checks　as　drawn　by　Davis　or　in　failing　to　discover
  the　forgeries　at　an　earlier　date　than　that　at　which
  they　were　made　known　to　them。
  〃The　relation　existing　between　a　bank　and　a
  depositor　being　that　of　debtor　and　creditor；　the
  bank　can　justify　a　payment　on　the　depositor's　account
  only　upon　the　actual　direction　of　the　depositor。
  'The　question　arising　on　such　paper　（checks）
  between　drawee　and　drawer；　however；　always　relate
  to　what　the　one　has　authorized　the　other　to　do。
  They　are　not　questions　of　negligence　or　of　liability
  to　parties　upon　commercial　paper；　but　are　those　of
  authority　solely。　The　question　of　negligence
  cannot　arise　unless　the　depositor　has　in
  drawing　his　cheek　left　blanks　unfilled；　or　by　some
  affirmative　act　of　negligence　has　facilitated　the
  commission　of　a　fraud　by　those　into　whose
  hands　the　check　may　come。'　（Crawford　v。　West
  Side　Bank；　100　N。　Y。　50。）　Therefore；　when　the
  fraudulent　alteration　of　the　checks　was　proved；　the
  liability　of　the　bank　for　their　amount　was　made
  out　and　it　was　incumbent　upon　the　defendant　to
  establish　affirmatively　negligence　on　the　plaintiff's
  part　to　relieve　it　from　the　consequences　of　its
  fault　or　misfortune　in　paying　forged　orders。　Now；
  while　the　drawer　of　a　check　may　be　liable　where　he
  draws　the　instrument　ill　such　ill　incomplete　state
  as　to　facilitate　or　invite　fraudulent　alterations；　it
  is　not　the　law　that　he　is　bound　so　to　prepare　the
  cheek　that　nobody　else　call　successfully　tamper
  with　it。　（Societe　Generale　v。　Metropolitan　Bank；
  27　L。　T。　＇N。　S。＇　849；　Belknap　v。　National　Bank
  of　North　America；　100　Mass。　380）　In　the　present
  case　the　fraudulent　alteration　of　the　checks　was
  not　merely　in　the　perforation　of　the　additional
  figure；　but　in　the　obliteration　of　the　written　name
  of　the　payee　and　the　substitution　therefor　of　the
  word　'Cash。'　Against　this　latter　change　of　the
  instrument　the　plaintiffs　could　not　have　been　expected
  to　guard；　and　without　that　alteration　it
  would　have　no　way　profited　the　criminal　to　raise
  the　amount。　。　。　。〃
  A　Pinkerton　case　of　international　repute；　best
  known　as　the　〃Becker〃　case；　included　the　successful
  〃raising〃　of　a　check　by　chemical　means　from
  12　to　22；000。　The　criminal　author　of　this　stupendous
  fraud　was　Charles　Becker；　〃king　of　forgers；〃
  who　as　an　all　round　imitator　of　any　writing　and　manipulator
  of　monetary　instruments　then　stood　at　the
  head　of　his　〃profession。〃　Arrested　and　taken　to
  San　Francisco　he　was　brought　to　trial。　Two　of　his
  〃pals〃　turned　state's　evidence；　and　Becker　was　sentenced
  to　a　life　term。　Through　an　error　on　the　part
  of　the　trial　judge　he　secured　a　new　trial　on　an　appeal
  to　the　Supreme　Court。　The　jury　disagreed　on　a　second
  trial；　but　on　the　third　trial　he　was　convicted。
  Becker　pleaded　for　mercy；　and　as　he　was　an　old
  man　and　showed　signs　of　physical　break…down；　the
  court　was　lenient　with　him。　Seven　years　was　his
  sentence。
  After　his　incarceration　in　San　Quetin　prison；　he　described
  in　one　sentence　how　he　had　risen　to　the　head
  of　the　craft　of　forgers。　〃A　world　of　patience；　a　heap
  of　time；　and　good　inks；that　is　the　secret　of　my　success
  in　the　profession。〃
  On　completing　his　sentence；　his　reply　to　the　question；
  〃What　was　the　underlying　motive　which　induced
  you　to　forge？〃　was　one　word；　〃Vanity！〃
  The　detailed　facts　which　follow　are　from　the　〃American
  Banker：〃
  〃On　December　2；　1895；　a　smooth…speaking　man；
  under　the　name　of　A。　H。　Dean；　hired　an　office　in
  the　Chronicle　building　at　San　Francisco；　under　the
  guise　of　a　merchant　broker；　paid　a　month's　rent　in
  advance；　and　on　December　4　he　went　to　the　Bank
  of　Nevada　and　opened　an　account　with　2；500
  cash；　saying　that　his　account　would　run　from
  2；000　to　30；000；　and　that　he　would　want　no
  accommodation。　He　manipulated　the　account　so　as
  to　invite　confidence；　and　on　December　17　he　deposited
  a　check　or　draft　of　the　Bank　of　Woodland；
  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　except