Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1847-08-25
From the National Police Gazette.
The Advantages Of Wealth; a Romano
Of the Grand jury.

During q conversation which took place
day or two ago between ourselves and q
friend on the subject Of our last article upon
the Grand Jury, he cited case that occur.
red in this city in December 1914, as strik.
ingly Illustrative Of the evils we have charg-
ed as continual and inevitable upon the Sc.
cret organization and irresponsible charac-
ter of that strange, mysterious, gloomy and
omnipotent tribunal. The case presents
an instructive lesson, and having posses
sed ourselves of its correctness from first to
last, We herewith commit it to the ref1ec-
tions and philosophy of our readers.
There lived in this city about three years
ago young man Of wealthy connections,
who was clerk to his uncle in large i'm
porting house in Broad street. He had re-
ceived q liberal education, he possessed con-
siderable talents, and he was master of an
income that was adequate to all the ration
al, nay, even the extravagant requirements
of city life. But he was not eXtravagant.
neither was he given to habits of expendi
ture, but he was ''a nice young man. who
pursued a moral and temperate system oil
enjoyment, which seemed consistent will,
his position and his prospects. 1t would
naturally be supposed that a youth thus sit
ated would be beyond the reach of ordinary
temptation to dishonesty, or at any rate
would not enter into crime There are
some characters, however, in which nature
distributes turpitude SO profusely, and at
the same time blends it SO equally with all
the qualities, that no striking vice or dash
ing obliquity Of morals betrays the error of
the composition. In mind of this kind
scarcely thought exists unless it be tinged
with baseness; and though the equal BAL
ance may give the whole a fair exterior,
its secret tendencies are hateful, and it read
lily grasps at the first opportunity of vicious
stealth for the indu1 gence Of its mischiev-
GUS appetites. This was the character Of
the nice young man in question, and he G.
vinced it in the following manner:
He possessed remarkable talent for inn
itation, which, after indulging itself by way
of drawing and mechanics, was directed to
the freak fcounterfeting signatures and
altering and enhancing the denomination
Of bank notes. By dint of repeated efforts
and with the use Of the necessary tools, he
soon obtained such proficiency in the art of
altering, that he determined to test the
quality Of his attainments by passing one
of the fraudulent bank notes. He succeed
ed. He tried again and was again success
full, and when the novelty of triumph had
worn off and ceased to inspire the effort,
avarice took up the task and made the ex-
pertinent rule Of gain. For months he
secretly carried on his nefarious enter
prise and tho entire time of his leisure from
business was employed in altering and pass
ing spurious notes. One evening in De-
cember, 1914, he offered a $5 altered note
at the box office Of one Of the principal the
aires. The treasurer who was in attend
ance, handed it back with the word that it
was bad. Nothing daunted he offered an
other Of the same character, whereupon the
treasurer came out, and calling to magis-
trate who stood by, delivered the young
counterfeiter into his hands. The cul prit
was searched on the spot, and on his person
were found several altered bills of various
denominations, and likewise several parts
Of bills in the shape Of medallions accu-
rately cut for altering and fitting. He was
committed to prison. and in the morning
an officer who visited his room found SINH
lar fragments in his trunks, and on pursu-
ing his investigations to the counting house,
discovered in his drawer delicately blad.
ed instrument specially adapted to slicing
the finest fabric. On the cover Of his desk
also appeared glossy circles of some gum
my substance, which had evidently been
formed by the operations Of the brush in
touching the edge of the medallions during
the joining process. The proof was COM
plete, and stunned by the force of the over
powering revelation, the rogue confessed.
Then for the first time did the confidence
Of his friends break down and there was
wo among the respectbles Of this resptable
line. But grief very seldom reaches the
climax of despair with those who have mon
ey in their pockets, and the respectable
friends of that highly respectable rogue be.
thought themselves ofthe deep sympathy
which respectable Grand Jury could be
made to feel for the disgrace of such fam
lily as theirs, and for the ruined hopes of
such promising but temporarily misguid-
ed young man as the Gu prt.
Their first movement was to dash off
signature to bail bond for $4,000 and set
the rascal at liberty. Then to fee law
yer to manage with the officers who knew
the secret, and to direct him to obtain from