The Republican journal., 1870-12-15
COUNTERFEIT TREASURY BONDS.

The n Y. Times has the following inter
esting details connected with the arrest in
that city on Thursday evening Of a wealthy
person named VIM. Brockway, charged with
having assisted in making the celebrated
counterfeit $50 bond plate, by means OF
which bonds We're printed and placed in cir
culaton to the extent of nearly 100000,
without exciting any suspicion on the part OF
the Government Us to their commences:
According to the statement of Federal Of
iicials the accused commenced his operations
in company with several countcrfeiters six or
seven years ago, or at the time that the Ma
tional Government first printed bonds of the
seven-thirty issue 1T is said that he labored
for years, with the assistance of his assoca-
ties, for the purpose Of engraving a plate from
which to print heads in exact imitation of
those issued at Washington. The bona fide
bonds were executed in such a manner that
it was deemed utterly impossible for any one
to counterfeit them so rs to evade detection.
The utmost nicely was displayed by the Gov
eminent engravers in making the various
parts Of the plate from which the genuine
bonds were printed, and scientific means
were utilized to make it perfect A system
of photography was used for the purpose of
drawing some of the lines on the face of the
bonds. These lines were SO faint that they
were not perceptible except with the aid of 4
magnifyng glass. Despite all the obstacles
Brockway, as alleged, undertook to initiate
them, and succeeded so far that, after years
Of patient toll, he was enabled TO gain q large
fortune by dealing in the counterfeit bonds
1t is said that the accused, who is an expert
engraver, prepared the vignette for the frau
dulent plate, and that one Ulrich, a very
skilful German, now serving a long term of
Imprisonment at the State Prison in Missouri,
executed the other portions of the plate. The
engraving was done in this city, and the
ringleaders of the plot were aided by select
corps of assistants, sworn to secrecy. Char
les Adams, who is now confined in jail in
Maine on q charge Of burglary, was one of
the counterleitcrs, and was the man who
placed the bonds in public circulation. II
was through him that the daring conspira-
tors were betrayed his expose being made
after very large amount of the bonds had
been purchased by bankers and others in ig-
norancc of their true character. About 1923,
900 in good money were expended at the
Sub Treasury in this city in redeeming the
bad bonds, which were mostly sold by we'll
known brokers, including the firms of Jay
Cooke & Co. and Vermilye & Co The latter,
it is proper to mention, were not aware that
they were counterfeits at the time, nor We're
they discovered to be bad by the Government
officials until after they had reached Wash
ington. Even after they had been detected,
it was found impossible to trace them to any
particular scource and the investigation was
finally abandoned.
Subsequently Charles Adams fell into the
clutches of Chief Wood, the head of the Sc
cret service force at that time, and it was
through the latter that the conspiracy was re
vealed to the Government. BY means of the
custom known as ''pumping' among detect
ives, he gained slight clew as to the origin
of the counterfeit lseven-thirty bonds, which
he followed up by selling Brockway, whom
he found sojourning at the St James Hotel
in fashionabls style. He removed Brockway
to Taylor's Hotel at Jersey City, and in a
very short time he came into possession of
information in regard to the troublesome
plate. Brockway agreed to deliver up the
plate at the house of ex-Judge Stuart, who
acted AS his counsel Chief Wood visited
the house of the latter gentleman, and, sure
enough, he found the plate, together with q
counterfeit dye of the red seal which ap-
pears on the face of the genuine bonds. 1t
transpired that the plate and the dye We're