New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-11-10
THE GREAT PoRGIRIEs OF HENRY NEIGGS.
r. n. ral.s,~naa CArossos

known to US.
THE GREAT PORGERIES OF HENRY NEiGGS
Fro. TAs caiysv~ls CA,o-ios
On Friday afternoon, rumor circulated among
business men that Henry Meggs. a, old RESIDENT and
veIknown business nan of our oity. hsd 'sed, .'ta
Tsh;l;,;e. IN the amount of about ssoo, 0oo and
Saturday morning several Of the morning pspees an
noupced the failure. During saturday iorensSa u
became generally known that Mr.. Meggs, WIN his
family and his brother John g. Meiggs detected City
Controller at the September election, were not II be
found; and about noon II was found thN they had
ssietNop Wednesday night out Of the haroor, N the
bark American, which had been cleared q, the Gus 7
tom. House for Ports in the Pacific
This announcement caused a suspicion among par.
ties Who bad loaned lsrge sums OF money to Mergs,
on deposits Of Controllers warrants a. s'curities
that the warrants were not genuioe. Dr Croweu hsd
received warrants 20 the amount OF elo,VVo rom
M.i,os "a security for a loan Of 90, 900. and dis.
cred bv an summation of the CONTROLLER books
that the warrants were forged Adams a 70. as
covered that warrants for $40 600 wnca 'ney hd re-
ceiysd, were forged. VIM. Nicely, Ihomp-on n 20.
discovered that forged proulssory note, purpo-tns
10 be drawn by their boue in favor OF Meiggs, hsd
been negotiated by him.
Meesrs Adsms & Co. published an Advertisement
in THE EreniRg Journal Of Saturday, warning all
persons 40 anst purchasing Controllers warrans un-
I'll il was ascertsined that the suspicion mat Mr..
Meier had forged large amounts OF warrants, was
~ The Ersnang N,rs of the same day con-
tanned notice from VIM. Nicely Thompson, that the
note above referred to was forgery. These notices
created great excitement in the city. ths nue
forge warrant presented at the CONTROLLER once
.t2P NJ on Saturday and at ~, when the office
co..d $3.50 600 hsd been brought ill., Crowds OF per-.
SOUS were collected in the Streets speaking Of the
failure and forgeries; and the brokers aud oankers
were busy ia examining their Controllers warrants,
10 see whether they were genuine or not During the
afternoon and evening il discovered that the for
ceres of Controllers warrants amounted 10 ABOUT
81 COO 600: stock of the Csliforns Lumber Company
Of which II. heggs was Preside nj, had been iorget
a. 81
in regular business transactions, amount To shout
$500 COO II is laid that county scrip has been forged
by Meiggs but the amount IS not known.
The manner in which the forcer managed to raise
money with the least risk 10 bim.ef, was 20 borrow
uogey plecCipg double the amount OF warrants as
security In some cases hepedged even larger pro"
rorton OF warrants. The ovef-issue OF lumber stock
was issued IN a similar manner although, IRON its
depreciated value not mon than about twenty cents
on fbe dollar raised upon IL Many OF these n.y.
notifications made as long ~ three months
since and care was taken TO give them TO tne heavy
banking houses or 10 persons who were noe likely TO
take the warrents on, into the market. IL appears
that counterfeit plate or plates ssd been engraved,
for the purpose Of striking OF the blanks The bold
est portion Of bic forgeres was the forgery OF the
notes in the name OF Nm. Nicely Thompson & CO.,
amounting il is said 10 $4,000 His course IN thus
instance very different from that in regard 10 the
Controllers warrants, and was much more likely 10
be cerected. Meigs. confessed hi@self 10 be very
much in want OF mOLey, fpoke as though he might
fail Al any time end made no representations 10 the
contrary 10 any person Meiggs house was searched
on Saturday evening, and number Oh Forged war
rants discovered there.
The City warrants are made upon blanks OF both
the old aGd new issue ia sums OF $500 aad 81 900.
The signatures of Mayor Garrison and Controller IL r.
rs are SO well cosnereted that those officers could
not distinguish the false from the true warrants by
the signatures.
great many reports, evidently false, ara in crcu-
Teton in regard 10 the forgery, aud to many Oh these
we do not wish to give currency. Many names are
mentioned of persons who hold large amounts OF the
forged and runor does not hesitate TO orete the
failure of various houses which hold the scrip.
Tie effect of the failure and forgeries will be most
Injurious uron the business of The city, Confidence
among business men is weakened Probably not less
than 200 persons who week ago considered TO
be sound TO their Ell gagements, arc pvw Wokeu, SO
far az thew could be broken by the loss OF their csp
tai which with some might be sl,OOo, ana WIN
others sj9, 600. One business msn remarked tnat IL
was worse than tho May fire. Take IL all IN all, tho
forgery one Of tue most extensive, bold and sue
cessfu on record. II will long be great fact IN tue
history Of San Francisco; and after the body OF
Henry Meggs shall have been worm eaten, the men,
ory Of his deed will remain as another confirmation
of the prov.rb that honesty IL the best policy.
During the week previous TO his departure he had
been very busy in raising ready money for bis ssocks
and II is supposed that he carried OIL about $500 600
in cash. IL il said that porter carried down to one
Of the wbarves two heavy carpetbsgs, supposed to
contain gold CON- TO be carried of IN boat by him.
He was accompanied by his wife and three children,
and by his brother John @. Meiggs. II is not yet
known whether John Meiggs concerned in any
of the forgeries, although Henry must have had sc-
completes.
Mr.. r. s. Clyde, broker, who sold some OF the
forged scrip Oh Friday. arrested on Saturday,
charged with being accomplish, but was soon at
terward discharged for want Of evidence to sustain
the charge which is entirely abandoned.
There is good deal Of speculation in regard to the
destination of the American. IL cannot possibly be
10 any portion of this continent nor to the Sandwich
Islends nor TO any of the large ports OF China OF
Australia. There too many Americans in all
those places for a man so snrewd Meiggs to VEN
ture within their reach. lie has probably gone 10
some of the South Sea Islands, or TO sono OF the
smaller ports of Asia Europe; but he is not safe
while be is on earth; the Of his crime will have
rescued 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 "
bin like an aveBging angel; every American will be,
in bis fancy, his executiOner he will fee when no
nan pursueth: and will bitterly curse the day when
he was bOrn-and yet moro bitterly the day when he
began his career of crime.
The bark American purchased Of Abernethy,
Clark Co., by heiggs, on Monday, and was fitted
I'd in elegant style The captain Of the vessel when
questioned about her. stated that she had been pur
chased by couple Of gamblers who Intended to take
pleasure cruise through the islands Of the Pacific.
ON Tuesday afternoon Meggs and his family rode out
in q carriage on a pretended visit to San Mateo.
When about three miles south Of the city they turned
toward the bay, and took boat fN the American,
which lay of the bay. The American was tswed out
of the barbor on Wednesday night by asteam'tug,
and made sail for the south west. On Friday night
she still 10 sight from Point LObos, having been
becamed. On Saturday morning she was out Of sight,
but there only little who'd. In the evening the
L. s. survey ing steamer to have been sent ia pur
suit but che was prevented by an accident from eav-
ing the harbor. .
/ Meiggs was born in Catskin N. Y, and lived Tor
many years In Willisn sburgh, where he va, long q
member of the City Council IL Is sald mar no %,
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