The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-12-12

l WHO nave 0aU CneiF QlBaDlllLleS removed
will have to take only the oath of July ii
1858. ~.
Very respectfully
GEO. W. BooKER.
Washington city, Dec. 8. 1870.
Counterfeit Treasury BOnds-atnrt.
ling Details of O Conspiracy by Ex'
pert CounteFfeiters-Arre OF q
Worthy Citizen Of New York.
| [From the New York Times. Dec. 81
A wealthy person named William Brock
way, alias William Spe ncer, alias " Long
john" was arrested early last evening, on
a charge Of having been prominently en-.
gagged in one of the most extensive counter
feiting conspiraces known in this country.
The accused was taken into custody BY
Deputy Marshal Robinson, the warrant for
his arrest being issued by the United States
Commissioner Osborn, on complaint Of Will
liam Z. Wood, formerly Chief of the Secret
Service Division, Treasury Department.
He was charged with having assisted in
making the celebrated counterfeit 7-30 bond
plate, BY means Of which bonds were print
| ed and placed in circulation to the extent OF
nearly Sl00, 900, without exciting any sus-
picion on the part of the Government as
to their genulneness. According to the
commenced his operations, in company
with several counterfeiters, six or seven
years ago, or at the time TINT the National
Government first printed the bonds of the
seven-thirty issue. 1t is said that he labored
for years, with the assistance of his asso-
ciates, for the purpose Of engraving plate
from which to print bonds in exact imita-
ton of those issued at Washington. The
bona fide bonds were executed in such q
manner that it was deemed utterly imDos-
sible for any one to counterfeit them SO as
to evade detection. The utmost nicely was
displayed by the Government engravers in
making the various parts of the plate from
which the genuine bonds were printed, and
scientific means were utilized to make it per-
feet. 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 ex-
| cept with the aid of magnifying glass.
Despite all these obstacles, Brockway, as
| alleged, undertook to initiate them, and
| succeeded so far that, after years of patient
toll, he was enabled to gain large fortune
/ by dealing in the counterfeit bonds. 1t is
said that the accused who is an expert en-
graver, prepared the vignette for the fraudu-
lent plate, and that one Ulrich, very skill
tul German, now serving a long term of
Imprisonment at the State prison in Mis-
souri,, 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. Charles Adams, who is now con-
fined III jail in Maine on a charge Of bur-
! glary, was one of the counterfeiters, and
was the man who placed the bonds in public
| circulation. 1t was through him that the
daring conspirators were betrayed, his
expose being made after very
large amount of the bonds had been
purchased by bankers and others in
| Ignorance. Of their true character. About
S2S, 900 in good money was expended
at the Sub-Treasury in this city in redeem
ing the bad bonds, which We're mostly sold
by well-knoWn bankers, including the firms
of Jay Cooke & Co., and Vermilye & Co.
The latter, it is proper to maintain, were
not aware that they were countertelts al
the time, nor were they discovered to be
bad by the Government officials until after
they had reached Washington. Even after
| / " had been detected, 1t was found i'm
po. sible to trace them to any particular
| source, and the investigation was finally
abandoned. Subsequently, Charles Adams
fell into the clutches Of Chief Wood,
the head Of the secret service force
at that time. and it was through
the latter that the conspiracy was revealed
to the Government. Chief Wood has the
reputation of being the most skillful de-
tectivc in This country, and Of having sent
more culprits to prison than any other Gv-
ing man. By means of the custom known
as pumping" among detectives, he gained
a slight clue as to the origin of the counter
felt seven-thrty bonds, which he followed
up by seizing Brockway, whom he found
| sojourning at the st. James Hotel in fash
ionable style. He removed Brockway to
| Taylor's Hotel, at Jersey City, and in 8
very short time he came into posses
sion Of information in regard to the
troublesome plate. Brockway agreed to de-
liver up the plate at the house Of ex-Judge
! Stuart, who acted as his counsel. Chief
Wood visited the house of the latter gen.
tleman, and, sure enough, he found the
| plate, together with a counterfeit die Of the
red seal, which appeared on the face of the
| genuine bonds. 1t transpired that the plate
and the die were left at eX-Judge Stuart's
house for the purpose of falling into official
hands. Chief Wood subsequently sent the
two trophies Of bis detective skill to Wash
ington, but the die was afterwards ab-
stracted from the Treasury Department.
| A search was made for the thief, but with
out success, and the officials came to the
conclusion that one of the attaches Of the
Department had been bribed to steal it.
The plate, which was considerably bat
tered at the time of its capture, was
| brought to this city few weeks ago, and
was introduced as evidence in the suit
commenced by the United States at the
District Court, before Judge Blatchtord,
| against Jay Cooke g. Co., for the recovery
of several thousand dollars. The suit arose
out of the redemption of some ofthe bonds
| by the Government.
Brockway was sent to Ludlow-street Jail
last evening, in default of thirty thousand
dollars bail. This arrest was caused by
District Attorney Davis and MIR. A. Fl.
| Purdy, to whom Chief Wood made strong
representations concerning BrockWay's
fraudulent operations. The cause of the
| long delay in securing the prisoner is at
| tributed to the fact that the Government
desired to ascertain whether the bonds
could be proven to be bad in court before
they took measures to arrest any OF the al
legged offenders.
ADVENTURES OF A MURDERER.-JohnM Mo-
ran, who killed Officer Packard, of Slough
ton, Mass, while in danger of arrest, seems
to be man of intelligence which, properly
used, would have saved him from the gal
lows, to which, in all probability, he will
soon fall victim. His account Of his ad-
ventures while fugitive from the law is
interesting. he had lied to Bridgewater
swamp, and there was surrounded by hum
dreds of men, nearly all of whom were
armed, and fully determined to take him,
alive or dead. AS the circle narrowed
upon him, he lay in the shrubbery and
heard the threats of his pursuers,
but by stealthily creeping through the
bushes he escaped, passed the outer circle,