Jack Wright and His Electric Stage | Page 3

was in the room, but he immediately left it, casting an inquiring look at the bandit king.
His name was Fritz Schneider, and he had yellow hair, watery blue eyes, an enormous stomach and a pugnacious temperament.
Fritz and Tim were chums and the fat fellow occupied about the same position in the house as the old marine did.
A few moments afterward Jack Wright entered.
The outlaw keenly sized him up and observed that he was a well dressed young fellow with a sturdy figure, not particularly good looking as his features were very angular, but his dark eyes showed a very high spirit.
"You wish to see me, sir?" he asked, as he studied Jesse and felt a most repugnant sensation creep over him.
"I have called on a begging expedition," bluntly replied the bandit, inventing a plausible lie. "I live in Missouri, and wish to go home. I was unlucky enough to lose my pocket-book. I am an utter stranger here, and did not know what to do to raise ten dollars to pay my car fare. Having been told that you was a charitable man, I wish to know if you will lend me the money. I will gladly mail the amount to you when I reach home."
"Why certainly I'll let you have it," replied Jack.
"To prove to you that I want the money only for the purpose I mentioned," glibly preceded the outlaw, "you can make out a check payable to the bearer, and you will find the voucher stamped or endorsed by the railroad company in payment for my ticket."
"I would have been obliged to give you a check anyway," laughed Jack, "for I've only got three or four dollars in cash in my pocket. Just wait, and I'll give you the check."
He sat down at his desk, and Jesse saw him pick up several checks exactly like the ones purloined from the bank by Frank.
Jack filled out one of the orders for ten dollars.
He handed it to Jesse, and the bandit thanked him like a very grateful man, repeated his assurance that he would refund the money upon his arrival at home, and then departed.
Jesse James was delighted at his success thus far.
Returning to the hotel, he procured pen and ink, retired to his room and studied Jack's check intently.
The signature to it was a very peculiar one that the most expert forger in the world would have found it almost impossible to imitate.
But the rest of the writing was easy to copy.
The bandit practiced the formation of the different letters for over an hour, and made a good imitation of them.
"And now to raise Wright's cheek," he muttered in tones of exultation, when he saw how successful he was.
CHAPTER II.
SWINDLING THE INVENTOR.
The date, number, amount, and figures designating the amount of money Jack's check called for were written.
Jesse now took one of the blank checks Frank got for him, and imitating Jack's writing, he filled it in with the same number as the good check; after the words: "Pay to the order of---" he wrote, "Bearer," as Jack had done; before the word "Dollars," on the next line he wrote "Five thousand," and after the mark "$--" he put "5,000."
He left out the date and signature.
These were unnecessary in the trick he was playing.
Having satisfied himself that his writing bore a close resemblance to that on Jack's check, he laid the check he had filled out one top of the one Jack gave him with the greatest care, so that all the lines on one were exactly opposite the lines on the other.
This he ascertained by holding them up to the light and staring through the thin paper.
When he had them matched exactly, he located a spot across the width of both where no writing was seen.
Holding the checks tightly together he tore them in two, just as if the two checks were one thickness of paper.
Consequently both were torn exactly alike.
Taking off the two top pieces he laid them side by side, joining the edges where they were torn, and then did the same with the other check.
This done he took the right hand piece of Jack's check, upon which were the date at the top and signature at the bottom.
He then took the left hand piece of the check he had made out and put it to the piece with the signature which Jack inscribed.
The check now, instead of being for ten dollars, called for $5,000 and although a composite thing the signature was no forgery, and that was the principal writing studied by the paying tellers of banks.
It looked like a perfectly genuine check torn in two, for as both checks had been torn together, the curves of one fit the grooves of the other piece to perfection.
Jesse now burned up the remaining two pieces.
"Eureka!"