Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-12-19


the bill, but had added swindling 10 forgery
His manner of mailing letters at post Offices
thousand miles away will be explained in con-
necton with his Philadelphia transactions.
With an abundance of money, Beaumais
came 10 this city in the early part of 1856 and
took board at what is row the New York IIo-
tel, Walnut street, below Front. He seems to
have had preseniment that he would soon he
detected. Accordingly calling in the landlord
he stated that he was about TO sail for France
to be absent seven years. Unwilling to be bur-
dened with baggage, he requested that large
bundle might be deposited in the house, subject
to his order at the end OF that time.
The landlord took the papers, and they re-
NAMED in his custody until few weeks ago
They were, really, blank bills of exchange,
such as are used by the leading bankers of the
West Indies and England and legitimate sig
lures and letters of capitalists and busil ess men
in Europe and America. These he had collect
cd years before evidently intending to employ
them in his viainies. They are now in the
hands of the detective police.
The history of his Western swindles, that
now occurred has been detailed in the journals
of St. Louis, Cincinnati and Chicago. We
have not here sufficient space to enter into
them. Suffice it to say, that the old game of
forging and selling bills of exchange was re-
peated, Beaumais representing a certain Alex
ander Gay. He had succeeded in duping St.
Louis and Chicago firms to the amount of
E25 900, by forged bills. To X. X Swift and
Brothers, of that city, he sold forged draft
for e. 800 sterling, receiving in return bills of
exchange on the Bank of Eng land. Being un-
known in Chicago, the firm employed detec-
tive officer to follow Beaumais. His suspicious
conduct, and his sudden flight to Canada, ag-
gravated their fears, and finally he was over
taken at an obscure town in Canada West,
where he was living under the name of Jules
lmbert-whch many bell we to be his true name
and induced to go to New York. Here his
behavior was marked by the utmost cunning
and capacity. He created "frrnd' who
never "turned up" simply because his existence
was altogether fabulous. This friend was an
ceedingly convenient parsonage. il certain
forged drafts were produced, Imbert impored
his dear friend, Mons. Dutton, to explain away
his completely and straightway letter, mailed
in Canada, came to the roombs, wherein Mons.
Dutton exculpated Imbert and took the whole
blame upon his own head The fact was, that
Dutton's letters were forged by Beaumas in
the Tombs, and quietly mailed to a Canada
postmaster, who had them re-enclosed and di.
rected to Beaumois at New York. However,
BeaumaiS, or lmbert, was taken to st. Louis,
and in November duly convicted of forgery,
and sentenced to seven years in the State
Prison.
The confinement of Beaumais in the State
Prison was marked by exceedingly good be-
havior and every indication of contrtion. His
society was covertcd by the turnkeys and war
dens. to whom he related thousand incidents
of adventure and travel; and he so prevailed
upon a feow-convict, that the latter gave him
on release tw nty-fve dollars, his whole world
ly goods. The prison-keeper signed paper to
the Governor, begging that he might be par
doned, and after five years of incarceration he
was set free, with gift of ten dollars from the
officials. Haggard, irendess, pale with the re-
suits of jail-lte, Beaumais stepped into the open
world Most men would lave yielded or be-
| taken themselves to some honest though labor
! ions pursuit. But the inAexible spirit of Beau
mais had been shut away, only to come forth
with renewed energy, bitterness and power
lie took the train for Philadelphia and called
upon his old landlord at the foot of Walnut
street. for the bundle of papers left in his care,
/ five years before. They were delivered up to
him, at once in dwelling not far from Third
and Walnut streets, where he launched into
new and greater schemes of fraud. We can
denlpnstrate his rare mental truacity in the best
way by stating that he commenced to forge re-
spons:ble names from recollection, after an in
W. '"' VI - y, N"4'''7 "'''e' ''''' w 'I'
not seen 'hemi ana N manner 50 m"s'ef'y
that experts were deceived.
Inc ho'ra'ion vi MS uetec'io' VIII o'oSe ms
career up to the present time. On the 18th of
Ocloocr I'St' oS'h"S'er "aInoIiI IIcG,Seu d
letter rom Tue postmaster Oh ror'l1nu' M4'ne'
enclosing an1'ner ,e'trr u,i addressed 70 'oN''
h9rt, [hiiaqe'Phla' me postmaster iequts-
teu MI "'"or" W "oSTlNe 'iie sun 80"
! HART as ne was supposed u nc d s"lnui1r' :
DetecuVe Den rr"lNnh was Placeu upon 'nY
scent ne soon no''Veu hi"l' P'p!N a':'eu
ana WIN SprinNllnS oi gray III ms nI,i-" h;.
shallow eye OF pale oiue colIr' ana ewn'!en-
eu' spectre" ,"ce' "s one JUS. rcleaseu i'Ut J':.'
.nat hoHel'u "o'u. 'ne poS' "lnce' SNu,N.S ~
peer SALOONS un' "rTuhu lhe eTsP'pef oiioIS
ana reS'auiun,s' ine suanscr n'i "o i''l''u, l,
'iaI 'lG e"ui1 oo s:em SpeaNiss mls", ".'u ,ro
gieeuA anu IiAiuuS e!e rh; ''"",' e .ne
Pos' o"ioo tII ~f.uI%' J,,i;, 'i, ,I'o
qulely w1'oneN ~ WI, il""M''i'' I WI" 1IGs hs
iounu OUT ri ms oourulhS houSe anu :e'rneu ms ms
haoi's' me nIn ou.he 10 .lo Snr, Ttnu"W o''o ~
morning ana aSNeu ior letters uuuIess'u "
1oiih mart s'u'ns u' t"e sIi"e ri"I' i 1l,J' I'
own name was iie"is Dohhei' me cieLN re-
iuseu 10 ueiNeI up 'ne IT'ters' uut' vi 'ro .e'
celpt OF an oruer lrori mart "iicti was
coming soon a,IeI""'", Ill uei'cu'e n'nu~ '''i"S
signed "'onh iiIrl' wno PuIPo'.eI W oe sioN,
MI frahE'ih iUilowed MN 'hroueh numerous
aileys anu ll,lul'y saw hlni urP 'I''o ms uo' u,
ing mouse, Whefe ne remained lonS enough 10