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- Columbus Daily Enquirer, January 11, 1914
S.A. Bassett Has Double
At Any Rate Man Secured $50 from a Bank in His Name
Arrested Friday On Forgery Charge
How a Smooth Artist Worked the Telegraph Wires Between
Columbus and Macon and Actually Got Good Money
A man, who from all accounts is the veritable “double” of S.A. Bassett, a prominent business man of Powersville, Ga., near Macon, and who while in Columbus on December 3, last is said to have represented himself as S.A. Bassett, is alleged to have forged Bassett’s name to a telegram, thereby drawing $50 in cold cash from the Fourth National Bank of Macon, through the Fourth National Bank of Columbus, was arrested Friday in Valdosta and will be brought back to Columbus today to face the charge of forgery.
The man was arrested in Valdosta after he had been followed from Columbus via Fort Valley to the South Georgia town, by a Burns detective of Atlanta, who began to work on the case about ten days ago. The arrest was made by the sheriff of Lowndes county, at the instigation of the Burns detective and the local authorities, and, according to a telegram received in Columbus yesterday, he is alleged to have confessed his guilt. Sheriff Beard sent Deputy Sheriff Palmer to Valdosta last night to bring the man back today. So far as is known here he has given no other name than that of Bassett.
J.H. Huff, cashier of the Fourth National Bank, stated yesterday to a representative of the Enquirer-Sun concerning the alleged forgery, that Bassett came into the Fourth National Bank on December 3, and, introducing himself as S.A. Bassett, presented a telegram from the Fourth National Bank of Macon, stating that the Fourth National Bank of this city would pay him as per his request, $50. A cipher message from the Macon Bank was received about the same time authorizing the payment of the money. This, however, Mr. Huff refused to do until identification was furnished. The man called on George Wilhelm, a local business man, who furnished the identification, being confident that he was the same Bassett he had formerly known.
Nothing more was thought of the incident until several days later when the real S.A. Bassett, who has an account with the Fourth National Bank at Macon, happened to be in the bank and the telegram signed with his name from Columbus was presented, then it was that the real Mr. Bassett offered proof that on the date named he was in Atlanta. Then the local authorities and Mr. Wilhelm got busy, and the Burns detective was placed on the case.
Columbus Daily Enquirer, January 13, 1914
F.A. Bassett Admits Guilt
Charged With Forging Name of S.A. Bassett, a Distant
Cousin and Who is Said to Be Well to Do Macon Man
The man who claims his name is F.A. Bassett, and who is alleged to have secured money from the Fourth National Bank of Columbus, under the name of S.A. Bassett, stated yesterday afternoon to an Enquirer-Sun representative from his cell at the county jail that although he got the money, he knows nothing of when or by what he means he secured it.
As stated in the Enquirer-Sun Sunday morning, Bassett is alleged to have gone to the bank on December 3, and asked for $50, and as the bank had a telegram from one of the Macon banks stating that it was “O.K.” to let him have it, they did so.
I was later learned that the man who secured the money had done so by forging the name of S.A. Bassett to the telegram sent to the Macon bank, requesting it to wire the Columbus bank, and a Burns detective was put on the trail. Saturday Bassett was arrested in Valdosta and returned here Sunday by Deputy Palmer, where he will be held for action by the grand jury at the next term.
When questioned yesterday afternoon Bassett stated that his home is in Fort Valley and that he was in Columbus and needed money at the time he is alleged to have sent the telegram. When asked what his real name was, he stated that it is F.A. Bassett and that he is a third or fourth cousin to S.A. Bassett, whose name he signed to the telegram. S.A. Bassett, he stated, is very wealthy, and on several previous occasions he had thought of going to him for a loan, but had never done so.
The authorities say that he is an escaped convict from the state farm, but when questioned about this, Bassett denied it and stated that he escaped from the state asylum at Milledgeville last April, after being there two months.
As yet the authorities have not been able to ascertain what his name is, but they are investigating and hope to know in a few days, if his name if F.A. Bassett or not.
The case is being watched with much interest in Columbus, on account of the man whose name is alleged to have been forged to the request to the Macon bank.
Columbus Daily Enquirer, January 16, 1914
Bassett Released Under Bond of $200
It is Said That the Family is Going to Pay
All the Costs of Case to Avoid Prosecution
F.A. Bassett, alias S.A. Bassett, who is alleged to have forged a check on the Fourth National Bank of Columbus for $50, has been released from the county jail under $200 bond, to appear at a preliminary hearing to be held in Judge Elfer’s court, where the warrant for his arrest was sworn out on December 24.
Bassett’s brother was in the city yesterday. He brought letters to the effect that Bassett had been in inmate of the State Sanitarium at Milledgevile, and that he had taken the “Keely Cure” for the drink habit, in an effort to prove that Bassett was not responsible for his acts at the time the alleged forgery is said to have been committed.
It is understood that members of the Bassett family, who live at Fort Valley, Ga., are going to pay all cost in the case and return the money secured from the bank. The case is now a matter of record, however, and will have to be investigated by the grand jury.
Immediately after his release Bassett returned to his home in Fort Valley, where he will remain until the date set for the hearing.
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Bassett Family Association Database
d. 9 Jun 1984, St. Petersburg, Florida