The Portland daily press., 1869-11-08

PORTLAND.
Monday Morning, November 8, 1869.
A Deieciive's Experience,
a FEMALE FoRGFR

Not many years ago. SAID Mr.. F-.tha
mercantile community were anuo, ed bv an
immense amount of spurious paper most in
dustriously put into circulation. Checks
were presented at the principal banks sgnel
by the firms of prominent houses, and money
in the aggregate amounting to nearly S50,OO0
obta ned upon it. The peculiar circumstances
OF the case disclosed the tact that the forger
resided III tue city, and tor months we were
on the Qui uiUe to detect the criminal. Every
new face, every str nger, whose occupation
and pursuit were not thoroughly understood,
were subjected by Mr.. l. and myself TO
most rigid scrutiny. Still we were al fault.
1t is not difficult to find out the person who is
not guilty OF an offence; the trouble is TO dis
cover who is And thus our search went on.
Baffled in one direction, we took another.
Aside from the reward, which was ample, our
pride was interested in detecting the person
VINO. almost before our eyes, practised such
open frauds. One day l saw lady paying
for bill of goods with check. Before she
had time to leave the store obtained look
at the paper, and was satisfied II was not
genuine. Still 1 was not certain. The lady
vas deeply velled, and was subjected to the
alternative of following her. This did and
traced her home.
1t was a beautiful little cottage, with large
yard and garden. Taste and culture had
fashioned the gravel walks, and uaned the
dense but beautiful foliage into parterres. as
curious as novel and pretty. Vines crept over
the portico and trai,ed along the network Of
the gallery. The white and the red holly
hook bloomed at the gate, and the margin of
the walks-was bedded with violets and the
sweet-scented verbena. The perfume of
orange blossoms min 1led with the Odor Of the
rose, and the senses were delighted with the
evident beauty that pervaded he place.
l hastened back to the place where the
check was passed. and which Mr.. bad
already ascertained to have been forged We
had now obtained a clew which. il c,reiully
pursued we were satisfied would lead to the
detection OF the criminal.
We waited until morning, and il was then
determined that l should visit her alone. /
did so, and found the lady seated in a peas
ant little parlor, looking out on the miniature
lawn. The room was exquisitely furnished
and breathed an air of evident refinement. 1t
was fitted up ss a pleasant louDgDg place,
half library, half music room. Beautiful
paintings hung fiom the walls, and in re-
cess was an elegan. piano. Near it was
statue of the TttGness MHemosyne, and oppo-
site it stood marble creation of the dance-
loving Terpscbore, and from the centre of
the richly-carved writing desk rose beauti-
tul Polymnia, with her finger pressing the
lips, brimming with song.
. Eases Ulleu WIFI UOOkS anu vases VI AIdU-
esque, of gold, were scattered through the
room. The lady reclined in an easy chair,
and received the announcement of my name
with evident embarrassment. Still she re-
ceiVed me with great polteness, and inquired
to what circumstance she was to attribute
my business.
II do not know, ma lam, that it |. to you,
as yet; but may inquire if your husband
is in ?"
81 am widow, sir"
"But you have a business agent"
"No, SIR; L live on a small annuity"
"Indeed.,'
1T is true, sir; but you will pardon me II
inquire the purport of all these questionsp
Madame" l rejoined, "there is no doubt
some mistake about it, but the draft you gave
yesterday to Messrs. II. & Co. is forgery"
''Slrp the tone was indignant, and the face
was white with terror rather than passion.
at is as | stated, Madam; here is the pa
per" and 1 took from my pocket the check
and showed it to her.
"What is the purport of all tbis?"
"To inquire from whence you obtained It."
"That cannot tell you, sir"
II trus' madam, that you will reconsider your
last remark, for otherwise it will be my duty
TO arrest you as the criminal"
"And you would do thIs?"
"It would be my duty"
Her eyes lost on the instant their eager
look and she turned aside her head. could
perceive from the workings of er copate-
nance that she was thinking intenGl--iapid-
ly. Emotions, first of terror, TIN deter
mutation, and then of entresr, enaSed tnem-
selves over her face wita lne rapi NY OF
thought. 1t was a g-,nu lae-noole 10 ex-
pression-evincing atehec1 Oh no common
order. 49,
/ could not relieve she was guilty did
not nntiI She lurned to me with the words:
.Take M to Jail. ! alone am guilty.
"But, ,.adam, reflect; you are condemnins
yoursefP
~ know it-lead me away-I say to you
| IN guilty"
1t may seem strange TO you, but even de-
spite her words / could not briieve tnis
strangely beautiful lady was in earnest There
was to my mind great wrong somewhere;
the lady was sacrificing herself to save sUme
one else. Still L had no aiternetsVa hut to
take her into custody. placed her, however,
in charge OF an officer, and still lett her at
her own house. While 1 was gone TO the
city, but lew hours, she contrived to send
note away. 1t reached the person 1t was
means for-an hour after the lady was dead.
She had perished by her own baud, nom
shame and broken heart
Years afterwards we ascertained that the
real culprit was her SOD! She had confessed
a sin that she had never Committed, to give
him an opportunity Of escape-Ne'o orle1ns
PicGgnne.