Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-01-29
stlttt Ataoing.
HISTORY OF A FAST N. YORKER.

HISTORY OF A FAST N. YORKER.
We have taken the trouble 10 collect the
evidence taken on the trial of Charles B..
Huntington for forgery, that our readers
may he able 10 get at the history Of the man,
without wading through masses of testimony,
and thus readily judge Of the merits of this
extraordinary case for themselves.
Charles B. Huntington was born in Gene
va, Ontario county, 1922, where he remain
ed in his fathers family till he reached his
majority. Fairly in life, he was afflicted with
scrofulous disease in his head and neck,
which hung about lin till he was upward of
ten years old. lie received excellent moral
and religious training at home, and was stu
diously kept from low ssociations. Toward
his parents he showed a respectful regard,
but they found it difficult to impress him, by
chastisement, with sense Of moral obliga-
ton, as he early showed disposition to do
forbidden things. lie would steal, lie, des-
troy things wantonly, and drive nails no mat
ter where. Once he altered his father
handwriting in the family record so as to
make himself year younger than he was.
Between ten and sixteen, he went to
school steadily, where he appeared, accord
ing to one of his schoolmates, sometimes
smart, sometimes very stupid. rather shallow
than malicious, but always reckless. He
used to write excuses in his fathers name,
and lie when uterrogated about them !;
he would read copied compositions as his
own; tear leaf any where from a book,
when he wanted piece Of paper; engage in
various Young America speculations, &c.-
On the whole he was thought altogether the
worst boy in school, and received the most
frequent thrashings, which lie seemed 10
mind very little.
Tn 1913 or ~, at the age Of p, Hunting
ton came to this city, where he served as
clerk in furniture store till 1915, when he
formed partnership in the same business,
which failed before the end of the third year,
paying but ten cents on the dollar After a
few months visit at home, he returned to
the city and went into Wall street, where he
engaged in Cemetry schemes. Between the
Fall Of is and 80, he embarked in four of
these, two of which We're on Manhattan Isl
and, one in Buffalo, and one in Baltimore.
All were failures. In Jane 1851, hearing
that there were dirty clnthes to be wash"d on
the Tsthmu<, Huntington started steam
laundry at Panama, which was in operation
hut two or three weeks.
!After planning stock company, which
went no further than paper, he g"t up 4 cdu-
pie of bogus banks in the Spring and Fall Of
1852. Their bills he pnt into circulation by
paying his creditors with them, allowing ten
per cent. on every debt, they 10 circulate and
redeem at Il per cent. Both exploded with.
in few months Of their birth, and Hunting
ton was indicted for his participation in one
of them, but never brought to trial. In 1855,
started the Little Androscoggin Company in
Maine, with charter authorizing the manu-.
facture of linen goods or paper, and such
other articles as may necessarily or conve-
niently be connected Herewith Under the
latter clause, he commenced issuing bank
| bills, hut the scheme was Soon broken up
! lie went to California in the Winter Of 1853
or 1851, but returned iu some four months
to Gud his liabilities upward Of $lO0, 600, a
large portion Of which grew ont of forged pa
per. lie prevailed Oh most of his creditors
to release him from their claims and to des.
! troy the evidences O. his gnilt From the
whole testimony in the case, it would seem
indeed that he had wonderful power Of
winning attachment and confidence, and in
ducing those whom he had wronged to for
give and trust Him again, and those who had
furnished capital and lost money by his spec,
ulations-he does not seem to have had any
to lose himself, or to have made any except
in the case of the Buffalo Cemetery--Io lend
again. In 1913, the year in which he went
into the Cemetery business lie married a
woman whose devotion to him has been ex.
emplary. Between the death of one scheme
and the birth of another, he would have sea.
sons Of low spirits, when he threatened to
make away with himself, particularly BY &C,
dental drowning on the way to Brooklyn, 50
that his wife might get the insurance On his
| life.
After his return from California, he re,
neWed business as note broker in Wall
street, which, indeed, he had made the cen,
ter of his operations during the previous years.
Whatever the precise date at which he be.
gan again to "makc paper" in the Winter
and Spring of 1876 he was doing 50 on 4
large scale, which grew larger ANA larger
throughout the year. The lvrgeries 10 the
amount Of 500, 900 which are charged in
the ~ Indictments found against him, ale
probably not tithe Of those actually con-.
mittrl. His deposits for five months in y
! SINGLE bank were five millions, and his coun.
! sci assert that he issued bills to the amount
of twenty millions in the course oi the year.
None of the signatures which he forged Were
! tolerable limitations, SOME Of 'hem no limit;
tons at all t.; and in one case the firm mhoSc
name was used, was firm Of mere lawyers,
the order of whose names Was reversed At
that. The forged paper Was in all cases, So
far Us known, deposited as colateral securi.
ty, on the faith Of which loans were expect.
ed. When first arrested lie was released Oh
bail ia the sum of O,000 ou J., all his for.
geries not having been discovered, but went