The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1854-12-13

counterfeited that those officers could not
distinguish the false from the true warrant
by the signatures.
Take ii all in all, the forgery is one of the
most extensive, bold and successful on re-
cord. 1t will long be great fact in the
history of Sap Francisco; and after the body
Of Henry Meiggs shall have been worm
eaten, the memory Of lis deeds will remain
as another confirmation of the ProYerb that
honesty is the best policy.
During the week, previous TO his depart
ure, he haze been very busy in raising ready
money for his stocks, and it is supposed
that he carried off about four hundred thous
dollars cash. 1t is said that the porter car
red down to one of tie wharves two heavy
carpet bags, supposed to contain gold to be
carried of in a boat by him. Tie was ac-
companied by his wife and three children,
and by his brother J ohm g. Meiggs. II is
not known whether John G. Meiggs was
concerned in any of the forgeries, although
Henry must have had accomplices.
There is a good deal of speculation in
regard to the destination Of the Americe.--
1t cannot possibly be any portion Of this
continent, nor to the Sandwich Islands, nor
to any of the large ports Of China or Aus
tralia. There are too many Americans in
all these places, for a man so shrewd as
Meigps to venture within their reach. He
has probably gone to some of the South
Sea Islands, or to some of the smallar
ports of Asia or Europe. But he is not
safe while he is on earth, the news of his
crime will have reached all the large ports
Of the world before him. Every stranger
will be terror to him-wherever he goes
the power of the United States will appear
to him like an ayenging angel-every A.
merican will appear to him as his execu-
tonel-he will flee when no man purSueth,
and will bitterly curse the day when he
began his career of crime.
Meicgs was born in Ca'tskill. n. Y,
and lived FOR many years in Williamsburg,
, where he WAS for many years member
of the city council. 1t is stated that he be-
came bankrupt in New York, and that
when he was applied to here by some
of his former creditors, he paid his debts
He arrived in San Francisco, in July, l5l9.
In the fall of 1859 he was elected to the
City Council from the first ward, and again
in the fall of 1851 T@is was the Jenny
Lind Council, and Mcisgs gained great
deal of popularity by opposing the Jenny
Lind purchase. In 1859 he YVES again cleo
ted, and again in 1853 lie was a very bold
speculator, and had three favorltes for spec
uIaton--land, lumber and music. He was
the principal person in getting up the Cal
, ifornia Lumber Company, which erected a
mill in 1852 at Mondocina, and from the
works of which more than 5000, 600 feet Of
, lumber are now brought monthly to this
city. He built Musical Hall, and made
great efforts, and many sacrifices TO have
good musical performances.
Nearly every moneyed men, and many
men OF small means have suffered severely
! BY these forgeries; aud we set down the
whole amount of spurious warrants at not
, far from million of dollars on which
Meiggs has probably borrowed about fifty
! per cent of their face receiving some $780,
600 in cash. This lnss falls principally on
the outsders--to use the prasing term of the
street.-The bankers, rs near as can be as
. certaned, suffering TO the amount OF about
one quarter of the whcle. Mr. Meiggs was
. evidently cautious in placing the warrants,
as far as practicable in the hands of those
who would not be likely to use them for
! their own loans, or to do otherwise than lock
them up; taking the loans of him as invest
mentS.
There was no man here who bore a fair
er reputation for integrity than Henry
Meircs, whose name has been closely con-
nccted with most of our local improvements.
,, Yet he has suddenly abscondeG after hav-
ing committed forgeries; and contracted
business debts to the amount Of nearly two
millions ofdoIlars. The following may be ia.
ken as a moderate approximation of his lia,
blties:
Amount Of failure in his proper
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