The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-02-18

The COlOn1al BANK rUxBeHsese |
yVLI PARTICULARS OF TIE FRAVp-p'soo IN ~.
rAr,oNs IN NEW YoRK-sHREwD PIECE OF yUA~
0rrpNG-A CUNNING PLAN WELL HxscQTxn-WAlL |
0TRxEr DONE BROWN
Inc late forgeres upon the Colon al Bank Of Barbadoes
West Indies, formed the cbS topic Of oouveraatiq in
Wall street yesterday. Advices by the indian brought
NH particulars of re fraud and the probable amount Of
The orgeries 1t is thought however, that the Americas
ai will ne information Of other forgeries which viii
probably swell the total 70 els oo The name OF the su-
lhof III these forgeries is alleged to be Henry Law VINO
ps been resident Of this city for the last three
and for nine months past has occupied an once AZ NO.
Beaver street OF his early history but little known
He wa native Of Iabec and emerated with his wife and
n 70 the East Indies some twenty years ago Inere
ecame engaged in mercantile pursuits, and, 10 said
sssed largo fortune, but lost again IN some an
cky speculation While soournng at Calcutta his chill
rcn sckened and died. that when he returned 70 Eu
rope he WAS childess long residence 10 EngaSd ena-
bled him become thoroughly converesnt win the IAN
puaee and customs OF the people BY birth and educa
lion gentleman, he found no difficulty in nx,ug in the
c his departure to the United States, he had letters
usroductou from the first families In the country Law
arrived in New York IN The spring .. aSSo ms ,,
the journey Several months passed by before Do en-
tered any antile pursuit At lengta however,
he hired Office No. 400 Front street, ana became tne
agent Of well wine house, for whom we under
stand had power of attorney Do tae rst Of May last
Law removed his Office to No. "a Beaver street, where
The scheme to defraud Colonial Bank first con-
cocted broker, whose name IL is not necessary 10
mention, extensively engaged IN the West ina a,a
gepteman was In the habit Of receiving drafts from
Sbe colonial Bank at Barbadoes and occasionally gave
business acquaintance which he subsequently used to
considerable advantage the sequel Will SNOW having
= aozen or SO Of the most influential baDkers in Wall
street and Exchange place be commenced active opera
tions By forging letter from mercantile house IN BAR
BADGES himself advising him OF the remittance OF
large of money IN Colonial Bank bills on London
With this letter. aud number Of forged bills Of exchange
he proceeded TO the counting Of we'll known Ger
man banker in Exchange place. entered into negoa
tons for the sale Of the paper The German banker
mapped nj the bal. immediately and induced to
dcTse the amount of e. 900 Law next paid visit 10
Hanover street, and there defrauded well known Dank
ing house out Of $4,000 in similar manner. Ihas car
Yency was given 10 the others, and tine scnemer was
enabled 70 dispose Of the entire batch WITHOUT the sgnst
suspicion beng entertained as TO the genunenes Oh the
P,Rer ,.,os ., these forged drafts took place on the
9TH January the second the 10Th OF the same month";
and the balance between the 10th and 21th. Law was
cunning enough present the purchasers WIN nrst
and bulls at the same ume Tor lear tney mgns DC
tect difference in the filing up and sghns OF ,le
same When asked for the seconds he would reply that
they were on way from Havana but would rdly be
here in time to forward with the hrss he invariably
delivered the seconds but not until after the trsts mad
been TO Europe and the danger OF detection
vas past This rst led TO the supposon that the
bills were MOI forged but that the rogue had for
ward the thirds collection ana had afterwards disposed
Of the Hyss seconds The proceeds OF the ogeres
amounting in The aggregate 70 ABOUT S7oooo were oepo
make arrangements for his fight He had sent his wife TO
Europe several weeks previously 70 that he was en-
numbered way by any domestic Leaving his
lDdRpgs St. Denis Hotel the Slst Of January, for
the ostensbe purpose Of visiting relatives in Pha
delpha he departed from New York, and has not since
been heard Of Nothing positive s known as to his desti
nation, but supposed that be has joined his wife, and
Is by this time far hey ond the reach OF his pursaers
Law about nifty years of ago, dresses neatly but not
sxtravagany, and has I'll the air Of well bred gentle
RAN. He exceed as q nguist, being familiar with the
English, French, German, Spanish Italian and Oriental
languages His lady was also highly educated and a
person Of refined and feelings Mrs. Law was
within few months Of her confinement when she sailed
that the day of her departure was fixed 80 early Law
generally passed for an Engshman though he was once
heard to say native Of Scotland There is
little 'ooubt, however, about ais being German, and
native Of the city Of Lubec.
When OF the forgeries first reached this city,
by telegraph on Tuesday morning. search was made for
the alleged iorger but without success. On inqung at
told that he had gone Philadelphia and not expect
cd back for several days Law had left word with the
clerk that effect but when the latter heard OF the for
geres he gave his opinion that his employer had
sailed for Europe Upon nquirng at the st. Denis Hotel
ney we're 'oS Inc san ne s'' nS
queny had such start that attempt their part TO
overtake the fugitive would prove frutless.
Al the St. Nicholas Back the victims learned that Law
bad closed his account with that Institution, and had
drawn about $s5 900 in gold During the month Of
January his deposits heavy 70 attract the At
tenson Of the officers Of the bank bot they for
IT, aRsSsor drew out ali q bis funds and
agD6ed his intention to close his account their faith
In his honesty shaken in the least and was not
until day before yesterday that they first made
Of his true character In addition 70 the sum oil
900 which Law drew out Of the St. Nicholas Bank he
han check for S60C0 which he also converted into god
While residing In this city Law led quiet and sober
Me- He WAS neither addicted to the wine cup the
gaming table, fondness for show or amusement.
game two ut billiards IN the evening was as expensive
luxury he indalged in Indeed he was remarkably
sedate habits and careful in his conduct He spent
tha Eo,v pfo
intimate friend of hisa German importer doing business
in Fulton streeapd while the latter was trip ~ Sara
toga Law charge of his house and it's contents
Maitland Pheps agents for the Colonial Bank Ia this
city received letter from London yesterday in relation
70 the fogeres giving the number OF drafts presented to
the bank and the total amount Of the orgeres a. far as
heard from The bills purport TO be signed by Mr. Muir
ray, Manager and Mr. Wild, accountant The latter gen.
tleman, appears. has not been at Barbados since
July last and could not therefore, have attached bis sig
nature the papers This bapder the part Of the for
ger shows evidently that Law WAS not well posted
about what trapsprng 10 the West Indies. It'll some
what singular that the was not discovered IN this
city. II 1t had been, but little OF the forged paper could
have been negotiated and probably Mr. Law would now
be prisoner in the Tombs, instead Of figuring at some
the drafts initial of the genuine, but poorly
cuted English engravers pronounce the forms on which
the drafts printed 10 be counterfeit and the paper
also differs materially from that used by the Colonial
Bank
The nrst batch Of bills received in london were dated
The number and amount OF each bill, communicated by
Che bank TO their agent In this city, are as follows
No. Amount Date.
ANONYMOUSLY Dec 1883
l,4S ................ o0O
A,4So.. bZ4