Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1844-04-12
A PASSAGE IN TIE LIFE OF
ssTHOMAS BOGUS, ESQ.,

more amusing as wen as IN some respects
pathetic romance than any we have lately
read. The best land the worst) Of il is, that
this story, like Byron's, els actually true"
Norwich, Feb, 25, 1914.
Dear Sir I'll reached this place on
Thursday last, and having a leisure day or
two on my hands, amused myself by at
tending the Court of General Sessions of
Chenango, then sitting in this village. The
customary quantity of indictments for lar
ceny, assault and battery and other rascali-
ties, occupied the time Of the court, and
were disposed of pretty much as is usual
case so unique and so entirely original, at
least TO me, that | have supposed you might
deem il worthy an insertion in the journal.
1t was the trial of VIM. B. Thorington
for obtaining property by means Of false
pretences. 1t appeared on trial that this
IThorington met man named Underwood,
in Solon Cortland County, in September
last, and in the course of conversation in
formed him that he was engaged in the bus
mess of passing counterfeit coin that the
coin was made by company Of men in
Kingston, IN Upper Canada; that it was so
well counterfeited that no man could detect
it, the inside being German silver, but the
outside pure silver; that this quality of the
article was worth fifty cents on the dollar
that they had another kind made of copper,
which was not worth so much Thorington
then handed Underwood some five or six
pieces Of money, UNITED States half dollars)
which he told him was the best kind OF
counterfeit, and requested Underwood to
examine and try them
Underwood kept them one day, when he
returned them all to Thorington except one
piece. which piece was presented and identi-
fed on the trial and proved to be genuine
half dollar. Some few days after they met
again, when Underwood was informed that
man, named Bryant, would be in the town
of Lincklean, Chenango County, few miles
from Scion, on the eighth day of Novem-
Der with that kind Of money to SELL when,
if he wished to buy, he might purchase
Punctual to the time, Underwood met Thor
ington at Lincklean. and they, together in
the night time, met third person in the
road, calling himself Bryant who said he
had 81 500 or 81 600 of that kind of mon
ey to sell, at fifty cents tho dollar The
mOney was ODuC uP w tWo cpcCiT -OOACo,
handsomely banded and timed at the cor
ners. Underwood purchased one box, con-
tanning. as they told him, six hundred dol
lars, without opening it, and paid Tor she
same his own note of S240, and notes
against others for $50. He took his box,
put it in bag, with chunk of wood in
one end to balance. slung it over his horse,
and rode home twelve miles, when, in the
presence of his wife, he opened il, and 10
the contents we're pot metal and sand =
There was some conflicting testimony in
the matter, Underwood swearing that he
supposed he was buying good silver money
at fifty cents on the dollar, but that il was
made by some persons at Kingston; while
a brother of his, who was present at con-
yersaton between Underwood and Thor.
ington, testified that Thorington represent.
ed it as made Of German silver, and of 9th.
err materials not silver, by reason Of which
it could be sold so cheap. The jury found
Thorington guilty. He is young man oil
25 years, and has an eye and features be.
speaking the shrewd Yankee, "and no mis-.
, take"
Is not this curious manGuvre TO raise
the wind Ii is hardly credible And YET
this game has been carried on to great ex.
tent in Chenango, Madison, Otsego, Cort
land and Tompkins Counties. II is here
known as the 's0nd gam" in speak.
ing of the victims, they were characterized
as the persons "bozed" At the lowest
SAC, 900 Of sand and pot metal have been
sold in this manner in these counties alone
within the last eighteen monthsl
There are a hundred different phases to
the game. Sometimes the man who wishes
TO sell, shows his different samples of what
, he terms counterfeit coin, but which in truth
are the genuine coins, prepared TO resemble
the counterfeit. One sample, they say, car
be had for 90 cents on the dollar. Tn.
kind has Q brassy appearance given to then
by shaking in bag with brass filings. An,
other kind has ieaden appearance, occa.
. stoned by shaking them in similar manner
, with lead, and is called worth 80 cents on
| the dollar. Another sample has the greasy
oily appearance of bogus money, which
is given by some chemical preparation which
II have not learned This latter kind j.
: worth from So TO 40 cents on the dollar
But the best kind, and the kind they Away,
sell, has slight copper appearance, which
can only be discovered by examining il by
strong light, shining horizontally upon it,
This color is impaired to it by boiling thu
pieces in wheat bran. The operators give
to the person who wishes to purchase, few
pieces, requesting him to pass them to mer
chants and other good judges of money. am
call their attention to them to see if they vii
detect them. The merchant, of course
takes them and calls them good. He ther
: concludes to buy; meets "Tom Bogus" a
# he is generally termed, (whoi some accom-
|, plice in disguises) in the woods in the night
nays over the stimulated amount. and receive