, 1860-02-08
THIs ALBANY FOHEEIIIES.
Justice Slow hut Surc.-TIaa ForSer
Pretends lie in ucud...He Writes MS
own obituary.


lFsom The Alha,y 6. " Journal. Feb. 81
In May, 1856, two forgeries werc perpesfated
upon two banks in this city, one u cheek tor
Shepard h Co., upon tue Bank Of the Capitol,
md another for 81 600, purporting to have been
drawn By Monteath 4 Badg1ey, upon the AIDA
ny Bank. 1t was not until some time altef 1he
payment Of those checks that they we're dIseos-
cred to be lorgtries. The affair was placed IN
the hands Of tue police aud abou. the middle Of
June following, Officer MACK, of this CRY, %.
1aincd informution Which led him to believe that
Il man named William luglis, then residing near
New York, wasa party to the for5erdes' AFTER
consultation with the officers Of tue panks III
question, lie obtained wurrant for the arresto1
lcgsis, and immediately started for New orK:
While in that city -AsascertaiIcd from a mem.
Der Of the firm Of Leggett i Ludlnm, ptoone9
deulers, that ln9l!s had been seen ~ inc posses
s'on Of Large amount Of bills OF tie iank o'
the cApi:o! but ! short time after the comm's!
sion OF the aboye forgeries. This Was 1uftheF
corroborated By another merchant, whose name
our Informant has forgotten. 1pgls ut ms tlme
| represented that he WAS largely cngnseo ~ lug
| flour trade, aud doubtless was thus enabled to
| obtain tue signatures Of some, ot the lcao1ng
/ business firms in this city and New ork, u
| well Us unre.tr4iurd freedom IN countlng-roomsf
| Previous to the issuing Of the warrant Tor Big
nrrest, suspicious were entertained by some
persons in New York that 1uglis Was connected
III some way with forgery, either IL .'e~ loIk
or Brooklyn which for some unkno~n oesa1nnne Snmse
these fncts, officer Mack consulted with the
Chief Of Police Of Brooklyn, JOHN fo!s, who
rather secuted the idea that ingis was forgers
nnd rather intimidated the officer.
At that time 1ng!is uas supposed to be = man
Of wealth, great honesty and integrity; A:eora.
ing to his own account his mother had Lett INN
:. !..rsr au,oun. Of money, portion OF which be
invested IN tho Hour busiuass, while tile balance
was used in purchasing notes for the purpose OF
sllaviny the uaiucky drawer. In 1856, when
he resided in Brooklyn, he was considered one
Ut the most rescectab:e citizens of that sober,
:;gslate CITY, He waa fund Of excitement, 50
muca so that lie paid q 900 cut Of hls own
pocket for Eague Company No. 10, and hired
temporary house to locate j. in, snd organized
the company. Is . mastsfuf course be became
the foreman. Ehi!o fore1nsn OF this company
Nincteeu's he'd f;ght witEznothcr compuny re
turning from drc. Inciis rau in 70 separate
the cosnbatants, End was run over aud had both
arms broket, which confined him to his room
: for some time. When he got out again and was
able 10 run wiki the machine, he met With
similar acclent being E-du over by an engine
This rather cooled him down. and be abandoned
tie IRE department uud took to politics.
Chief *olk, knowing that officer Mack Ind
warrant for Iu-}ts, quietly and without the
RI knowledge Of tha. officer, brought III to tl,1s
city. where he underwent the scrutiny Of tht
| plflAE E1E& AH III tAt Us4IASt 0AA3 Alk b%tAk ~
: ca.nizcd, nu,hiny further was doue with him.
, | lie returncd to The metropolis and resumed
business, hut in shaving others he got shayct
himself eventually. 70 keep his head aboss
: water, he tried to do business On the Hunting
, ton style, was swampcd, and to aToid sta''
cinnati, wher,' i.e engaged in the same business
: but, afrnid that the authorities from sewers
: Statcs might be after him with acquisitions
= lie had the report circulated that fle VII
=. dead, so thRt his pursuers m1sht g1Fe up III
chase.
= His death was duly chronicled in the ,yes
crn papers, anu q brief obituary written by hin
self was published in the Cincinnati piper:
. which were duly mailed to his friends Soztl
7 who placed implicit faith in the papers tteJ RI
it ceirel. lie then changed his name and tza1
.s escd over half Of the Cn;ou, swindling an
cheating somebody at every stopping plac
lie had y new name and Il new story 10 tell l
l. every place he stopped to rest for iew day
is lie assumed the name Of Alex. Morton, al.
!. Jas. Morton, 4lias Wm. Cochran. lnglis ol
v, tanned large amount Of money in loulsrl!i
ID in February lust, by means of forced draft
L. Lie was arrested Inst summer in Chicago,
officer Bligli, Of Louisville, and taken OH ther
aud after lengthy examination vas co1nmitt
G. for trial.
r. On his examination, as well US upon his tri:
IS, which came of recently, he protested his inn
" cencc, and swore by the gods that lie was q
It the man, and more than that, he was by reas:
rs Of education and means placed far above t
necessity Of robbing his fellow citizens. T
proof Of his gull: on his trial was OF the n'e
positive character. It was proved tint be y
u, one of the mcst coasummate swindltrs that c
listed between the States Of Maine and Texa
:. that be lived by swindling, and knew no 9th
ee- method by which livelihood could be obtaint
n. On the trial be had the ef1rontery to attempt
,es prove an oli5i, but his identity was fully ests
', lished by dozen witnesses. The result vi
the jury found him guilty, and the Court 81
tenceG him to un Imprisonment Of ten years
officer Mack, since 1856, has received otl
. information by which lie is satisfied that In:
was the man rho committed the forseries
= this city. The fac: Of his then being ensag
in specializing III flour gave him access to
counting room Of the Messrs. Shepardt, FRI
on, whicl, one Of The checks il question was stel
,r- III New York be discounted merchnnta
~ 1aper, b; which he doubtless obtaiued the {
We nuturc of Moutsath Badgcl5; aud the iac'
Of s final arrest aud Euisiction for forgery, she
its conc|usireiy that bic was not 4 new land ut
tho business.
'nc During the iaIl Of 1851; man named Audi
Finley was ARRESTED upon suspicion Of being
:. 7ersan whu ob:.iaea DC ssocey upon tho forI
in checks. After an examination before Jusl
'cr. Parsons he Was held. and subsequently indie
:ist by The Grand Jurzf He WAS either unable
[he obtain or bail was refused, for after lying
'all jail several months. mud after repeated and
Ice, successful efforts Of his COUNSEL, Wm- !. II
Of lev, ESQ.,, TO bring him to trial, he was fin:
Sa' discharged upon his owu recoguizauce.
rs Eiforts will now be made to ohtain from In
and the truth ia regard to She forgeries commit
to it this city in ls5J. That liz vas concerned
nd them can hardly now admit u doubt No I
our son cculd have tnkcn the engraved check
he him.
|