The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-03-17
william Ktssane.

Those who lead life Of crime become
adopts from life of long, deep study; yet
William Kissane. without the slightest
stretch of thought, becomes one of the most
expert forgers in America. He is only
when the Martha Washington affair occurred
he could only be about twenty-five. He be-
gan life with forty dollars, and at twenty.
three he was one of the first merchants in
Cincinnati, worth about $4,000, and came
very near, indeed was engaged to be married
to one of the daughters of the Governor of
Indiana.
Kissane was born in ireland and is the
descendant of one OF the noblest families in
that country. His father held some very
lucrative position under the Government.
When William was yet child, his parents
emigrated to Canada. His father, we under.
stand, was obliged to fly the country on &C.
count of some abduction case, in which his
honor as well as his life, probably, was en-
iangered. Arrived in Canada a farm was
purchased, where, after few years, the old
man died. William, while yet boy, grew
tired of farming, and after scraping forty dol.
lars together, set ont for the United States
and reached Cincinnati, where what was left
of the forty dollars was invested by our hero
to learn the art of book. keeping. He fourd
employment in the firm of Pugh g. Co. Be-
coming an adept in the art of book. keeping
he was employed by this company as book.
keeper and confidential clerk; after time he
was taken into partnership, and no doubt was
the means of greatly advancing the interests
of the concern. He accumulated in a short
time a considerable amount of money, and
embarked in the pork trade OH his own &C.
count, under the firm of Kssane & Smith
Kissane, under this firm. did large bushes:
and turned over a million of dollars yearly.
Kissane is said TO have been connected
with Cole and Finlay in the Chemical Bank
forgery, in consequence of which Kissane il
now lodged in the Tombs, awaiting his trial
| How KIssANE WAS DErEcTED.-lt ha:
been said that Kissane was detected passing
counterfeit money but this is not so. His
detection was caused by passing altered bills
by which means he made eleven hundred GU
of ten hundred bills. That's, he would take
ten twenty dollar bills of the same bank ant
make them eleven by means of combna
Ition. 1t is done thus Suppose we take fol-
example. bill and mark il in this form:
. (. . 10
We take the first bill up, and part No. l i
torn off and laid aside. The bill passes, Of a
course many bills are torn by accident. TIL,
second bill is torn up to No. 2. and part No.
is pasted on, and this bill also passes. TIL
third bill is torn off at No. 8. and No. an
2. which is one piece, is then stuck on. B,
this means eleven bills are made out of ten
the eleventh bill having just as much and n
more torn of of it than the first bill had.
is not our business to explain the combina
ton, but Kissane Is an adept at this art.
is more difficult to defect bill of this charac
tier than counterfeit. The secret formerl
was confined to Kissane, Finlay, and Cole
, others are now in possession of it, and tn
public should carefully scan all such bill:
and if there is any doubt, at once rofus
them.
His trial was set down for the 9th inst. bu
it has been postponed another week. 1t viii
be remarkably long trial.
~ Y. Police Gazette