It looked easy and safe, and
I consented. The person selected as the victim was a rich farmer by the
name of Henery Sharpless, whose accounts were only settled about twice a
year, and consequently detection was not likely to follow very soon.
After carefully comparing the forged checks with an old one that was
genuine, I no longer hesitated and signified my readiness to try the
experiment.
"On the following day, therefore, I went to Johnson's office, and there
put on a hickory shirt, a pair of coarse boots and pantaloons, and in a
few minutes I was transformed into a veritable countryman. Johnson
colored my face and hands with some preparation which made me appear
like a tanned and sunburnt farmer, and thus equipped, I started for the
bank. I was provided with two checks for three hundred dollars each, one
of which was to be presented to the Geneva bank, when, if I experienced
no trouble, I was to present the other at the Union National Bank, where
also Mr. Sharpless kept an account. I had no difficulty whatever in
obtaining the money, and after dividing it among the other two, I left
town on the first train. I received two hundred dollars for my share,
and the forgeries were not discovered until a long time had elapsed, and
when it was almost impossible to obtain any information concerning them.
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