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The Man With No Hands Who Was A Convicted Forger
In the 1930s, a man was discovered stealing because of his forgeries — only he had no hands
Despite the criminal element of it all, there is something artistic about the work of forgers, From meticulously copying signatures, to replicating paintings, the ability to recreate something that is so similar to the original that it tricks the naked eye is a dazzling talent. Training the mind and hands to copy such elaborate detail is hard to fathom. Then there’s the case of a Chicago man from nearly a century ago who was convicted of forgery despite the fact that he had no hands.
The January 7, 1931 issue of The Los Angeles Times reported the unusual case of 40-year-old Frank Greissmayer. He had been arrested and accused of obtaining a $700 loan from a bank by forging the signature of his father-in-law on the promissory note. What made this case especially unusual is that the defendant had no hands.
During his appearance before the judge, Greissmayer protested he could not have possibly been the person who forged the signature because he couldn’t hold a pen, much less write. To show what he meant, he raised both of his arms in the air, displaying prosthetic limbs. Furthermore, he claimed that he was illiterate.
