and represent himself as a cattle dealer, lumber merchant, or one
looking about for favorable real-estate investments. His first move is
to open a bank account, and then work to get on friendly terms with
the cashier. He always keeps a good balance--sometimes way up in the
thousands--and deports himself in such a manner as to lead to the
belief that he is a highly honorable gentleman, and the bank officials
are led to the belief that he will eventually become a very profitable
customer.

Occasionally he has a note, for a small amount to begin with, always
first-class two-name paper, and he never objects--usually insists--on
paying a trifle more than the regular discount. At first the bank
officials closely examine the paper offered, and of course find that
the endorsers are men of high standing, and then their confidence in
the "cattle king" is unbounded. Gradually the notes increase in
amount, from a thousand to fifteen hundred dollars, and from fifteen
hundred to two or three thousand. The notes are promptly paid at
maturity. After the confidence of the bank people has been completely
gained, the swindler makes a strike for his greatest effort. He comes
in the bank in a hurry, presents a sixty-day note, endorsed by
first-class men, for a larger amount than he has ever before
requested, and it generally happens that he gets the money without the
slightest difficulty. Then he has a sudden call to attend to important
business elsewhere. When the note or notes mature, it is discovered to
be a very clever forgery. This has been done time and again, and it is
rare that the forger has been apprehended.

The latest mode is for the forger to imitate a private check by the
photo-lithographic method, after having obtained a signed check. The
signature, after being photographed, is carefully traced over with