New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-01-12
grlI ting Pivs Million Dollars-A Trze
Story of the Late Confederacys

| The story / am going to relate occurred
! in 1861 1t owes its origin to the great wa,
! that then took place, and, like many OtheS
! interesting episodes, has never been pub.
! lshed. The facts were learned several
! wears ago, narrated by persons then resid-
ing in Richmond, and, although in minor
| details there may be slight inaccuracies, in
J She main the story is true.
! Shortly after the cotton States troops
| commenced their influx into Virginia, q
1 treasury department was established at
| Richmond. At that time the currency, out
| side of gold and silver, consisted of State
and stock banks, which was found INSULT
cient to supply the demand Of the accumu.
lating armies of nearly 100000 men. Rich
mOnd beiE 7 the headquarters of the rising
| coniederacy, it was selected by the leading
men of the rebellion as the most suitable
| place for the issuance Of their national cur
| gency.
! In the Treasury Department there %as
employed man by the name of Elan, &
composition. He was a shrewd and trick Y
| fellow. as the sequel will prove.
After rejecting upon the great opportu-
| nifty he had of becoming e millionaire, he
| determined to strike off q large amour: of
| this money! No precautionary meas urss
| were taken il regard to this establishment,
| as all seemed engrossed in the furtkering of
| Southern independence. But while Elan
was patriotic !n the cause, he had an eye
also to business. So one night he concluded
that she opportune moment was at hand for
carrying out his design, Walking along
the street, he met and accosted o man who
! went by the name Of ''Napole0n," divulging
the object in view. and offering an equal
partnership in the great scheme he had con-
Goctedo His assistant was foreigner u
native of Poland, and was nicknamed ma
poleon" from facial resemblance to the
picture of the then Emperor of the French
Perhaps there never was period il
either ancient or modern times that offered
a like occasion for the possession OF such
w0ndrOus wealth, considering the slight
risk 80 sun and the small am0u&t of labor
performed III its achievement. Not even
'Sinbad, the Sailor" in his most successful
voyages, ever met with such thrilling adj
ventures as Tell to the lot of these two men.
Between nine and ten o'clock they en-
tered the treasury building by back win.
dow, and taking the "cuts" from the de
nomination Of s.. up 90 $1,000, they placed
them on the press and printed OFF s. 0G0, 900.
The bonds " ere prinies, on > kind of thicks
white paper. with 40 IMPRESSION the back
of the bills. There vac sO more difficulty
liz printing shcm 80. tAcse would have
been IN printing 5. CG.nSucS business card.
Alter dividing the funds and wash!n. the
cuts" and placing then ~ shes p.ope.
places. tuSs iCiC Itle mousse tH SUc sAaf] neg
they aaS entered it, going to their RESPECTIVE
scodes. no doubt is he highest giee o! -
hilaration. Cor az tina. time Confederate
bonds were equivalent 2" gold and silver,
and IN some tie cotton State. Is..fls =.
q premium.
The issue va. then being .i.n.d ~ ye,rns
ladies. and there was NOR. than a hundred
SO employed. ilauI lad q lady scquain-
lance Hr tw" in this department.. and BY
this means he had his own and his partners
bonds signed. After remaining I. fe = DAYS
he and one Of ths ynung !adies ven: on 0
visit 20 l.yacnburg. little Streaming os III.
denOuemeGt which was 3" shortly to follow.
Napoleon" feeling richer than his sazI,.
sake. Took one sf the young laGie. 20 %
iewei:y store sud bought her ar cuff. OF
je.elTY, rendering hundred dollar bill! 70
payment. FOR which he received in change
about $50. mostly in gold and silver Next
door ne purchased, in dry goods house. a
silk d!eas and othe. articles, and here ten
dered another hundred 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 10 relation
to hu.iness affairs. The iewelry merchant
said shines we're fush, and that he had re.
ceiyed hundred dollar bill of the new cur
rency. The dry goods merchant said he,
too, had taken In one of the same denomha.
ti0a. After short parley. describing the