Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-01-15
printim. Five Million Dollars.

SIOh4 Or TIE LATE CONFEDEkACG.
Shortly after the Cotton States troops
commenced tbeir influx 70 Virginia, a
Treasury Department was established at
r camond At that time the currency.
outside Of god and silver, consisted OF
state and stock banks, which was found
insufficient to supply the demand Of the ac-
cumu aung armies Of nearly four hundred
thousand men. Richmond being the head
quarters OF the rising Confederacy, it Wa :
selected by the leading men Of the rebel
lion as the most suitable Q ,ace for the issu-
ance Of their currency.
In the Treasury Department there was
employed a man by the name OF Elan, a
compostor He was shrewd and trick y
fellow, as the sequel will prove.
After rejecting on the great opportunity
he had Of becoming millionaire, he deter
mined to strike oft large amount Of this
money. No precautionary measures were
taken in regard to this establishment, as
all seemed to be engrossed in the further
Ing Of southern independence. Bu.
while EIam was patriotic IN the cause, be
had an eye also to business So one
night he concluded that the opportune mo
mcnt was at hand for carrying OUT hld de
sign. Walking along the street, he mel
and accosted a man who went by the name
Of " Napoleon" divulging the object in
view, and Offering an equal partnership in
the great scheme he had concoctcd His
assistant was torelgner-a native Of
PoIand-and was nick-named Napol-
con from facial resemblance to the
picture OF the then Emperor of the
Freuch.
Perhaps there never was period, in
either ancient or modern times, that offered
ike occasion for the possession of such
wondrous wealth, considering the slight
RISK to run and the small amount of labor
performed in It's achievement Not even
Snbad the Sailor, in his most successful
voyages. ever met with such thrilling ad-
venture as fell TO the lot of these two
men.
Between nine and ten o'clock they en-.
tered the Treasury building by back
window, and taking the cuts" from the
denomination of So up to $1,000, they
placed them on the press and printed
off FIVE million dollars. The bonds were
printed on kind of thick white paper,
with no impression on the back Of the bills
There was no more difficulty iu printing
them that there was in printing a common
business card. Alter dividing the funds
and washing the cuts" aud placing
them in their proper places, they left the
house in the manner they had entered it,
going to their respective abodes no doubt
In the highest glee of exhilaration, for at
that time Confederat bends were eouiya-
lent to gold and silver, ard in some Of the
CDt tton States commanded premium.
The issue was then being signed by
young and there were more than hun
dred 50 employed. Elan had lady ac-
quantance or two In this department, and
by this means he had his own and his part
ner's bonds signed- After remaining
few days, he and one of the oung ladies
went GU visit to Lynchburg, little dream
ing OF the denouemeM which was so short
ly to follow.
" Napoleon," feeling richer than his
namesake, took one of the young ladies to
jewe rr's and bought her an outfit of jew
elry, rendering hundred dollar bill
IN payment, for which he received in
change about sixty dollars mostly in gold
and silver. Next door he purchased, ID
dry goods house, silk dress and other
articles, and here rendered another hum
dred dollar bill. Late that evening the
two merchants happened TO come out on
the pavement at the same time, and one
spoke to the other In relation to business
fairs, The jewelry merchant said times
"ere flush, and that he had received
undred dollar bill OF the new currency.
The dry goods merchant said he, too, had
taken In enc Of the same denomin .tion.
After short parley, describing the party
hat had passed the bills, the dry goois
merchant felt convinced that something
was wrong. He took the bills to the
Treasury, and submitted them to the
scrutiny of the Superintendent, who ex.
amined and pronounced them genuine.
But here must mention the fact that