The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-06-30

conveniently at anchor.
Meiggs had bought the American
) Monday previous Oct. = Of Aberna-
thy, Clark & Co. The captain Of the
bark, on being questioned, had stated
!. that she had been bought by
COUPLE OF GAMBLERS,
who intended to take . pleasure trip
in her Among the islands of the Paci.
fic. She had been cleared for ports In
the Pacific,n was supplied for two
years. voyage, and was fitted up in
gorgeous style, it seems that every
thing had been prepared for flight,
and as soon as Meiggs stepped on deck
he ordered up the anchor; propeller
came alongside, and the American
was immediately towed to sea.
His disappearance became known
the next day by the movements OF
GodefIf0y, Sillem & Co., to whom
he had written letter stating his
commission of a crime, his expecta-
ton never to return, end enclosed to
then them Ia g confession Of Judgment for
$3.50, 900. 1t was their movements
under this judgement which first call
ed pubic attention to Meiggs's failure
and disappearance. So great was the
confidence ofall classes In his ability
and integrity, that there was no gem
eral alarm. 1t was supposed that he
;is,u i.ieTo,y :6sS t. WI sSr :. week :.:, :;.:
the i;Est shock of the failure should
be over and no particular interest WIS
felt in the affair except by creditors.
But on Saturday morning the forgery
of the notes on VIM. Neely Thompson
& Co., was delivered, and in the After
noon the forgery Of the city warrants
become known, through the ipublica-
ton, by Adams & Co., in the San
Francisco Erening Journal, of the fol-
lowing card:
! ADAMS & co.'s, CARD. 3
We would caution the public not to
purchase any City Controllers war
rants of any description, until we are
able to announce the results of some
investigation we are making with
reference to $4,000 worth which we
have received from Henry Meiggs as
security for borrowed money. We
havereason to believe that Mr.. Meiggs
has forged large sums of them, on
which he has obtained loans and has
now absconded, IS the day of detec-
ADAMS & co.
The publication Of this card was fol-
lowed by tornado of excitement,
exaggeration ruled the hour, and the
most fearful stories Of pass losses, and
of coming ruin to all, were rife all
over the city. Messengers We're sent
to San Mateo for Mr.. Meiggs. They
returned with the information that
Mr.. Meiggs had not been to San MateO.
Then the absence of the bark Ameri-
can was discovered. The driver of the
the carriage in which Meiggs rode to
Mission Point was hunted up and told
his story. The captain of the propel-
Ter that towed the American to sea
was then found and told his story.
Then everybody saw how it was,
Meiggs, with his wife Ia most estima-
BILE LADY, and three children, his
brother John G., his nephew e. 8. |
Doyle, and his supposed accomplice,
Victor Steman had fled upon the Pa
cific beyond both State and Federal
jurisdiction. This was heavy blow
to his enemies, and cruel one to his |
friends.
A LEvEL-HEADED OLD SAILOR.
In the midst of the general turmoil |
an old seaman called attention to the
fact that a calm had reigned over the |
land and sea ever since the night that |
Meiggs fled and that probably the
fugitive was then not twenty-five |
miles from the San Francisco Jail. |
This seemed SO probable that Adams
& Co., who had lost something and |
whose friends had lost great deal by |
Meiggs, persuaded Capt. Alden of the |
United States surveying steamer Ac- |
tive, to go in pursuit of the American.
Fortunately for Meiggs, the steamer
in running alongside of a bulk for coal
damaged one other paddle wheels so
seriously that she had to lay up for
repairs. Adams & Co., then tried
successively to charter two other
steamers, but We're unsuccessful.
Word came that the American was
visible from Lobos Point, lying be-
calmed, but no steamer could be got
to go for her. On Sunday morning
q strong breeze sprang up, and then
the project of pursuing the American
was abandoned. 1t was afterward
learned that Meiggs was actually be-
,calmed for eight and forty hours with
in twenty miles of San Francisco, and
was in an agony of apprehension lest
his creditors should pursue him with
steamer and capture him. 1t is
stated that had they done so, he had
resolved on suicide, aud had all things
in readiness to commit self-destruc-
ton. .r.. ...-s-. ...---...l
FIGURING UP THE RUIN.
Meiggs having got off beyond all
hope Of capture his creditors and the
San Francisco officials set at work to
fathom the disaster, which after much
investigation, was reported to sum up
as follows:
Amount of failure. ................ $500, 900
ComptrOller's warrants forged SOC, 200
California Lumb'r Co. forged. 100000
Folgeries on sundry firms."... $4,000
Total. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS $3.50, 900
The city warrants were generally
made out in favor of Jesse l.. Wet
more, a well known contractor, who
had large sums audited by the Com
$500 to 81 900. At first it was thought |
that the plate was counterfeit as well
as the signatures; but it was ascertain
ed that the plate was genuine. The
signatures were executed so admira-
bly, that, when the warrants were first
presented, the Mayor and the Comp
troller each pronounced his name to
be his own writing. Meiggs's brother
John G., had just been elected Comp
troller, but had not been qualified. |
1t is now supposed that, if the discov-
cry had been stayed off little while !
longer, protected by his brothers. of |
fetal position, Meiggs would have |
covered up the whole matter until his |
remarkable talents for mOney-making
enabled him to rehabilitate the entire |
situation, and make himself, the city |
and everybody concerned absolutely
whole.
THE FUGITIVE HEARD FROM.
The next that was heard from Mr. |
Meiggs, he was superintendent of
bridges on the Valparaiso and SANTA
90 Railroad. in Chill. This road had |
been under construction for years, had |
ruined every contractor who had un-
dertaken to build it, and was the des- !
spair of the Chillian Government. |
Meiggs built his bridges well, and
studied the Chileonos, the Govern
ment, the possibilities of constructing |
the road over the mountain, and the
Spanish language, while he was build
ing them. Pearce & Velasco, the con-
tractors with whom he first engaged |
failed aud gave up their contract. An
English engineer named Bernard pext |
undertook to finish the road. He be-
gan with great dourish, aud employ