The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1873-08-27
4 History and "a Warming.

5 collects all his horses there before
? shipping them to the east
r
History and "a Warming
There died Yesterday, at Fort
Washington, Il man who six-and-thir-
ty Years ago was notorious through
out the land as the enc man whose
forgcries, up to that period, had new
cr in the history Of crime been sur
passed in magnitude of amount, or
skill of conception and execution.
Even Fauntleroy's were, as compar-
! ed with his, the merest trifes They
rose to millions, and for several wears
were carried on with celebrity, precis-
ion and success that were amazing
nor in that particular specially of
crime has any successor reached the
aggregate of enoFraity attained by
him.
! Benjamin Rathburn in early life re-
moved from Chenango county to
Buffalo. He became proprietor ofthe
Eagle Tavern, and by cleanliness, or
der and discipline made it famous
among the hotels of the country.
Extending his business he became in
! terested in lines Of stages between
Buffalo and Albany, and started the
noted Telegraph Line, for six pas
isengers only,n which was run at a
speed higher than had been previous
ly attained by coach in the United
States, and made for it name
among travellers from the West
But ilotel-keeping and staging failed
to satisfy his ambition. He embark
ed in speculation. Lots without num-
Der at prices without limit were
bought, and dwellings, stores and
warehouses were erected For the
first time in the history Of the State a
fever or speculation broke out which
for universally and wildness has
never been approached by any other
city in the Union. Ratbbun was in
everything nothing dannted him;
his example was SO infectious that
the gravest and most timor0us money
grubbers were drawn into the vortex
and in night made fabulous for
tunes-on paper.
The plan of his f0rgeries were as
ingenious as it was original. To
certain parties he would propose to
buy certain property, or build certain
structures. To raise the necessary
funds with which to initiate the en-
terprise, be would make his note for
five thousand dollars, payable in New |
York city at three or six months and .
asked the party whose interests were
to be prompted to indorse the same. .
The Endorsement obtained. be would .
resort TO his counting-room and make !
from ten to fifteen notes, of the same
date and amount, payable at the same
time and place, and his clerk, an ex-
tc'Ient penman would forge the en-
dorsement. To such a magnitude
had these transactions grown, that a
regular Office was maintained in this
city for the purpose ofnegotiating pa
per, the manager being his nephew.
During the few wears the fraud was
kept up the amount negotiated reach
ed millions of dollars. At length one
of the FIVE thousand dollar notes.
bearing the forged Endorsement of
David f. Evans, then agent of the
Holland Land Company at Batavia.
was protested and notice sent to him.
Mr. Evans paid the note, but on ex-
the back found to his dismay.
that his signature had been forged
True, he had indorsed a note of that
date and for precisely that amount,
but it was not this Investigation
the plot was discovered,
the whole iniquity exposed to light.
Rathbur was arrested, tried at Bata-
via, convicted, sentenced 10 FIVE wears {
in State Prison, and served out his
time. Subsequently he came to this
,ity and opened n hotel in Broadway.
near CoUrtland street. but was not
very successful Afterward he kept.
ior some wears, the small hotel at the
corner of Broadway and Forty-third
street. Ofall the millions that had |
passed through his hands he never
put away a dollar for himself. nor
;ould he at any time have called him.
'elf the honest possess0r of fifty thou
:and dollars. IC
The private life of this remarkable
nan was from his early manhood |
irreproachable. He was
modest to a fault, strictly temperate,
lever chewed or smoked, never gam
lied, kept no equipage, had no ac-
Iuaintance with disreputable people,
.voided public places, indulged in no
xtravigance, but devoted himself :
to his business. He had 4
ew acquaintanees, fewer friends, no v
To the past he never
lluded. He realized to the full the .
esult of his acts and meekly accept
d the situation. Silently, patiently, r
ncomplainingly he plodded on his a
weary, cherries way until finally, at n
nc ripe old age of elghty-two, him r
elf and his crimes almost forgotten, t
C fades away !
1t would seem idle to recall these
lcidents of a felony committed before
lost of our readers were born, if it
Tere not to point moral at old soci- 4
ty; that the madness which springs C
'om greed of sudden gain leads e
aturally to crime, and that it is rare t,
7 given to the acutest of human in c
fleets to commit crime and escape. c
he moral, we admit it, is musty, u
ut it never ceases to be timely and, p
. general effective. The large ma "
'rity of business men are honest, and v
he example of such Iamentable el
Ipses as those we have recently q
cen undoubtedly is lesson to the p
oung and warning to the waver- D
lg-N Y. Tribune. n