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Made Fortune From Charity It was an addly assorted group that had their heads together behind the locked doors of the heavily-curtained living-room. There was the parson's widow, Mrs. Hughes, elderly, grey-hair- ed and bespectacled, in sombre black. Next to her sat Edward Wellings, who might have pass- ed as a bank cashier, and the woman who passed as his wife, an attractive brunette of about thirty-six. On the other side of the bare fable sat Philip Peach, a rather nondescript-looking man. Beside him, in striking contrast, sat Ed- ward Fane, a military-looking man of distinguished appearance. This meeting was typical of the periodic conferences held in the Wellingses' flat between the wars. For, if forgery is your business, close contact between partners is all-important. Wellings had been examining a cheque. Made out in favour of Mrs. Hughes, it was for a guinea. Signed by the Bishop of Lon- don, it added to Mrs, Hughes large collection yet another valu- able genuine specimen of a signature, Half an hour later Philip Peach {nvited his colleagues' opinion upon that self-same cheque after treatment. The general opinion was that the cheque had been greatly improved, the figure £150, which now replaced the humble £1 1s. 0d. being much admired. Mrs. Hughes, left with a very small income on the death of her husband, had begun by writing to a prominent man ask- ing for financial assistance. The success of this call on charity tempted her to repeat the experiment. Again it came off, and very soon begging let- ter-writing had become her full- time occupation. There was only one snag to it. The benevolent made such mod- est contributions. Then she met the Wellingses. They soon pointed out to her that the odd guineas she col- lected by her "literary efforts" did not constitute the real value of the cheques received, but the genuine specimen signatures thereon. . After that, when cheques ar- rived, Mrs. Hughes passed them on for "treatment." Fane, the former Rifle Brigade captain, was not a forger, but he was useful, both as "front" and signature tout, cadging from the benevolent on behalf of imaginary .old soldiers out of luck. When Peach had,completed his work of art with pen and ink the next step was to pass the forged cheque successfully. A cheque passed over the counter for cashing may carry a rfect specimen of a well- Gan customer's signature; but the person presenting it may betray himself by over-haste cr one of those little lapses that arise out of guilty knowledge. This danger was very neatly évercome, however. Ringing up from -a hotel, Wellings would ask for a messenger boy to be gent round. When the boy ar- rived he was dispatched to the bank with a note on the hotel notepaper, requesting cash against the cheque in the name ef a well-known customer. The boy was instructed to go with the cash and settle a small debt at a certain shop and then return to his employer at the hotel. This method enabled the gang to watch the movements of the messenger boy from first to last.- Thus, if they saw that something had gone wrong they warned the waiting man at the hotel and vanished in haste. The boy might be able to describe his employer, but beyond that there was no clue, The method was so successful that many thousands of pounds were paid out by London banks into the coffers of Wellings, Peach and Co. The "firm" operated a second method of extracting money from the benevolent. And it was here that Fane was the prime mover. Though no longer in the Army, he still belonged to a famous service club. Reputable London clubs have cheque forms which, when filled in by a member, become as negotiable as one printed by the bank itself. When Fane secured these cheque forms he passed them over to Peach, There was much to recommend this kind of forgery, for the fact that the presented cheque was on a club form, narrowed down the possibility of fraud. For who would be able to obtain such forms but a club member? And members of such clubs do not usually commit forgery. Fane selected a certain Colonel Gascoigne, a rich member of the club. To him he wrote on behalf of a very hard case -- an old soldier with a splendid service record who had fallen on evil days. Would the Colonel send a small donation to the fund he, the writer, was getting up? Prompt- ly came a cheque for two guineas. Passed to Peach, this cheque was never presented for pay- ment. It was simply used to copy the Colonel's signature to cheques made out on the club forms. One of these. cheques was made out for £900. As usual a messenger boy was employed end the cash secured without rousing the cashier's suspicions. But when, a few days later, the small boy presented a second cheque for an even larger amount, the cashier smelt a rat. The boy, perfectly innocent of course, somehow sensed that he had become involved in a crim- inal activity, and ran out of the bank. The second cheque, there- fore, was never cashed. ™ A setback, certainly, but not a disaster. When finally, disaster did overwhelm the forgery firm of Wellings, Peach and Co., it came from quite a different di- rection. Wellings and Peach quarrelled, probably over a division of the swag. And Peach, 'wishing to in- jure his former partner, sent an anonymous letter in a disguised hand to Scotland Yard "blowing the gaff' on the whole gang. He even took the trouble to explain, in detail, the methods used. Mrs. Hughes and the Welling- ses were arrested. At the Old Bailey the parson's widow stout- ly protested her innocence, but she was convicted and got three ~ years. 