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Western Star, Issue 347, 1 May 1880, Page 7

A series of gigantic forgeries in New York have been discovered. The operations attributed to the gang in that city and elsewhere b/u T e been so successful that for months past the officers of banking institutions have been in mortal terror. Added to the almost perfect counterfeiting of cheques and notes was the extremely expert manner in which they were presented, which was so masterly as to almost defy detection, and invariably prevent an identification of the man who presented them. It is stated that the amount of these forgeries would reach nearly 1,000,000 dol. The clever way iu which the forgery on the Bank of America was perpetrated was only an instance of how such affairs are conducted, tho cheque that was presented was an almost exact copy of Alexander Taylor’s cheque. The paying-teller of the bank, Mr Blum, was away on vacation, and bis position was held by Mr Bishop, who had been iu the bank for more than thirty years. Five cheques were presented, aggregating nearly 12,000d01. Once or twice Mr Bishop demurred at payiug the cheque, whereupou the preseuter would say pleasantly, “ I’ll go and get it endorsed by the firm.” He would go out and return with apparently the same cheque endorsed with “Alexander Taylor’s Sous,” which would be paid. His confederate, who waited on the street, would have the endorsed cheque ready, and wheu the question was raised they would transfer one cheque for another allowing enough time to go to Mr Taylor’s house and return. Alexander Tuylor declares that the cheque was a perfeet imitation of those of the firm. The principal of the gang is believed to be a man named Charles Brock way. An accomplice named Samuel Swim has been arrested.

The civil servants of New Zealand are governed by fearful and wonderful laws. There exists (says the Auckland “Herald”), what is called a Government officers’ guarantee fund, to which all civil servants are compulsory contributors. Ot course the thing does not work satisfactorily: but then civil servants may not complain. Growls will, however, be heard when they find so much deducted from their cheques to fill deficiencies Caused by the defalcations of any member of that service. Some of our local civil servants have, during the past week been disagreeably surprised by a decrease in the amount of their expected cheques. It appears that some civil servant —a postmaster in Otago—has been a defaulter, and a call has been made to supply the deficiency; The curious part of the affair is that the call was paid before itwas made, for the department made itself right. The following is the text of the circular forwarded to each or those privileged civil servants : “ Call in respect of defalcations in the accounts of T. W. Longuett, late postmaster at Palmerston, Otago., The total deficiency amounts to £484 8s 2d, of which sum <£4B7 17? 2d is recoverable from officers under section 2 ot The Government Officers Guarantee Act, 1880, and the regulations issued thereunder. Ihe deductions made on the .attached abstract are computed at the rate of one shilling on every one hundred pounds oi. tne amount for which each officer is guaranteed. —James 0. Gavin, PaymasterGeneral, —Treasure, Ist March, 1880.”