Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1861-12-19
GIGANTIC FORGBRIEs.
DETECTION, ARREST, AND CONVICTION OF THE
FORGER.


From the Philadelphia Press Nov. q.
The case of John Hart, alias Henry Donnell,
alias Alexander Gay, alias Jules Imbert of
France, ETC., etc., etc. but truly Cephas Beau
mas, of the Island of Martinique, West Indies,
forwards forger, swinder, and convict in all
he cities of America and recently an inmate
# the Missouri State Penitentiary, has been
mperfectly ventilated in the daily papers. Few
n fact, save those Immediately concerned in
racing his Frauds have comprchended the
,0undless invention that stimulated them, the
onsumate experience and perseverance that
ustained them, and the remarkable success
hat attended them. Since the time of Monroe
edwards, no forger has ventured so largely or
)een rewarded so handsomely. And in view
t the fact that he is now an inmate of our
ounty prison, and that strenuous efforts are
being made to avert his punishment and again
asst him loose upon society to devise new means
Of villainy, we have thought fit to recount his
exploits, and make public the system whereby
he has operated.
To say with certainty that he was born in the
Island of Martinique and that he was of French
eXtricaton, would be hazardous for his dupli-
cities have been so numerous that the true his
tory of his early life is probably known only to
himself. 1t is certain, however, that his par
ents were highly respectable, and he was atfor-
ded thorough education at Yale College, New
Haven. BY this means he became equally
versed in the French and the English literature,
and has preserved many OF his own metrical
compositions in beth languages. The works of
the leading authors he studied thoroughly, and
many fragment of sentiment that he has since
appropriated to further his nefarious schemes
was CLEANED in the quiet paths at the City of
fhn Elp,s Eror, tho bnuinninr Rpaunnoie voS
bad he turned to account every quotation,
maxim, theory, and fact. He seems to have
esolved in early life to be villain, and no young
nan at law, or medicine, or theology, devoted
himself so Systematically to his profession.
He doubtless comprehended at that time
,chemes of fraud that have since been too well
xecuted. Sailing for England at the age Of
wenty-three, he entered the banking house of
Daniel & Son, at Bristol, and made himself ac-
luainted with all the details of banking, of
commerce and trade. Here he became a de-
~taulter, and was obliged to flee the country.
The captain of the vessel in which he embark
ed became sick on the voyage, and died before
reaching the West Indies. Beaumais assumed
the command ingratiated himself with the
crew, and had the vessel steered for Trinidad,
where he represented himself as her owner,
and disposed of the craft and her valuable cargo.
Al Martinique he derived a considerable sum
from his parents, and commenced the business
Of trader and shipping merchant. He soon
aiterward won the affection of wealthy and
beautiful woman of the island, and his success,
if honestly pursued, now bade fair to be be-
yond expectation.
He organized almost Immediately, however,
system of smuggling extending to all the
West India Islands, both French and English,
SO thorough and comprehensive that the reve-
nue. officers were for long time baffled. He
was at length detected, and in most of the Ca
ribee islands price was set upon him. He
landed at Key West in the year 1850, with
several thousand dollars in his possession and
copious blanks of bills of exchange, as used by
the leading houses of England and the Antil-
les, signatures of bankers, shippers, and mer-
chants, and the houses of their correspondents
in the United States. The partner of his fight
was the wife of an Italian merchant, who had
behiended Beaumais.
AT Charleston he bought bills of the Bank
of Liverpool amounting to $4,000 sterling, in
"lirst, second, and third" parts. The "third''
was mailed to Barring Bros. & Co.. and the pro-
ceeds placed to the account of Blanchard &
Sherman, Boston, subj ject to the order Of Henry
Best. The "frst and second were sold to
Brown Bros. & Co., of Baltimore, by Mr..
Henry Conner. The "frst and second" were OF
course, returned from England protested but
Beaumais, in the meantime, had slipped away,
with the neat profit of one hundred per cent,
and the Baltimore firm $4,000 out of pocket.
In this way he operated successivey upon the
houses of George Peabody, Blake, Howe & Co..
VIM. Howell < Son, Blanchard Sherman &
Co., Clark & Bros, and half the responsible
bankers and brokers in the country, being
sometimes disappointed, but ottner successful.
Having accumulated about $4,000 in specie
he had it shipped to Martinique to the care ol
his wife, writing letter to her at the same time
in disguised hand, stating that Cephas Beau
mais had passed through nature to eternity
The last request of the deceased had been that
his wife should leave the Indies for France, and
;uke up her abode at Marseilles where, by
use of the means he had bequeathed her, SHE
might bring up her two children vrtuously anC
respectfully The poor woman observed his
will to the letter, and is at this time, mos
| probably, negotiating for a second partner.
His swindle upon Pres. Grote & Company
amounted to three hundred pounds, and wa
accomplished by slipping an old steamboat bill
into an envelope, which Blake, Howe & Co.
supposed to be the "third" of a bill of ex
change. lie took the "third" away, however
and sold the bill twice When Blake & Co.
were applied to relative to this matter, they re
sponded that the "third" was in their posses
sion.
He next forged letter purportng to be fror
responsible house at ST. Bartholomew, whic
introduced him to William Howell & Son, c
Baltimore. The latter enclosed two bills c
exchange for seven thousand dollars. The
were accepted and the money forwarded I
Beaumais at New York but he became fearful
and refused to call for it. OF course the bill
were returned protested. While in Charles
ton, soon aiterward, he sold bills of eXchang
for eleven thousand dollars, receiving cotton i
return, which was shipped to Schmidt Co
New York, and the proceeds paid to Beaumai'
The bills were worthless and the buyer swr
died. He did the same thing at Wilmington
North Carolina receiving one thousand barre
of turpentine for forged bills of exchange
The turpentine was shipped TO Bordeaux. |
1854 he was detected in Baltimore, but libel
ated on "straw bail" Notwithstanding tn
notoriety he at that time obtained Beaum0
returned to the city soon Afterwards precede
by a letter Of introduction, and bought fN
thousand dollars worth of flour with forge
bills Of exchange on England purporting to
drawn up by Rohschili x Cohen. The Aol
was shipped to his order, sold, and the pr'
ceeds paid over with the bankers disconsolat
In 1855 he sent letter to Middleton & CO
New York. dated Barbados, and signed |
Samuel Mussen, a correspondent of the banl
ers. Mussen stated that he had bought a cars
of pitch-pine lumber from Beaumais, payr
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