Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-12-06

From the Golden Age.l

larson Win our gorgeous piile they are sim
piicity itself" The question and statement 10Th
imply ,msspprebension. Bank of England notes
are COMMUNICATIVE been counterieited ever
sLce they began to be used-and In the nu ner;-
cal proportions of the tao are as often succ ess-
fufy counterfeited As our own bank notes. In
sIiIe OF every precautien adopted by the Bank
ef EpRland-of the manufacture OF its own
paper within the walls of the great building !;
OF the printing water lining, mum ,ering, mark
ing. registering, signing, and countersi gning
under the visilant eyes of the ever present OFF,
cials; in spite of the most perfect machinery,
Ieouiiar ink, precise cutting. methodicai ad
jBsiment OF parts OF every note to its whole,
lettering, private indenting, stamping, and
rapded BY INC coun aTic Sothin. Shows Ss
his more certainly than the common
kIslish custom, we'll known, OF the holder
NJ a bank note indorsing his name on its
back. As to the SIMPLICITY of the sttf
Bank of England notes when compared with
our flexible b9nk-blls. | submit that the ques-
ton admits OF two opinions. i class the former
with Ihs numbering wheels of English vehicles,
the pond, rous carriages on English railways
the cTamped accommodations on English
rivers and channel steamboats,. the cumbrous
make OF English harness, the droning responses
OF English parish clerks, and the terrible dull
ness OF English sermons.
The day on which forged note was first pre-
sented at the Bank OF England forms an era in
its history. Ii was in l15s, and from that day
until row, during the period OF lis years there
las passed no decade in which more than
$50 0t0 have not been refused payment at the
bank on the plea of forgery, Sometimes the
amount gre atty exceeds this. In the tea first
years OF the present century it rose to Col Col
and from 1850 10 1850 C7S 40 were stamped
" forged at the bank counter. In fact, the
losses occurring to that institution from forged
notes are, and always have been, Commensurate
with the greatness OF ITS transactions. Some of
The most curious of these furgeries are perhaps
worth narIetirg.
John Mathison was a man OF great mechan-
cal capacity, who, becoming acquainted with
an engraSer, unhspply acquired that art which
ultimately proved his ruin. A yet more
dangerous qualification was his OF initiating
signa with inconceivable accuracy.
Tempted by the hope of sudden wealth, his
first for geries we're the notes of a country bank
Seeming however, to contne his talents with
IN so narrow bounds, he came up to London,
and in less than one month had engraved
fabricated. forged, printed, and negotiated
several eco notes of the Bank Of England.
when he had made sufficient number, he
travelled from rom one one end of the King
having been in the habit Of procuring notes
from the bank (the more accurately TO copy
tbep) he CHANGED to be there when the clerk
gold, one Of which was scruped. Mathison,
from distance. said it was a good one.
A" Then" said the bank clerk, on the trial, Il
recOllected him." The frequent visits of Mathi-
other circumstances, created a suspicion that
he might be connected with forged notes that
were being continually presented: One day he
was detained, taken to the bank parlOr and
confronted with the directors. To every ques-
ton put to him, he had but a solitary answer.
~ decline TO reply. know not how came
into this world nor how shall 90 out of il"
Sir John Fielding then re- ad description of
his (Mathison's) appearance from q country
newspaper, when the fellow broke down imme-
dately and confe ssed He offered to explain
the secret of his discovery of the water mark,
provided his life were spared; but his proposal
vas rejected, and he paid the penalty OF his
crime.
Some nine years ago, Solomon Bacon, a we'll
known merchant in London. received a letter
from his correspondent in Hamburger, which
gri.ved and troubled him. IC stated that tn e
writer had been defrauded by his nephew son
If a SHOWED sister, of 10000, and had fled to
London with the money. There was a reluc-
lance TO make the matter public, and Mr.. Bacon
was desired to keep silence; "but," the letter
went on to say, if you invite John to dinner,
ard when alone tax him with the crime, he
might perhaps refund the money. Should he
do so, you may give him $500" The London
merchant found the young German, took him
home, and when the ladies had withdrawn
.ro IN the dinner-tab he acquainted his visitor
with his knowledge of the fraud. Alarm was
Gon will not make this public, Mr.. Bacon 20
be asked.
Not if you return me the money now and
'ere."
'.But lost Ct 900 last night at Crockfcri's,
and have not the power"
"well," said the merchant, "return me then
$4,000, and, though allittleeXceed my instruc-
tons, / will nevertheless give you back $500"
any uncle is very good remarked the
Young man, and he forthwith handed fro m his
pocket ook nine II 200 notes to his host"
81 cannot change one of these" said Mr..
Bacon;"wil not my check do as well?'
Quite" replied the German; and, having
received the 300 check, hastily left.
The following morning, Mr.. Bacon went to
lis banker to pay in the notes, and found to his
surprise that they were all counterfeits. His
next inquiry was after his check, but that was
already cashed. He then telegraphed to his
Hamburg correspondent, and learned that he
was profoundly ignorant about the whole affair.
II was as adroit fraud as was ever plotted.
The following notice appeared in the Times of
son the 18th instant 61O were paid into the
bank. for which the clerk, as usual, gave ticket
10 receive bank note of equal value. This
ticket ought to have been carried Immediately
10 the cashier, instead of which the bearer took
it away, curiously added an to the original
sum, and presented to the cashier note of
900. In the evening the clerk found q deci-
ency in the accounts; and, on examining the
tickets of the day, not only that, but two Others
were discovered to have been obtained in the
same manner. In the one the figure was al
tered to 4, and in another to 5, by which the
artist received near / .00n."
During the hurry attendan. upon procla-
nation made in front of the Royal Exchange
one day last winter, when the gorgeous costume
OF the herald, and the caparisOns of the horses,
ma the proud bearing of garter at arms, and
he sound Of martial music, and the reports Of
the Tower artillery, and the noise of trumpets,
arrested attention, fourteen forged notes of ESQ
each were presented at the office and cash paid
LOT them. or course there was no possible Way
Of discovering from whence they came.
These cases are outside OF othSr classes OF for
geres to which the Bank of England is pecu-
liarly liable-of powers OF attorney, by which
fauntleroy defrauded the bank of f360-of
checks, Of exchange bills, and of other Govern
ment debentures. Taking the amount OF paper
IN circulation in this country and England, we
believe the comparative loss from forgeries
alone TO be greater than here.
SAND AND Mud BATHs.-Baths of sand or
mud have had q reputation, more or less de-
served, tor centuries and at the present day
are employ ed to considerable extent in differ
ent parts OF the world. By the former the in
habitants OF the shores OF the Mediterranean
expect to cure their rheumatic and scrofulous
troubles. The process of taking this 80 cure -
is very simple; the patient buries himself
almost completely in the hot, dry sand, and
remains thus, some time after profuse per-
spiraton has broken out the Precipitation is
soon followed by rash upon the skin. which
subsidies III a few days. The little benefit aris-
ing from this cure is due in the main to the
sweating, which frees the blood from impuri-
ties through the pores of the skin, which
latter is locally irritated and excited to
greater action by direct contact OF the sand.
But the latter. the mud baths. SO popular on
the continent of Europe, among which those
OF Strasburg, Franxenband, and Marienbad in