Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-12-08
A FATHERS CRIME.
1t PIunges His Family into Ruin.

! fAIHEk'S CRIME
1t PIunges His Family into Ruin.
New York Correspondence Philadelphia Press.
Through the guilty the innocent mus
suffer, and never was the fact more dis
tressingly illustrated than in the late ar
/ rest of q New York counterfeiter.
One of the best engraYers in the coun
try, if not in the world, was arrested at his
office, where everything went to prove an6
where he unreservedly confessed his guilt
too completely broken, amazed and con.
fused to attempt denial. He was fine
gentlemanly looking man, though of late
somewhat dissipated, owing, probably tc
the wretched business in which he was
employed. He had worked for Tiffany &
/ Co., and for the American Bank Note Co.
as d skillful, honest engraver; and SO, ur
to within two weeks ago, thought his fami-
! ly. Notwithstanding his dissipation, ard
/ the great crime of which he is surely gull
/ ty, he has been a kind father and husband,
and never carried his sin into his home
neither is he what may be termed g bad
man, if we can reconcile these incongrui-
| ties with the fact that he was arrested for
the worst crime that an individual can
practice against thegovernment.
Bad men tempted him with large profits,
for his genius was invaluable to the regular
counterteiters; profits, however, that he
never realized, for oncein their employ and
power he must remain SO, and take his
| chances of immense gains along with pos
sible discovery, conviction, and the State
| Prison.
After his arrest, in company with the
chief of the secret service ana two subor-
dinates, he was escorted to his home q
ruined, disgraced, guilty wretch, and the
scene that ensued was indeed heartrending
Accustomed as were the officers to painful
family griefs brought about by their sum-
mary arrests, the usual sequence Of home
innocence and tears was nothing new or
unlocked for; but this famiiy's despair
touched even them, and they did not care
| to meet the gaze Of the affrighted w, man
who met them at the door.
beautiful daughter of 16 lifted white
Mortified face beyond her mothers; anoth-
er Of 10 shrank against the wall; bright,
intelligent boy of 6 stood transfixed in won-
der, and smiling infant confronted the
miserable father and husband
The officers needed not to search the
house for traces of his evil deeds. Wife
and children were innocent, and the long
practiced officers knew it at q glance.
The unhappy wife sank into chair.
! Clasping her shaking hands one over the
other, and swaying to and fro, she moaned
the pitiful cry to heaven, 80 God 0 God
Why can't die now?" Her wet face was
livid beneath It's tears, and shrunk and
sharpened yisibly, like face that is dying.
Tear after tear fell from her staring eyes,
and rolled down her pallid cheeks to her
lap. Never once putting her hands to wipe
them away, they lay idle and helpless on
her knees, and the look she turned on them
was utterly broken hearted. The young
daughter sobbed frantically, ooh father
father what have you done?" Then turn
ing to the chief, ''Oh don't believe it, sir;
my father could not do it." The little girl
chung to the officers knee in childish eu-
treaty. ''Don't take my father to prison
please, please don'tp The boy hid under
the bed, and the baby crawled at the moth
ers feet, whimpering IN its fright unheeded.
The father looked upon the ruin he had
wrought, the griet he had brought upon his
loved ones, and sob after sob broke from
his bosom. Dashing down his grager, he
erred: ''God cursed me in my genius, and
I'll never lift it again. He covered his
face, and in his tears those who loved him
hushed their pitiful cries.
The poor wife found her strength and
voice at the piteous sight, and came and
put her hand gently on his shoulder. ''My
poor, poor husbandl How could you; how
could you bring us such sorrow, and your
self such dreadful misery? 1t is Saturday
night, and there is neither food nor fire;
! they will take you to-tO-away from us,
and oh what shall do for the children
Who will pity Or help US after this?' 81, /
expected some money tonight" said the
criminal, taking from his pocket torn hall
dollar; ''this is all [ have; take it ana get
a little bread for them tonight" He put il
in her hand, but the trembling fingers
dropped it unnoticed. "My husband in
Jail, my children starving! 0 God what
have / done that must suffer SOP"
Here the chief stepped forward, 'YoU
shall not suffer; I'll see, madam, thai you
and your children are made comfortable. ,
She lifted her streaming eyes. Il am sc
full of trouble don't know how to thank
you; he is guilty, guilty, but-my hus-
band"
eyes" burst out the prisoner 'I am
guilty: you have the presses, plates
thing, and know it, but before Almighty
God they are innocent; they knew nothing
of it. " II am perfectly well aware of it,
said the chief, and as it was painful to all,
they departed with the prisoner, leaving
the desolate home to it's tears and anguish.
If ever mortal grief was written on a wo-
mans face it was stamped on the CHASTITY
features of this counterfeiter's wife, when
she looked around on her weeping children
no reproach; only ''How could you, how
could you?" I have seen the law forced
into many loving homes where its head by
its recent crimes brought sudden woe, but
never did I witness so harrowiaga a scene as
at this miserable engraver's dwelling. She
kept twisting her fingers together, and
sobbing and moaning tomorrow is Sun
day; oh what Sabbath for me, my child
ren, my husband p
She was lady of education, birth and
association, and this blow struck her tC
the earth. She could endure and conceal
hunger and poverty, but this prison crime
the world must know, and the horrible
grief and shame was hers to bear as best
she might. The state prison surely awaits
/ the father and death the mother. if the
face she carried to the cell that Sabbath
morning was an index to the suffering
within. And the bright eyed boy, the crawl
ing baby, and the beautiful girls-what viii
/ becoma Of them? The late counterfeit up.
/ roofing tore guiltless woman's heart asun.
/ der, and let it be warming to other tempt.
ed men who have fine devoted family tC
peril in their disgrace and ruin.
Oh! the Times.
Women are screaming for their rights anc