A remarkable story of swindling which, extended to many cities in America and to England, was disclosed, uncovering a gigantic forgery and check kiting plot as well as several fraudulent stock selling schemes. CHICAGO CONCERNS ARE VICTIMS. Banks and business concerns, especially in Chicago, suffered through the operations of the men. Their methods came to the attention of John Hill, Jr., connected with the Board of Trade, and Detective Wooldridge learned enough to convince them and the men behind institutions the objects of which were to obtain money fraudulently. Some of the places which have been mulcted are: Commercial National Bank, August 15; bogus note for $1,078. Stromberg, Allen & Co., printers, 302 Clark street; bogus note for $206. R. B. Padgham & Co., packing boxes, 59 Dearborn street; bogus note for $300. Matthew Hallohan, 42 River street, September 12; bogus note for $190. LOSES ALL OF SAVINGS. Julius Radisch, 2509 South Halsted street, a German who lost $700 in the wreck of the National Fireproofing Company, told the police of the unique methods used by Johnston in selling him the stock. He asserts that Johnston told him that the stock would pay at least 8 per cent dividends, and as proof of the prosperity of the company took him to the downtown district and showed him several skyscrapers which he claimed were owned by the corporation. Radisch also says that Johnston also pointed out a bank where he said the company had immense sums on deposit. The story told by Radisch is peculiarly a sad one, as the money lost by him in the crash of the Fireproofing company represented the savings of a lifetime of hard labor. Shortly after the discovery that his money was lost his wife died. [Illustration: _FORGED NOTES CAUSE FIVE ARRESTS_ $10,000 STOLEN FROM BANKS THROUGH PLOT OF SWINDLERS Prisoner accused as principal in mammoth swindling plot in which many banks are victims, and a facsimile of one of the notes by which money was obtained. _BOND USED BY THE SWINDLER._ GEORGE F. JOHNSON] ONE CAPITALIZED AT $1,000,000. The concerns most frequently used by the men in their transactions, the police say, were known as National Fire Proofing Company of New York and the Federal Trust Company of South Dakota. The fire proofing company was stated to be capitalized at $1,000,000 and the trust company at $100,000. Offices for each concern were at 1138 Broadway, New York. From there, it is charged, circulars and pamphlets were sent out to investors in all parts of the country, and it was also a practice of these concerns, it is alleged, to open accounts with banks and exchange bogus notes for good ones. SHERIFF IN CHARGE OF AFFAIRS. About one week before the arrest the concerns were placed in the hands of the sheriff of New York County, and, following this, it is declared, disclosures were made which hastened the arrest of the men involved.