The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-12-25

geries-An American Woman Arrested at Con-
stantinople-Law Viis Her in Prison-Iuge-
nuity Of New York Detectives Important De-
velopements- ON Suspicion Interesting
Confessions and Disclosures.
Ae., Ae., &c.
Our readers may recollec. the excitement that pre-
vailed In Wall street last winter in consequence OF some
heavy forgeres upon the Colonial Bank of Barbados,
WI, by German named Henry Law The author of the
Orgeries, win be remembered, made his escape from
New York. taking with him s70ooo the proceeds Of
She swndng operation. Since then additional and int
resting Developments concerning the !orgeries the fight
pursuit and final escape of Law, have come TO our
knowledge. The career Of the criminal from the time
ii his earliest youth up TO the present day,
repIete with romance SURPRISING tales of fiction
in point of intrigue, plot cunning and general interest
Before entering the fight Of Iawand his pursuit by
he police will be we'll perhaps, to refresh the memory
81 readers by recaptulatng of the facts pre-
yiousy published in the Herald of the 18th OF February
last
LAW EARLY HISTORY.
o. his esrly history but little is known. He
tive Of Lubec and emgrated with his wife aud family
me East Indies twenty ago. There he became
engaged mercantile pursuits and, it is said amassed
large fortune but lost il again in unlucky specua
Hsr. While sojournng at Calcutta his children sckened
and died. SO that when he returned to Europe he
shldless A long residence in England enabled him to
become thoroughly with the languagea I'd
toms of the people By birth and education gen man,
he found difficulty in mixing In the very best society in
london and when the time for his departuret, the
United States he had letters Of introduction from the rst
families in the country Law arrived in New York in tne
spring OF 1856 HIS wife, handsome and accomplished
lady accompanied him the journey Several months
passed by before he entered into mercantile pursuit
m ~ t.
street. and became the agent Of awe known wine houses
for whom understand he had power Of attorney.
DOES BUSINESS IN BEAVER STREET.
On the lst OF May, 1885, Law removed his office to No
"a Beaver street. where the scheme TO defrand the Colo
NAL Bank first concocted. broker, whose name it
is necessary to MENTION extensively engaged in the
West India business. occupied desk in Laws Office
This gentleman in the habit Of receiving drafts from
the Colonial Bank at Barbadoes and occasionally gave
them to Law to SELL In this way the latter procured
business acquaintance which he subsequently used to
considerable advantage, the sequel will show. Having
very quietly established reputation for himself among
dozen or of the most influential bankers in Wall
stree, and Exchange place. he commenced active opera
by forging letter from mercantile house in Bar
BADGES to himself, advising him Of the remittance OF q
barge sum OF money in Colonial Bank bills on London.
WIKI this letter. and number Of forged bills of exchange
he proceeded to the counting Of well known Ger
banker in Exchange place, and entered into negota-
6ons for the sale Of the paper. The German banker
snapped at the bait Immediately, and induced to
endorse to the amount Of o00 Law next paid visit
to Hanover street, and there defrauded well known
banking house out of $4,000 In similar manner Thus
currency given to the Others and the schemer was
enabled 10 dispose of the entire batch without the slight
suspicion being entertained genuneness Of the
paper.
THE PORGHREs.
he first sales Of these forged drafts place on the
9TH Of January the second the 10th Of the month
and the balance between the 10th and 27th Law was
cunning enough not TO present the purchasers with first
and second bills at the time for fear they 2ht de-
teet some difference in the filling up signing Of the
same. When asked for the seconds he would reply that
they were the way from Havana but would hardly be
here in time to forward with the nrsts. He invariably
delivered the seconds but not until after the lrss had
been despatched to Europe and the danger of detection
was past This fact at first led to the supposon
bills not forged at all but that the rogue had sent
forward the thirds for collection had afterwards dis
posed of tine frsts and seconds The bills purported to
be signed by Mr. Murray, manager, and Mr.. Wild, &C
ccun.ant The latter gentleman, it appears had been
.. Barbados since july 1885, and could no. therefore
have attached his signature to the papers This blunder
on the part OF the orger shows evidently that was not
well posed about what Transporting In the West Indies
s somewhat singular that the discovered
could have been negotiated and probably Mr. Law would
now be prisoner in the Tombs instead of figuring at
some fashionable watering place ia Europe TIC sigma
tures 10 the drafts limitations Of the genuine bpt
poorly executed The first batch of bills received in Lon
don were dated Barbados, Dec J. and the second on
Dec II, 1858.
LAWS PREPARATIONS FOR FLIGHT.
The proceeds Of the forgeres, amounting in the aggre
bank and Law commenced to make arrangement for his
dght He had sent his wife tn Europe several weeks
previously SO that he was encumberet in no way bv
leaving At ha 81 HANK r
lei on the 3ls of January for the osensbe purpose of
visiting some relatives in PHILADELPHIA he depar ed from
New York Nothing positive known as to his desti.
nation, but was supposed that he Europe for
the purpose Of rejoinng his wife His lady was highly
She was within few months of her confinement when
she sailed for Europe and was owing to her interesting
condition that the day Of her departure fixed 30 carly
TIE DISCOVERY.
When the news of the iogeres FIRST reached this city
search was made for the orger but without success On
nquirng a: his office n Beaver street, victimzed
bankers were told that he had gone to Philadelphia aud
wss not expected back for several days. Law had
len word with the clerk TO that effect but when the latter
heard OF the forgeres he his opinion that his
employer had sailed for Europe. Upon nquirirg the
st. Denis Hotel they told the same story He had
lei: New York days before the fraud ras detected
and consequently had such that any attempt on
their part TO overtake the fugitive would prove frutess
At The st. Nicholas Bank the victims learned that Law
lad closed his account with that institution, and had
drawn out about SOS 900 in gold During the month Of
teruon Of the officers OF the bank, they never for
moment suspected that anything was wrong. Even
wien tuo uepUeloE uEeW Out All o. MS JuudS, and
sgnined his intention TO close his account their faith in
ms honesty was not shaken in the least, 1t was not
until some time after that they FIRST made aware OF
mis- true character In addition the sum Of Sos 600
which Law drew ont Of the 81. Nicholas Bank he had
check for $4,000 which he also converted into gold.
THE DETECTIVES AT WORK.
von Hoffman Co., OF Exchange place, who were The
heaviest losers by the fugvcs trickery determined to
Epafe co expense 10 making effort 20 capture the
SWIMMER. Detectivs Devoe entrusted with the deli.
ssse .asx ard at ouce SCI himself work He associated
nmse VIII officers Sampson and Smith, also of the De-
CecEves once and commenced careful investigation of
me case From Won Hoffman Co. officers 20: full
description OF the Fugitive, ais personal appearance, ha-
Bits and Associations nom which Il appeared that the
epect OF their search was hooking man abont
NIFTY years OF age, who dressed neatly ana had ali the
ar OF well bred gentleman While residing in this city
Law led quiet and sober life. He was neber adlced
70 the wine cup the gaming table nor sondness for
show or amusement A game 4, Billiards In ,be
evening expensive luxury he INDUCED IN In