The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-03-31
THE PRINCE OF FORGERS.
THE HAN BEHIND TIE FRAUDS UPON
THE BANK OF ENGLAND.

ker--Apprenticeship In Washington,
Followed by a Successful Career In
New York City-The Culmination In
London.
The latest sensation In New York is rumor
that William E. Gray. whose operations In
Wall street In 1869 are still painfully fresh In
the minds of many. was largely implicated In
the Bank of England forgeries. The descrip-
lion of one Of the pereons concerned In the
crime corresponded so accurately with that OF
Gray, that little doubt is entertained by the
detectives in London that he Ia the man. The
Information was said TO have been first given
10 a number of the Anglo-American banking
houses by their English correspondents.
though Detective Thomas Simpson says that
ne thought, when be first heard of the forge
rIes, that Gray, who he had every reason to
believe was then residing ln London, was Inn
plicated. Since that time hls supposllion has
been strengthened by information from Eng
gland. The New York Sun gives the follow
ing sketch of the
CAREER OF THE GREAT FoRaER.
VIM. E. Gray began his business life as q
clerk iu The fourth auditors office In wash
inrton, an appointment procured for him
tnTouCh The Influence OF his father, the Rev.
Edward q. Gray, who for eight years was
chaplain of the United States Senate. In The
auditors Office the embryo forger conducted
himself with perfect honesty, his application
10 his business gaining for him the approDa-
lion of his superiors. 10 1856 he came 10
New York, where he quickly obtained po'
sltlou as cashier In the banking and broker
age house of A. W. Olmmock d Co., rs Pine
street, and while there he acquired that per-
feet knowledge OF his employers business
which In after years he louud opportunities OF
employiug 90 advaDtageously. Tne facility
with which he could Initiate any Handwriting
was especially noticeable, and was frequently
the subject OF j)cular representations OF MIS-
ultimate desliny from nls brother CLERKS.
Nevertheless he was much valued oY MS em,
ployera, and when few ears ago the hrm or
A. w. Dmmock Co. reLlred from Dusiness
Ills character stood high.
TIE FIRST SUCCESSFUL FRAUDS.
Gray next embarked In business on his own
account, and Was soon known as rising gold
broker; but In 1869 the talents which he had
cultivated for many years with 30 much assld.
uIly came into play. he ntsappropriated
some spcnritI.s which had been placed In hls
hands, but efr1cting compromise, he escaped
prosecution, braring tf q handsome snare OF
The spoils. Encouraged by this success, his
next escapade was nefarlOns nrgollalion ot
government bonds, but again he escaped pun
ishmpnt, and was enabled 10 continue his ou-
siness on Hrmer basis than ever.
Toward The latter end OF 1859 he wormed
hjmsplf into The confidence Of Mr.. Eugene
Fink. q stock broker. Among the misrepre-
sentalions BY which this result was achieved
was a story told by Gray of an aunt who resid-
cd In Maine from whom he WIS In daily ex-
peclalion CT receiving lurge sum. ne seem
ed also to be ultimate with the elite OF the ons-
mesa men OF New York, and Mr.. FInk, looklng
upon him as man oil large resources
and unlimited credit, with wnom u Wouio os
very desirable 10 form connection, proposed
IN transact his business lor hlm ID me otoch
EychanCe. Gray assented, and shorty ailel-
ward, having, ss he said. received .he ioa Loas 4
he engaged an ofl ,e at "A Broad street, which
noe s,ncs hpen occupied BY Wooonull q
CIahlTI, ami Suggested that Fink should occupy
a portion or IL, 30 as to be always In readiness
when called Tor. This arrangement was
effected, and the new firm under The style
and title OF william 6. Grny Co. began opera
lions. Fink received numerous orders from
his patron 10 buy and srli Q iartz Hill mining
stock, In which, Gray said, liz hau formed D
pool. Flpk az this time had no suspicion
that Gray was not doing perfectly legitimate
business. He was always paid Tor MIS- snare
n
that Gray borrowed extensively upon stock
collateral. he attributed 1t 10 the general
tljghtness" In the money market, rather than
10 any pecuniary em0arrassmenls on the part
of his superior. Though more tnan once
solicited TO do 30, he Invariably declined 10
assume any responsibility In the affairs oil the
frm.
Tho ingenious method by which Gray was
enabled to carry on Ills business and meet his
engagements was simply as follows: he useo
IA stock colaleras stolen united STATES secu-
rifles and bounty bonds. with the amounts al
tered. His account, which was kept WIN Tue
Rank of lhe Commonwealth, was not un1fe-
ouently oyerdrawn by large amount, the BE-
curittes lett with the cashier on shcn occa'
sions being New York bounty fund loan
bonds, originally representing one tncnsand
dollars. but under The skiliul manipulation OF
Gray made to show value OF ten tnousand
dollars each. The stolen securities were pur-
chased from two men-Pratt and Glover@lne
latter of whom Is serving term 10 tne STATE
prison; the former turned states eVioence
against his coparlner and was liberated on
bail. ,
A short time after opening business, Gray,
having LARGELY orerdrawn his account Win
the Bank of the Commonwealth, lett as secu-
rilIpg three of The altered bonds, representing
lhirty thousand dollars Instead Oh tnree Lnou-
sand dollars. The cashier, whose suspicious
had been aroused by lhs large denominations
of The honds left with him, determined 10 sat-
i,fy himself that they were what they purport-
ed He therefore took them 10 the Manhat-
ian Bank wnere they were at once detected
as having been ''raised." Gray having been
senl for. found him ,elt In The custody oil Two
officers on his arrival. His ingenuity, how
aver. was fully eqial to the emergency, and Dy
a plausble explanation OF his possession ol
the bonda. and an exposure OF the persons
from whom be had purchased them, ne con-
ylpced The cashier of his innocence ana was
liberated.
The next morning Fin ks suspicious were
aroused for the first time 0y tne reiusai oi lug
bank to certify check Wnlcn Gray nau gpeh
In payment for some stock. That ingenious
gentleman endeavored to explain tne llttle Oil
ticuIly away by saying that the BANK was mere
ly waiting until The checks WHICH mao oeen
drawn The day before should come III from
the Clearing House. Fink, however, was DOL
I'm b. satisfied, and The LWo went out ostensi'
bly TO rlis, The money to pay lot tne stocH.
Gray wus said to have returned snortly utter
ward, and having transferred 10 iaoy d
nackage which he took from the SAFE, Wenl
from The office and was seen no more. IL
was very soon discovered that oy means Oh
the altered and stolen bonds Gray had oo'
tanned ip all no less than $500, 600. On an at
iachment being served upon his ONCE, hls
creditors recovered SIG, represented oy one
hundred shares oil quartz mining STOCK.
Very aoon sfler Grays flight many auda.