Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1838-05-17
FORGERY OF TREASURY NOTES.

FORGERY OF TREASURY NOTES.
On Monday, about noon, the hue and
cry was raised in this city, after q per,
son named ms. B. Henderson, an euura.
yer, who boarded at a house near the
City Hall, and who had made his es.
cape while under arrest on charge of
forging Treasury notes. The fugitive
was speedily arrested and taken before
b: X. Morsell, Esq. before whom the
following facts were stated in evidence
The prisoner on Friday last, presen-
ted two papers. purporting to be Treas.
ury notes Of the United States, of the
value Of 81 900 and $50, at the Farm
ers' and Planters Bank of Baltimore, for
which he received their notes and pre-.
MUM. 1t was soon afterwards ascer-
tanned that these notes were forgeries,
and the prisoner was traced to this city.
He afterwards, before he left Baltimore,
exchanged the Baltimore notes for Vir.
gInia bank notes. The prisoners place
OF residence in this city being discover
ed, warrant was issued to arrest him
on Saturday night. A clerk from the
Baltimore Bank (Mr. Cochran, Jr.) ac-
companied the constable, (L.S. Beck } to
the prisoners lodgings: and while the
clerk was lett alone conversing with
him, the latter contrived to slip out of
the room, turn the key upon the clerk,
and leave him prisoner in the room.
The clerk however, Immediately jumped
out OF the window upon the roof of a
shed. and pursued the prisoner so hard,
raising the cry Of "stop thief that he
was soon overtaken and arrested. Upon
examination Of the testimony and facts,
the prisoner having admitted that he
hlled up the notes. was fully committed
for trial
Upon searching the trunks of the
prisoner, various blank bank checks and
notes were found therein; and a number
of gold watches were also found in the
prisoners valise.-NAr. INT.
The Globe gives the following add.
tional remarks in relation to these Treas.
ury notes:
In his possession were found several
Impressions Of those notes, some of them
filled up and some blank. All the i'm.
Pressions are from the original plates,
and are what are usually known as proof
impressions, and of course, must have
been stolen from the engravers, (Messrs.
Rawdin, Wright and Hatch in New
York, who have the plates in their pos.
session.
There is reason to believe that he
may have passed others of these notes,
and as all found in his possession were
10 ko h.
none of the forged ones were of the pa
per used for the genuine notes. Ifsuch
be the case, it is very easy to detect the
counterfeits, as the Iodia paper, on which
they are impressed, is rather thinner and
softer than that of the genuine, and on
being wetted, nearly dissolves, being
easily torn, almost without breathing
strongly on it, whilst the paper OF the
genuine notes is OF the strongest material.
The signature of the forged notes, al
though well executed, can be readily de.
tected. The signature Of the Acting
Treasurer, WIN. B. RANDOLPH. appears
as if written, WIN. b. RANDOLPH. That
OF the Register. also, T. L. SMITH. ap-
pears to be written, I. S. SMITH.
One OF the notes passed by Henderson
purPorted to be for $4,000, the sum be,
ing filled up by the pen on the im pres
sion used for the fractional sums between
500 and 500. No note of that amount
has ever been issued, the issues as vet
being only notes Of 81 900. $500, $I0O
500, and the fractional issues of sums be-
tween $50 and 500, the amounts aud
figures being filed up with the pen.
The Globe Of Saturday night has the fol-
loving paragraph on the subject Of the .Jorg-
ed Treasury Notes, one Of which was recent.
ly detected in this city Bolt finer.
Since our notice on Tuesday last of
the arrest Of HENDERSON, charged with
issuing forged Treasury notes, further
developments show that the proof i'm.
Prsssions of which he became possessed,
were obtained about the middle of jan
uary last, by the robbery of Mr.. RAW
DON, one OF the eDgravers, whose trunk
was broken open at the United States
Hotel, in Philadelphia, and riAed Of
part oil Its contents. among which were
several proof impressions of Treasury
notes. 1t Is believed, that in addition |
to the notes passed on the Farmers and !
Plastere' Bank of Baltimore, but three |
others have been uttered, or exist, two
OF them of the denomination of one hun
dred dollars and one Of fifty dollars
These notes being on India paper, can
readily be detected in the mode pointed |