The Chariton Leader, Chariton, Iowa
Saturday, December 30, l876

FORGERY. -- JOHN W. GRIFFITH, agent for the Centennial Life Insurance Company, who has been operating in this county for some months past, was arrested last Thursday for forgery. His plan was to induce a man to take a policy in the Centennial, take his note for the advance payments, duplicate these notes and then sell them at a large discount. In this way he succeeded in raising several hundred dollars -- just how much was not known at the time of his arrest. Quite a number of leading men were among his victims. He was arrested at Chariton and brought to Leon on Thursday, the 2lst instant. His preliminary trial was postponed until Tuesday of this week. We have not learned the result.

Sheriff BACKUS was also looking after one JOHN LATHRAM the other day, who was wanted to answer to the charge of forging two notes, one for $100 and the other for $150, payable at the Farmers' and Traders' Bank of Leon. It is stated that these are not the only sums he is in for, but that they amount in the aggregate to $1,000 or more. We have not yet learned of his arrest.

-- Garden Grove Express.

Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
February 8, 2004