Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1827-06-14
FrOa the " York Commercial .4.ioertiser.


On ihursday last we gave, from the
New Brunswick FINES, an account OF
the detection of ayoung man called John
Smyth, in an attempt to pass Oft forg-
ed draft on the Manhatten Bank of this
city. The FREEDMAN of yesterday, gives
the following further particulars.-'in a
strong chest he bad with him, were de-
posted very complete set OF tools and
implements for prosecuting secret inqui-
ries into vaults, houses, Sc. and there
appeared besides convenient prepare
ton for nicely extracting ink from paper,
and an apparatus for the production
and application of fire, should that
powerful agent be necessary. All these
things to be sure, might belong to
an honest man, but in Mr.. smyth's
case, they were questionable appendages,
Steps were Immediately takento ascer-
tain whether or not the draft in question
lsgenuine 1t turns out that the Signature
was genuine, but that the amount had
been alteredfrom SERENITY jfee dollars to
seren thousand dollars! Mr. Chauncey,
the Cashier of the Bank OF Pennsy Iva i.
MIA, and one of the officers Of the Bank
OF the United States have been here,
and the information whrh they were
enabled to add of Mr. Smyth's travels
and doings, authorized our Magistrate
fully to commit him for trial. The real
name Of the arch gentleman our police
has had the good fortune 70 secure, it is
believed to be John Read. tie is well
known to the police in all the principle
cities, and is described in their chroni-
cles as large as life. Heis also said to
have been an inmate for three years of
the Pennsylvania asylum for thieves and
robbers and is shrewdly suspected Of
an intimate acquaintance with a person
who has by forgery obtained large sums
of money from different banks The
money he bad about him it is more than
probable, was got by this intimate ac-
quaintance, and entrusted to his safe
keeping. lie has destroyed or secreted
the $1,000 draft.
"We understand a demand is TO be
made for him by the Governor of Penn
sylvania, in order that ha may have the
benefit of the Philadelphia Faculty.
6""Since writing the above, we per-
ceiVe by the Baltimore papers, that two
checks or drafts altered from small a.
mounts to $4,000 each, drawn by the
U. 5 Branch at Norfolk OH the Branch
at Baltimore, have been passed-one of
them at Washington City, and the other
at Richmond, Va. without the smallest
suspicion. The Cashier of the Bank al
Washington who received and paid the
draft, on hearing of the arrest of Smyth
came on here, and Immediately recog-
nized him to be the offender. Smyth al
once, we understand, admitted his guilt,
and sotiered to do what he could to
restore the mohey-but Smyth's depre-
dations have been so extensive, and so
many claimants appear, from various
quarters, that there will probably be
some difficulty in deciding TO whom i,
shall belong
Nothing is talked of at frankie
but the will of the late Mr.. Beth
mann, who has left a fortune of TWEEN
ty millions of Francs. Durinp the
whole course of his life he was ex
tremely successful, and yet his widow
is in situation difficult to be describ
ed-By this will Mrs. Bethmapn re
ceives only an annuity sufficient for her
support, while a lady to whom the
banker was attached IS provided for
like the mistress of Prince. The
widow, by this will, is to leave the
house OF her husband within year. to
renounce all right TO the education of
her children, and to give up. as part
of her entailed estate, all her Jewels
and valuable effects Brussels PaDer
During its recent session, the lie
gslature of Connecticut passed a law
declaring that after the st day of July
next, 100 lbs. shall constitute evil.
and 2000 los a ton. By the same
law IT Is provided that brass weights
OF one, two, four, five, ten, twenty and
hily pounds, shall be procured By the
state, and 10y each county and town,
as standards of the ayOirdupois weight.