the artistic nails. The prison pallor on his face only adds to its intellectual aspect. His eye is mild until excitement lights it up. Then it is the eye of a criminal, fierce, full of red lights, capable of any savage deed. All one needs to do is to mention Cregan. Then in a moment yon get a glimpse of the real man who has dominated some of the fiercest and most desperate criminals in America, whose reputation for nerve and skill places him among the master? of criminal craft. A BRIBE FROM THE BANK. There was a report a few months ago that the American Bankers' Association •would pension Becker liberally when he came out of San Quentln, but the secretary of the association denied this, as he said the association depended upon its detectives to protect its members and not upon subsidising criminals. Despite this denial, several detectives declare that Becker can command a handsome salary if he will agree not to forge any more bank paper. When a man is so expert that he can turn out ban£ bills better than the originals or can raise a cheque so that only the bank expert Wiifc powerful glasses can detect the fraud, he is worth bribing to restrain his skill. The crime for which Becker has -just paid the penalty was in no sense either heroic or ■romantic. The man, as the phrase goes, "raised" a cheque for 12dols to 22,000d015. Frank 8. Seaver, alias A. H. Dean, was the man who planned the job, Me came from New York in December, 1895, and with him were Becker, James Cregan, and Joe McCusker. Dean had about 2500d015. He opened en office in San Francisco, deposited most of his money In the Nevada Bank, drew small oheoties, made new deposits, and in a skilful yay became known to the bank officers. Then he went to Woodland, near the State capital, and bought a 12dol. draft from the Bank of Woodland, drawn on the Opooker-Woolworth Bank of San Francisco. This draft he brought to San Francisco, and it was turned over by Cregan to Becker, who in five days altered the dpte, and raised the amount from HJdols. to 22,000d015. NO HONOUR THIEVES. On December 17 Dean deposited this draft at the Nevada Bank to his credit, and on the following day drew a cheque against it for 22,000d015., and received the entire amount in cash. There was no suspicion excited by such a transaction, as Dean was supposed to be a mining man, and many such mem paid their hands in coin and drew much larger sums to meet the monthly payroll. The forgery was only discovered at the end of the month, when the CrockerWool worth Bank sent its monthly account to the Woodland Bank. By that time the spoil had been divided among the four men, and they had scattered. Dean amd McCudker were soon caught in Minneapolis, and Becker and Cregan were arrested In San Francisco. The latter were released, as no charge could be made against them. They were preparing to go to Guatemala when Dean, who had made a v-ain appeal to Becker and Cretan for more money to hire a lawyer, confessed to Captain of Detectives Lees, of San Francisco, Thereupon Becker and Cregan were arrested in Newark, N.J., and brought for trial. McCusker was acquitted, «c nothing could be proved against him. Dean turned State's evidence, and Becker and Cregan on the first trial were convicted of forgery and eentenced to life terms. On the second trial the Jnry disagreed, and on fhe third Cregaa confessed, amd was allowed to go free. Becker saw that the game wae up. end pleaded gruUty, with the stipulation that he was not to jret more tnan seven' years' imprisonment. The Court kept faith with Wm. ROMANCE IN BECKER'S LIFTS. Throntfiont hie taut Wai he maintained the same calm as in previous trials, except on one occasion, when a newspaper nrtist attempted to get a sketch of him In eonrt H> beenroe wild with rage when he saw tue artist drawing outlines of hia head, and picking np a large Inkstand, threatened to hurl It at the offender unless he stopped his work. He was quieted by his counsel who feared the effect on the jury of this savage outburst of rage on the part of his client. Becker ta proud of his skill as a draughtsman, but It was only an accident that made him a forger. He was born In Germany and came to New York with his parents when he was 10. That was In 1857. He developed so much skill at school with pen and pencil that he waa apprenticed to an engTaver. He soon developed great skill, but the criminal bias was In him, for he was In love with a girl, and he forged a cheque to buy her an engagement ring. His father was able to square this, and because of bis youth he escaped prison. But his sweetheart deserted him, his sister, whom he loved, died, and he consorted with a gang of desperate criminals. Hla first exploit was in 1872, when with Joe Elliott he succeeded in robbing the Third National Bank of Baltimore of 150,000d015. Becker fled to France, where he met the very girl for whom he had forged a cheque to buy a ring. She had married a rich jeweller, but Becker Induced her to elope with him, and together they went to Turkey, where Becker and several others, including Joe Chapman, of London, spread forged paper in many cities and cleaned up a large sum. They were caught and placed in prison, but all escaped except Chapman, who was basely deserted by his pals. They had the nerve, however, to return to London and seek the hospitality of Chapman's wife. They told her a fairy story about her husband being put in a dungeon, and a few days later She was found murdered in her rooms and all her fine jewellery gone. WHAT WILL HE DO NOW? Becker returned to New York in 1876, and married a Brooklyn girl, who has remained true to him ever since. In 1877 he robbed the Union Trust Company at Mew

York of 64,225d015. by one of hia famous forged cheques, and was caught with his confederates. He saved himself by turning State's evidence. Then he went abroad, and left a trail of forgeries In Italy. He returned to New York, but was caught while forging a 1000-franc note of the Bank of France. When one of these notes was sent to the bank it was declared to be more artistic than the original. He got six and a half years for this offence. Becker has a genius for manipulating bank cheques. With acids he erases any writing or figures, and with specially prepared paper pulp he fills up perforations, ironing the paper afterwards so that often the change cannot be detected by a magnifying glass. He also was able to imitate watermarks in paper, and to reproduce the most intricate lithographic designs. Becker has described in one pretty sentence how he has risen to the head of the craft as a forger: "A world of patience, a heap of time and good inks—that's the secret of my success In my profession." What Becker will do when he leaves San Quentin Prison is a problem in which all bank presidents are very much interested.. The man is so skilful that he can ootwtt any paying teller, and he has a wAy of using lesser criminals as his tools, wftich makes it difficult to reach him. Thflt he will reform is not believed by aoyoiye who knows him. For 30 years he has b>een the king of his profession, and to Ir/pse into obscurity would hurt his vanity and pride. He has saved nothing out of. his recent forgeries, as his legal expenses have been very heavy, so that the need, of money will probably drive him to exe/r«>tse his wonderful pen.