Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1856-12-26
Huntington the Forger.

Tor OIaS. ID. IlullliIS2tOiij tHO hotS "
and forger, set up the plea OF insanity IN
his defense. The forgeries are admitted,
and the blame of their enormous amount
laid upon Mr.. Belden, who, it is alleged
knew of the forgeries and the insanity
that prompted them. The defense Gre
ated considerable sensation. The open
ing plea of Mr.. Bryan, for the defense,
is reported in the n. 7. Post as follows:
The counsel then gave a biographical
sketch of his life. He was born in Gen
eva, descended from the Pilgrim fathers,
we'll educated, and attended Sunday
school regularly. His boyish hayward
ness often called for the rod of parental
correction. He had a penchomt for de-
stroying, and an irresistible longing to
know the contents of toys, pianos, watch
es, &C., which led him to their swift de-
struction, to the marvel of his acquaint-
ances. This unaccountable erratic dis
position had never left him. He came
to New York in 1943, when he became
clerk in furniture establishment, and at
tterwards opened a store in Hudson
street, where he failed in 1847, largely
in debt. This was a severe lesson if he
was capable of reflection.
Next he turned broker in Wall street,
hung up his " single" In front of a base
ment, and entered upon business, with
out capital or friends. Scribbling at his
desk he waited idly for whatever open
ing might present itself. Perhaps he re-
membered the story of Wilmington and
his cat, and did not despond. Soon he
became engaged in solemn enterprises
the establishment of cemeteries near
Baltimore and Buffalo. Both of these
failed. He then had TO do with cemete-
ries at home, which have languished or
died. In what operation had he ever
shown shrewdness or good business capa-
city?
He had a plausible manner. but all his
schemes were crude, crooked and falla-
cious-the workings Of morbid, erratic
intellect. His schemes always exploded
unless upheld by others. He never sue
ceeded except by accident. He was con-
nected with private steam laundry on
the Isthmus of Panama, and when that
failed he got up stupid stock company
for the same purpose. He next got up
Southern Bank for passing the bills of
which he was indicted. The lamented
District Attorney saw Huntington and
the result of his impressions was that
the indictments went to some mysterious
pigeOn-hole.
This was supposed to have blasted his
fortunes. Next he went to Maine to
start bank, in more regular manner.
He got a charter for the manufacture of
paper at Lewiston, on the Little andre
scoggin river, and supposed he had the
privilege of banking, but after bills and
certificates had been engraved, the Bos-
ton barks pronounced it the scheme of
a mailman, and he had the charter re-
pealed. He next turns up in California,
sent by the charity of his friends, where,
by means of forgeries similar to those
now charged against him, he bled his
Wall street friends about 100000.
1t was generally against shrewd bust
ness men that these insane frauds were
committed. The counsel would not now
: name these parties, but they might yet
call upon them to explain how it was that
they destroyed the evidence of these
crimes, and still received him into their
friendship, and in some instances into
l brotherly intimacy.
No doubt they said of him as did one
of the witnesses they would call, " the
man must be crazy" There was no evil
e intent but childlike simplicity. On his
r return from California in the spring Of
4 1894, he went TO the men he had wrong
ed with easy confidence and they gave
: him a full release from all their claims.
t In l049 he married respectable lady
= of Ithaca, who has suffered anguish of
e mind and body on his account, but has
chung to him like true woman. They
: have two children and the erratic father
2 was loving father and husband. This
} love for his wife made him hesitate to
| commit self-destruction. He once de-
vised plan TO insure bis life and then
i destroy himself by jumping after ferry
: boat, SO that the suicide should not be
r known. The family fuctuated constantly
: between afluence and penury.
In July, 1856, he hired and furnished
plain house in thirty-ninth street. He
was ill, and his family subsisted by the
aid OF friends. After his recovery his
5 wife went into the country, and upon her
: return he presented her with a luxuri-
ODSlV Furnished hon. - -