The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-12-24
WHOLE No. $50.
A A Talk with q Convict in the
Z. Ohio Penitentiary.
Co1uMpus. Dec. l2th. ls74
.Ondence of the Warren Chronicle.

& EDITOR CHRONICLE :-HaYing an
hour of leisure the other day, l went
down to the penitentiary, as some
times do, to take glance at the men
w no are working for the State; aud
whilst there this Warden, Col. Innis,
called my attention to an engraving
the buildings and
grounds OF the Institution, which he
was having made to be bound with
his Forthcoming report for 1874. The
picture was asteel plate engraving, of
such exquisite workmanship that it
at once arrested my attention.
i5 .srhis must have cost you considera-
ble H'' said to the Warden. d3a5
/ a0h, nO," replied the Colonel, with
the work of q convict"
: 'eDo you mean to say that you have
q aconVict here y 40 can do such work p
L asked in surprise. ''Why tho 9lnsh
who did that could engrave counter
bankers IN Ohio Will you let me
yea" answered the Warden,
lagghingIy. III gness 4. can trust You,
t19 59t We don't Don't let every visitor soc
NAAIAS1s
GsAstfhy not?" + asked sfi is .t9ss
.isSOh, he's a valuable convict, and the
cOunterfeiters arp striving hard TO get
him cut. Wonld you believe it, they
bribed two of cur guards with 5000
to let Charley out; but one iOfnthen
blowed andI il fell thrOugh.g9 Come
this way aud you can see him. il sa3
tn / followed the Warden across the
yard and up into the second story of a
rear building. aniyad IoE .bayogq
.gasHere's visitor from the Capitol,
Charley said the Warden. o '.He
wants to see the man who made nay
picture. Perhaps you had betterskeep
anRyeq on him, however, on he smight
pocket some of your tools,1 added the
WsrdeH, with an audible smileshI h.
81 d,Charleys who had3be sitting atdhis
table engaged ina his work, as we ep-
tered, get uP, and received as. quietly /;
he then sat down and waited further
Developments. al Hal lBd 2Iaai tnEl
si'f Have you any objections to talking
with Inel7~ asked. .3aqosi yaan&d tsgn
r. 9TfCertainly not,D he responded. 81
am, glad TO see any one cares enough
to a enquire for me. ITS lonesome
Ienoughi here. But 1 do not recognize
yon, sir.p .ssaa.q 5g5nimoYq szBd
5't.YOu never saw me before" 8I ans
lwered. SIT was yonri engraving that
aroused my7curiOsity to- see you. i
call myself .. pretty, good judge of
money, but I'm afraid you; could de
,eeiye me- I.presume. you were sent
up for counterfeiting ?" i, safft,as.ss3ss
ayes, that's what, did il" .,....,s.
= tssY our name is what 2" -.
"Charles 9UIrich. / am . German"
"You are no ordinary workman,
Mr.. Ulrich," added. "YOur talents
are of the highest order. l spent a
day once with an officer of the United
States Government in inspecting the
engraving and printing of government
bonds and money, and | verify believe
you can equal anything saw there"
IN The prisoners eyes twinkled aud
his face lighted up in second as he
said
2. al was in the employ of the Govern
ment tor long time. There was no
one could beat me ON portraits. II
was after ! got through there that ]
got into trouble" 4.
ssSee here. Charley" said I. "Yonr
case must be 3 peculiar one. Have
yOuany objections to telling me about
it 2" stisr, sI...f uss
81 guess not" i" said he. "You must
care Something for n poor devil, or
/ you wouldn't have come to see me.
Besides, we're both public sservants
Just now," he continued, with q sly
wink of his bright blue eye, sand I'll
tell you all about it."
"You will confer q great favor if
you will do so,p said 1. a.hua
"Well.lI i got 3 big salary when !
worked for Uncle Sam, but them was
war times aud money was flush. When
the Government got through issuing
its green backs and bonds there wasn't
work enough for all Ofus;shd i left
Ny work was mostly on portraits. and
| did II well-there's no denying that.
If 1 do say it 'Inyself. Engraving is
slow york. We each take \ certain
part OF bill and engrave that. The
plAte7isnt one piece. It's done up in
i've or six parts and then they are put
together. did up the portraits m ost-
+ iys though 4 can do every part when
HhaKe time enough. Sol 9tTIt3 3ae
"Well, az soon as l left the Govern
ment employ, in fact before it, certain
persons began to tamper with me to
work for them on counterfeiting. l
held out two years and always said no.
l didn't want to to be dishonest, but
they wouldn't take any refusal. You
don't know how they dogged me.
After while1I consented to iengrave
for them. That's where missed it.
Yes. we all miss it some time in our
lives, and that W as where I made my
mistake. But they offered big induce
IlleRts and-weIl agreed to " Wotk for
them. Bat l. knew that the govern
ment officers would tell my work as
soon as any suspicion was raised. So
| L gave out that l was going to Ger
many, and went 10 New York and
bought aiticket and sold it 10 "a chap
who assumed my name ami went i'll
my place. ......
"But didn't go. Instead OF that ]
went TO Cincinnati aud remained
secreted until my arrangements were
Icompleted, and Then Invent to farm
house ten miles out aud there | did
| my engraving.
.!i 'eIa engraved fivellwenfy bonds, and
icompohnd interest notes, and othree
$l00 national currency bills, oneson q
Boston bank, one on New Y ork and
| one on Cincinnati bank. This was a
BIG job, but it netted me considerable
/ bought property ia PhiIadeIphia aud
fdsedediit to my wife. It5is now
worth $4,000. That was the counter.
| feiting done" ....--..
"Hsve you any other property
I Charley, 2" 1 asked him. ta-.tlsG -.i1
5 mo. l had some, but the Govern
ment cOntiscated it when / was arrest.
ed"
"Ahl Well tell me how they come
to catch you, Charley ?" said 1.
tFEhe men who employed me didnl
do just right" said he. "They showed
some money and it fooled verybody
This made them reckless, and they
/ pushed out more and sold the bonds
aMd interest notes so fast that it raised
the devil. The Treasury Department
got excited aud everything was on cal
right away. They ought not to have
put out the bonds, notes and money
all at once. Ii they had showed the
bonds and waited until the excitement
about them was over, then they could
have showed the othors but the fooli