The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-01-06
A sad story or a FalIet1 MANA
Profitable Norm.

/
The fearful consequences Of the iirss steI
In the downward path Of crime are painfdlly
illustrated In the case Of George +. Peter
man, arrested in Philadelphia few days sgt
on the charge of obtaining money from
bank by means of forged checks. The Epen
ing Journal of that city has the following
particulars Of the case .------
A few years since, George F. Peterman
was In the possession Of ample means, se.
cured by Industrious attention to his daily
avocstion, and, In the respectable circles In
which he moved, was looked upon as a gen.
tleman ofspotless integrity, whose word was
his bond, and whose success was chronicled
by his friends and neighbors as an evidence
OF bis fait and honest dealings. AZ the pro.
prietor of an extensive chair manufactory In
Second4street, below Coates, he was known
TO be realizing handsome income, as bis
account in the KensiDgton Bank was among
the heaviest In that institution. Whilst in
the midst of all this prosperity, Mr.. Peter.
man was induced to visit, in company with
a friend, one of those gambling bells in the
center OF the city, where many a man, be-.
fore and since, has been hopelessly ruined
and where even now, despite the guardians
OF the law, nightly congregate fashionable
villins, who, by their seductive and fascinat-
ing lures, and treacherous insinuations, cause
many ayoung and hopeful heart to be wreck.
ed in poverty at the very Threshold of ca.
reers that might otherwise bring competence,
and the satisfaction of duty we'll performed.
One visit led to another, and in the siId-
ed resorts of vice the successful business
man became The unlucky gambler. Thou
sands of dollars earned by hsrd toll went
with the turn of card, or the throw of
dice, and in the course of short time one
dissipation followed upon the other, the vic.
tim of the gatning-ta6le was without the
means to provide the common necessaries of
life for himself and family. For over year
when luck was sometimes with him, Mr..
Peterman had his fast horses and his car
riages, and those other etceteras which make
up the round Of "enjoyments" incident to
the miserable life of the gambler, but when
money and credit had gone, as they did upon
wings, he had not the wberewithaI to give
himself decent attire. His stock went for
The payment Of debts; his wife and children
were in want, and he wandered amid the
scene of his former prosperity, pennyle less
and friendless.
Thus reduced, Peterman was enabled bv
lint of hard struggling to collect enough
money together to start small cigar store
N Poplar street, below Second. In this
'lace it was that he took the second step in
;rme, where he perpetrated those extensive
orgeries which we have before noticed, and
which have thus consigned him to the felon's
;ell.
In company with young man named
Myers, he has drawn from the KensiDg Bank
y means of spurious signatures to checks,
ums amounting to nearly thousand dol. (
urs, and has made to Recorder Eneu, be.
ore whom he was heard, on Saturday even.
ng, full confession of his guilt. Myers
nd Peterman were visited at the Moyamen. |
ing prison by their wives, md the interview !
etween them was exceeding affecting. All
we're moved to ars, and the remark of Pc.
erman to his wife that he was indeed guilty, I
ut that she should take care of the children I
nd train them to become honorable and !
seGul citizens, deeply touched the keeper, I
Tho was silent spectator of the painful
Gene. S
On Saturday evening, when the prisoner G
ad been committed by the Recorder, in de-. l
lult Of $4,000 bail each, Peterman was |
uestioned by Mr.. Eneu as to the name of &
le friend who would 60 his security. The c
eply was truthful one "Recorder, few v
ears ago, when had money, and was spend.
lg it freely, was surrounded by friends,
ut now, in my guilt and misfortune, can. '
OF see one Of them ~ When Peterman i
as removed from the Office he wept like l.
hid, and there were few who saw him who s
ID not feel truly sorry for his condition. - n
hat he contemplated suicide was evident s
ON the fact that in his pockets were found
large quantity of arsenic, which was re. s
owed by the officers. II
The CASHIER of the Kensington Bank had p
l interview with Peterman at the conclu- C
on Of the hearing, and asked him whether s
Is family had any support. He replied that D
is wife and nine children were al the point
starvation, and that he did not know how G
'on they would die. Tears were in the eyes o
the cashier as he feelingly replied: "Make s
our mind easy, Peterman, for they shall I
ever want while have the means to pro. y
de for them." That cashier has true )
cart, and God will bless the man whose no. \
e deed is the bright side to this brief rec- d
I'd Of the course of crime--gambling, for. /
cry and attempted suicide, l