2 The Wellingses, husband and wife, got seven and five years respectively; Fane, debonair to the last, got seven years. Q. How can I keep lettuce, cel- ery, parsley, and mint fresh for a longer time? A. Wrap in a cloth wrung out of cold water and keep in the refrigerator. fong black straw stem. It won zation Commission's show. W'S A BONBON--Webster defines « bonbon as being dainty end sweet so maybe that's what designer Hattie Carnegie had tn mind when she created this little black stray "bonbon". The {Ittle hat, designed for evening wear, features red rose on a applause at the Millinery Stabili- eee: EVERYBODY RIDES "UPSTAIRS" -- Comfort, vision, safety and esthetic appeal are combined in this. new cross-country Greyhound bus. The luxurious 39 -passenger streamlined cruiser features a full-length observation deck, allowing everyone to ride "upstairs" for the first time. The air-conditioned vehicle, built by Mack, has a large rear lounge, modern lavatory and folding utility tables for each passenger. Fully 50 percent more glass area has been built into the bus than those presently used. It is scheduled to go into service shortly. y TABLE TALKS dane Andrews. -- Suppose that your meal is go- ing to be heavy and you want a light dessert. Gelatin snows may suit you exactly. This dessert may be made early and refrig- erated -- another convenience when you are_ entertaining. Something new has_ recently been added to the making of these gelatin desserts. This airy combination, of gelatin, fruit juices, and egg whites has always called for beaten egg whites. Now, as a result of new develop- ments in the test kitchens for a big company, unbeaten egg whites are added to the com- bined gelatin and fruit juice and the entire mixture is beaten to- gether. . Use whatever fruit juice your family likes best and, conven- iently, it may be either fresh, canned, or frozen. FRUIT SNOW envelope unflavored gelatin % cup cold water cup sugar teaspoon salt can (6 ounces) frozen con- centrated fruit juice -- tam- gerine, orange, grapefruit, grape, limeade, or lemonade 2 unbeaten egg whites Sprinkle gelatin on cold-water in top of double boiler to soften. -- Es Place over boiling water add J, sugar and salt, and stir until dissolved. Add frozen concen- trated juice and stir until melt- ed. Chill until mixture is con- sistency of unbeaten egg white; add egg whites. Beau until mix- ture begins to hold its shape. Turn into 6 cup mold or individ- ual molds. Chill until firm. Un- mold and serve with the follow- ing custard sauce which utilizes the 2 egg yolks. CUSTARD SAUCE 1% cups milk 1 whole egg 3 tablepsoons sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla ¥, teaspoon salt Scald milk in top of.double boiler, Beat whole" egg-and egg yolks; stir.in sugar and salt, Gradually add small amount of the hot milk, stirring constantty. Return to double boiler and cook, stirring constantly, over hot, not boiling water, until mix- ture coats the spoon. Remove from heat; cool. Stir in vanilla. * s * If your meat course calls for fruit to finish off the meal, try this baked apple-cheese dessert. APPLE-CHEESE DESSERT 5 cups peeled sliced apples 1 tablespoon lemon juice %4 cup sugar ¥% teaspoon cinnamon ¥% cup sifted flour ¥ teaspoon salt ¥, cup butter 24 cup grated cheese Fill shallow baking dish with apples; sprinkle with lemon juice and % cup of the sugar. Mix flour, cinnamon, and salt with re- rraining 4% cup sugar. Cut in but- ter until mixture is granular. Stir in cheese. Spréad over apple. Bake at 350° F: until apples are tender -- about 40 minutes. Cool before cutting to serve. Serve with plain cream or ice cream. = s * Another baked dessert, a lem- on sponge, may be baked either in individual cups or a baking dish. LEMON SPONGE PUDDING %4 cup sugar % cup flour ¥ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon melted butter ¥% cup lemon juice ¥% teaspoon grated lemon rind 2-3 eggs, separated 1% cups milk Mix together the sugar and flour. Add salt, butter, lemon juice, and lemon rind. Beat egg -yolks well and add milk. Com- bine with sugar mixture. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry and fold into first mixture. Pour into greased baking dish or cus- tard cups. Place in a shallow pan of hot water. Bake at 350° F. for 40-45 minutes. s * s No collection of dessert recipes is complete without a chocolate one for the men who likes everything if its chocolate! Here is a souffle which he may like. CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE % cup cocoa 1 cup milk 2 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour 2%' cup sugar ¥Y% teaspoon salt 3 eggs, separated 1 teaspoon vanilla Combine cocoa and milk in top of double boiler; heat over boil- ing water until mixture is hot; heat with rotary beater unitl well blended. Melt butter; stir milk mixture and continue stir- ring and cooking over direct heat until mixture boils. Cool. Stir in unbeaten egg yolks; add vanilla. Beat egg whites until stiff, fold in chocolate mixture. Pour into greased baking dih; set in pan of hot water. Bake at 350° F. for 40-50 minutes, or until center is firm when touched lightly. