Waterman v. People

Citations

• 67 Ill. 91

Syllabus

<p>Forgery—the writing forged must subject party affected to legal liability, if genuine. In this case the defendant was indicted for the forgery of a letter of introduction bespeaking the showing of courtesies to the bearer by railroad officials, and promising to reciprocate the same, which purported to be signed by the superintendent of a railroad and canal company: Held, that as the writing, if genuine, had no legal validity, and affected no legal rights, but was a mere attempt to secure courtesies on a promise, of no legal obligation, to reciprocate them, it could not be the subject of forgery, and could not be aided by any averments in an indictment.</p>