Volume 2 - ElectricCanadian.com

260 HISTORY OF THE BANKpast in the United States, but it is sincerely to be hoped thatthe practice will not be permitted in this country.In January, 1914, there took place the death of the Hon.George A. Cox. He had been a director of the bank for nearlytwenty-eight years, during twenty of which he had served aspresident or vice-president. In accordance with the provisionsof the by-law enacted at the annual meeting held just beforehis death, his place was not filled.Allusion has been made to the passing of forged travellers'cheques by " Christmas " Keogh. During January, 1914, inconsequence of his forgeries, it was decided to make a newissue of a different design and to discontinue altogether theissue of cheques of the denomination of $200. Criminalenterprise of a widely diversifiednature caused a good dealof anxiety during the early part of 1914. On January 30the branches were warned that a number of desperadoes wereat large in the western provinces, and were quite likely tomake attempts at daylight robberies of the banks. Themanagers were instructed to be on their guard and to takespecial precautions against attack. Forgeries had been moreor less prevalent for some years and in April, 1914, a curiouscase of this kind came to light. A forged money order,supposedto have been issued from the bank's branch atJoliette, P.Q., was presented at the Montreal office for payment.The person presenting the order acted in such apeculiar manner that he was suspected and detained. Onexamination he was sent to an insane asylum and it waslearned that he had openly given an order to a printer inJoliette for two hundred similar forms, which had been printedwithout demur and handed over to him. A counterfeit ofthe $10 note of the bank also appeared in Hamilton, Ont.,about April. Apparently the black and white parts of thenote had been copied by photographic processes and thecolouring done by hand. The result was crude and woulddeceive no one accustomed to handling money. Perhaps