The Massachusetts spy, or, Thomas's Boston journal. [volume] (Boston [Mass.]) 1772-1775, 1773-09-30
From The New YORK GAzsTtEER.
To the PRIN TER.

o TIC I N ~ i = Ne
SIR,
n S the public are intereRed, 10 they
IA mutt be anxious to know the refult
of fpecial court of Oyer aud Terminer.
held here lately for the difcovery and trial
of the perlons concerned in the counterfeit
ing the paper currency of the province of
New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jerfey.
fhall give you brief narrative of the
Plantations of the court, and the facts that
appeared, that you may communicate them
if you think proper, through your paper.
This account you would have had fooner,
but it was thought (for certain reafons)
prudent not to pubIilh it until this time.
You have already mentioned in your pa
per that Samuel Ford and John King had
eicaped from goal. Their elcape made it
extremely difficult to diicover their accom-
plices - The court opened on ruelday
the 18th, and it was the Friday following
before the leaft inclination could be got OF
any perlons concerned, when one of them
who lay under the essinvs of three conviet-
ions, the one for aiding Ford and King, in
their elcape, and the Others for high milf
demeanors, on being hard puihed, and in
order to mitigate his puliihmsnt for thefs
crimes, began to make confefion, this
foon alarmed another of the accomplices,
who made an ample and full confefion.
BY which CONDITIONS. and thole of the
petfons afterwards apprehended, thefe facts
appeared-That Ford has been in the buff
nefs of money making many years, that in
the year 1867, OF 8, he followed il in New.
York; bur was apprehended on lufpicion
of making money, and admitted to bail,
and even then fet about preparing msteri-
ais to renew the buinefs, that he loon re-
moved back Into this country, where be -
gain entered into il, and made . conneeai-
on in Philadelphia, with certain Capt.
Jofeph Richardlon, from whom he got
fupply of types, he then attempted the
New Yo emifiion of Three Pound Bills,
and made comfortable FUN, but ooEplain-
cd of the thinaefs of the paper, and the bad
credit of the currency; at leaf in this and
the neighbouFing provinces, and gave
preference to the Jerfey currency but iris
thought did little at it till the PennfylVsnia
emiHion of 1909 came out, when he and
Captain Richardfon went to Ireland, and
from thence to London and the msnufac-
turing towns, and Ford applied hmielf TO
learn the bu6nefs of an engraver and type
maker, and from his knowledge before in
the art of carving, and an uncommon ma
tural genius, he in the courfe of three
months became 70 perfectly mater of the
buGnefs, that ION his return to Americs)
he made all the types for his prefs, and in
70 mslferly a manner, that the imitation OF
the Jerfey and Pennsylvania Bills, whicS
were ftruck by them, of Three Pounds and
Thirty Shillines, is 70 exact that the differ
ence cannot be dilcovered without the moR
ftria examination ofa perfon we'll acquzint-
ed with the true bills.
From the time of bis return, till be was
zppresended, he went on with uuintenup-
ted fuccefs, and emitted large fums of the
Jetley andPennfylvania currency: but Pfin-
cipally of the latter, for lheIe two years
pzf, and was the lefs appreheniive of be-
ing detected for the following reafops:
IL. His bills had food tie tei of the
feveral treafurers examination, and had
their fanaion, which be ever made an in
variable rule to feeure before &c Psf:c any
of bis new emiHons.