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream. Serves 4 generously. * 3 * FRUIT WHIP Quick fruit whips are made by combining fruit pulp with either whipped cream or beaten egg whites. Pile this dessert lightly in sherbet glasses and chill before serving. For banana, peach, prune, ap- ple, or apricot whip, just add a teaspoon lemon juice to 1 cup of unsweetened fruit pulp. Beat 2 egg -whites stiff and fold in this pulp. Or fold 1 cup of the pulp» into 1 cup whipped cream and add a little vanilla. Chill well. Fake Gems ~ Caused Riot Mighty hoaxés from little acorns -- and an.astonishing zssortment of other nuts -- grow and grow. ; A few years ago a college graduate with several degrees went to the trouble of buying a cartonful of fake jewelry at enighborhood five-and-tens and then spent hours taking out the 'a vari-colored bits of glass that passed for diamnds, rubies and _ emralds. This mastermind (whose name is withheld because he's trying valiantly to live his exploit down) then put the "Jewels" into an attaché case and sauntered at the lunch hour up Fifth Avenue. Directly in front of Tiffany's he released the catch on the case and a cascade of "precious stones" spilled onto the® pave- ment. It took police reserves a half hour to quell the resultant | ~stampede. The hoaxer spent the night in the hoosegow. --From Bennett Cerf's Cerfboard. in flour, sugar and salt. Stir in | 3 Great Gardens All Underground Seven miles north of Fresno, Calif, two blocks west of U.S. Highway 99, is a one-man won- der of the world. Here a fan- tastic maze of passageways, known as the Fresno Under- - ground Gardens, consists of 65 rooms, gardens, grottoes, and patios, each differing from the other and all below ground. Many full-grown trees flour- ish. A citrus tree, more than 20 feet below the surface, is graft- ed to bear seven kinds of fruit. Rare shrubs and flowers add s@ashes of colour throughout the project. It seems incredible that one man cuold dig all this alone over a period of even 38 un- rewarded years. Born near Mes- sina, Sicily, in 1879, Baldasare Forestiere was the'son of a pros- | perous fruit grower. At 21 the youth emigrated to America, where he got work tunneling under the city of Boston. During the next six years' he also helped to build the subway from New York to New Jersey and the great Croton Aqueduct. In 1908 he moved to the site of his lifetime project in Fres- no. With his savings and an in- heritance he bought 200 acres. of barren desert land at about $10 an acre. Today, however, it is some of the world's most pro- ductive and costliest land. To escape the hot summers, Mr. Forestiere at once dug a deep cellar, remembering the cool depth of the subways. -He enjoyed his underground home so well that he soon be- gan to enlarge it, burrowing out a complete and comfortable but unconventional four-room apart- ment. Legend says that after completing his living quarters, Baldasare returned to Sicily when he was about 35 to claim his childhood sweetheart as his bride. But she réjected him, whereupon he resolved to build alone an underground estate un- like any other. It would be a spectacle to bring public won- derment and fame instead of scorn and mockery. From his living quarters he kept digging out in all direc- tions. Here he made a tunnel, sageway, a patio, more rooms, gardens, and grottoes until a veritable maze hongycombed nearly seven acres beneath the earth's surface. ~ Today the gardens stand pre- served as their builder left them. A giant auto tunnel extends more than 700 feet, and arches and columns are found through- out the gardens -- hewn in graceful symmetry. Visitors com- pleting their tour through the passageways feel that they have seen a secret world. Prominent engineers who have inspected the work marvel at Mr. Forestiere's genius. Self- taught, he designed exactly right for strength and permanency. No monotony of pattern greets the eye, and the whole project is lighted by the sun. Every- of pickmarks in the clay and hardpan writes Aubrey B. Haines in The Christian Science Monitor. ; Although he was but five feet, four inches tall, he swung his pick, hacking his way through the earth countless times. He shoveled out and hauled away in a wheelbarrow hundreds of tons of dirt. Most incredible of all, however, he could shovel dirt out of an 18-foot hole -- more than three times his own height. Surely, he was among the greatest pick - and - shovel artists of all time | To promote the growth of his underground trees, Baldasare utilized the rich loam of ancient lakebeds some 75 miles away, near Coalinga, Calif. He made countless trips in his rattly Mo- del T Ford pickup to dig and haul back this earth to fill around his plants. When, in 1946, he passed on, his work was still unfinished. : But what he achieved is fast becoming known as the one- man wonder of the world. WRITE KIDDY BOOKS IN JAIL One of America's most popular writers of children's stories was Dale Morey. Magazines printed this writer's stories every week - and noted that every story car- ried a strong moral that 'crime and dishonesty never pay. Now it has been revealed that - "Dale Morey" is a team -- Wil- liam Morey and Robert Dale, Both convicts. in a southern Michigan prison where Morey is serving life for murder and Dale five to fourteen years for for- gery. there a roema, over there a pas- » where one sees literally millions -~ Wie BEACHED BED--Preparing for a snooze in the open air, actress . agitate: Virginia Maskell brushes the sand from her feet prior to getting "into her Victirian brass bed on the beach of the island of Tortola, British Virgin Islands. The bed is an imporiant item in the new movie, "Our Virgin Island", being fi'med on location there. The film deals with a newly married couple who start life in a deserted isiand with the antique bed as their only . bad \ possession. ' ey #