“If the erasure has been so great as to take off a part of the substance of the paper the reconstruction of the writing, so as to make it legible, may be regarded as impossible.  But in this case subjecting the reverse side of the paper to the influence of the iodine will bring out the reverse outlines of the blotted-out characters so plainly that they can be read, especially if the paper is placed before a mirror.  In some instances, when pencil writing has been strong enough, its traces can be reproduced in a letter press by wetting a sheet of sized and calendered paper in the usual way that press copies are taken, placing it on paper saturated with iodine and putting the two sheets in a letter book under the press, copies being run off as is usual in copying letters.  The operation, however, must be very rapidly carried out to be successful.  As a matter of fact the certainty of these reactions depends entirely upon the class of paper used.  Paper slightly sized or poorly calendered will not show them.

“Another point consists in knowing how long paper will contain these reactive properties.  In my own experience the fact has been demonstrated that irregular wetting and rubbing three months old can be plainly shown after this lapse of time.  Characters traced with glass rod tips could be made conspicuous.  I have noticed that immersing the written paper in a water bath for three to six hours will secure better reactions, but although these reactions are very characteristic they are considerably weaker.”

CHAPTER XXI

FORGERY AS A PROFESSION

How Professional Forgers Work—­Valuable Points for Bankers and
Business Men—­Personnel of a Professional Forgery Gang—­The Scratcher,
Layer-down, Presenter and Middleman—­How Banks Are Defrauded by
Raised and Forged Paper—­Detailed Method of the Work—­Dividing the
Spoils—­Action in Case of Arrest—­Employing Attorneys—­What “Fall”
Money Is—­Fixing a Jury—­Politicians with a Pull—­Protecting
Criminals—­Full Description of How Checks and Drafts Are
Altered—­Alterations, Erasures and Chemicals—­Raising Any
Paper—­Alert Cashiers and Tellers—­Different Methods of Protection.

[This Chapter was written for this work by the manager of one of the largest detective agencies in the United States.  They make a specialty of bank work and from the number of forgers apprehended and convicted know just how the work is done.  A careful reading of this chapter will put bankers and the public on their guard against the most pestiferous rascals they have to deal with.]

Professional forgers usually make their homes in large cities.  They are constantly studying schemes and organizing gangs of men to defraud banks, trust companies and money lenders by means of forged checks, notes, drafts, bills of exchange, letters of credit, and in some instances altering registered government and other bonds, and counterfeitering the bonds of corporations.  These bonds they dispose of or hypothecate to obtain loans on.