The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1847-08-31
From the National Police Gazette.
ADVANTAGES OF WEALTH.;
A ROMANCE OF THE GRAND JURY

A ROMANCE OF THE GRAND JURY.
During conversation which took place a
day or two ago between ourselves and a
friend on the subject of our last article upon
the Grand Jury, he cited case that occur
red in this city in December 1874, as srik-
ingly illustrative of the evils we charged as
continual and inevitable upon the secret or
ganizatiop and irresponsible character of that
strange, mysterious, gloomy and omnipotent
tribunal. The case presents an instructive
lesson, and having possessed ourselves of IFS
correctness from fist to last, we herewith
commit il to the reflections and philosophy
Of our readers.
There lived in this city about 8 years ago
young man of wealthy connections who
who was clerk to bis unclo in large import
ing house in Broad street. He had recsiv-
ed liberal education, he possessed consid-
erabls talents, and he was master of an in
cone that was adequate to all the rational,
nay, even extravagant requirements OF city
life. But he was not extravagant, neither
was he given to habits Of expenditure, bu,
he was "a nice young man" who pursued a
moral and temperate system of enjoyment,
which seemed consistent with his position
and his prospects. 1t would naturally be
supposed that youth thus situated would
be beyond the reach of ordinary temptation
TO dishonesty, or at any rate would not vol
unfairly enter into crime. There
are some characters, however, in which ma
ture distributes turpitudc so profnsely, and
at the same time blends i, SO equally with all
the qualities, that no striking vice Of dashing
obliqui,y Of morals betrays the error of the
composition. In a mind ofthis kind scarcely
thought exists unless il be tinged with
baseness; and though the equal balance may
give the whole fair exterior, its secret ten
denotes are hateful, and it readily grasps at
the first opportunity ofvcous stealth for the
indulgence of its mischevoas appet'ses.
This was the character of the nice young
man in question, and he evinced it in the
following manner. ....
He possessed a remarkable talent for imi-
tation, which, after indulging itself by way
of experiment in drawing and mechanics,
was directed TO the freak Of counlerfeiting
signatures and altering aud enhancing the
denomination of bank notes. BY dint ofre-
peated efforts and with the aid of the neces-
sary tools, he soon obtained such proficiency
in the art of altering, that he determined 10
test the quality of his attalnuents by passing
one of the fraudulent bank notes. He sue
ceeded. lie tried again and was again sue
eessful, and when the novelty oftriumph had
worn off and ceased to inspire the effort,
avarice took up the task and made the expert
ment a rule of gain. For months he has Sc
cretly carried on his nefarious enterprise and
tine entire of his leisure from business was
employed in altering and in passing spurious
notes. One evening in December, 1874, he
offered $5 altered note at the box office OF
one of the principle theatres. The treasur-
er who was in attendance, handed it back
with the word that il was bad. Nothing
daunted he offered another Of the same char
acter, whereupon the treasurer came out, and
calling to magistrate who stood by, deliv-
cred the young counterfeiter in his hands,
The culprit was searched on the spot, and
on his person was found several altered bills
of various denominations, and likewise sew
eral parts of bills in the shape of nedallons
accurately cut for alteriug and fitting. He
was committed TO prison; and in the morning
an officer who visited his room found simI-
lar fragments in his trunks, and on pursuing
his investigations to the counting house, dis
covered in his drawer deicately bladed in
strument specially adapted TO sllclng the fin
est fabric. On the cover Of his desk also ap-
peared glossy circles of some gummy sub
stance, which had evidently been formed by
the operations of the brush in touching the
edges of the medalions during the joining
process The proof was complete and stun
ned by the force of the overpowerIng revela-
ton, the rogue confessed. Then for the
first time did the confidence Of his friends
break down and there was wo among the
respectables of his respectable line. But
eriefvery seldom reaches the climax of des-
pair with those who have money in their
pockets, and the respectable friends OF that
highly respectable rogue belbonght them
selves of the deep sympathy which respec-
table Grand Jury could be made to feel for
the disgrace of such family as theirs, and
for the ruined hopes of such promising but
Temporarily errng young man as the culprlt'
The first movemant was 10 dash of sig
nature to a bail bond for $4,000 and set the
rascal at liberty. Their next TO fee lawyer
to manage with the officers who knew the
secret, and 10 direct him to obtain from the
County Clerk ten days in advance of their
session. a list Of the Grand Jurors for the
coming term. The list was obtained, and
after being scanned, every member of the
panel was waited upon either by the relatives
themselves, or by some near friend Of the
par,y applied 10, whom they had converted
10 their interest. Every observer of human
nature knows how impressive is the wo of