The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1874-01-29
4 HILLIONAIRE CRUSHED.

A uuLIONAIRE CRUSHED.
rHE COUArERFElrPLATE THAT An
OYDaERMAN POUND.
breed of Wealth that RaineA . Pres.
DePoas Br>.sess Aaa-Dea0al How.
, arA's Hase;.-s and the Internal New.
eooe Tax.
Benoni Howard, the once wealthy New
England Quaker, was Yesterday convicted Of
procuring The engraving Of counterfeit rev
enue plate. He was frst tried in NAY, 1873,
but the jury disagreed. His second trial was
begun before Judge Benedict on the Sth inst.
md occupied eleven days. An army Of Wit
nesees testified against him. The case was
IDLY conducted on both sides He was de-
Tended BY ex-Judge Fullerton and three Is
.ociate counsel.
A few yeas ago Howard ranked as the
richest match manufacturer in the United
States. He employed . email regiment of
n IN in his factory and lived In style MP
Town. In the course Of his business he paid
The Internal Revenue Department at WASH
ington nearly 500. QUO for one cent stamps
10 put on his match-boxes. In 1869 he BE-
came involved in suit with the revenue
agents in Supervisor butchers Office, who
suspected him of not using stamps on all his
The seizure Of his Establishment
was the beginning of his downfall.
ARRESTED AS A CoUNTERFEITKR.
In February, 1870, he was arrested BY Col.
Whitley Of the Secret Service Corps Is .
Col. Whitley had previously
heard Of the finding of revenue plate on
Staten Island, and had therefore detailed
officers to get il. Two days after it came
into his possession. John Ripon, an en-
graver, called at his headquarters and an
nounced that he had confession to make in
regard to the plate. He said that he had
heard that the plate had been seized and had
consulted his lawyer, Col. Erhard, on whose
advice he was there to tell what he knew
about il.
Ripon's story was a marvellous one. He
said that Howard was introduced to him in
1868, and made compact with him for the
engraving of plate for printing his match
stamps. He offered to pay all his expensee,
and give him half the value of the stamps
printed from the plate. The engraving was
done by Hart L. Pierce, who had been fel-
low workman with Ripon in Tifany's Jewell
~ et,re, and was more skilful than he.
Over 81, 900 was spent in getting 1t up. AT.
ter it was finished Howard purchased q print.
ing press and perforating machine for sep
arating the stamps, for which he paid several
thousand dollars. The machinery was NOV.
ed to the cottage of Ripon in the snvirone
of Brooklyn, and the work Of printing be.
gun. The only persons Who were privy "a
the conspiracy besides the two engravers and
Howard was q son of the latter. All fouI
we're pledged to keep the most
RIGID SECRECY,
and not tell even their wives. The impres
sions from the plate were 80 good as easily
to pass for the genuine stamps. Every week
Howard visited Ripon for q supply of thu
stamps, under cover of darkness. At thu
end Of Elk months Howard took alarm from
the proceedings against him by the revenue
authorities, and decided to remove the pres
60 and telltale plates to more retired spot.
The officers had no knowledge of his opera
tons at this time. The machinery was Ia
ken in fishing-smack to summer-houst
belonging to Howard OH Staten Island, neal
Princess Bay. Ripon having been estab
lished here, soon resumed the printing
Howard's demand for the stamps fell Oft
however, after his complications with thu
revenue officers, and at length he almost
ceased to print any. Ripon then sought Z
chance to employ his skill in other channels
and opened negotiations with some manu-
facturers in New Jersey who wanted plate,
engraved. The latter were arrested before
they had time to perfect their plans, and thil
30 frightened Ripon that he cast the How
ard plate into Princess Bay. He felt easier
afterwarj, as he thought he had seen thu
last of it,
WHAT AN OYsTERMAN FOUND.
Several months elapsed, and John Slower
a fishermen, while dredging the bay one AZ
ternoOn for oysters, spied the plate in thu
water. 1t was lying near the shore, and h
easily hauled it TO the surface. He thought
it would be good for mending his stove, but
on his way home come Of the verdigris
which was on the plate was accidentally
scraped oil, aud he ascertained that it wsi
not piece of iron, as he had supposed. He
examined it more closely, and saw the words
B. 4 F. d. Howard in several places. He
changed his mind about the use of the plate,
and on reaching home he threw it into an
clubhouse. A number of his neighbors goi
wind of what he had found, and called "a
look at it. Ripon also heard of it, anG has
tened to inform Howard. The latter went
to friend named Lyon, who lived at Prin'
cess Bay, and told him that he would give
SIS for the plate. Lyon promised to get it,
but before he could do 80, Col. Whitley
learned of the plates existence, and took il
from Slower. whom he arrested on suspicion
Howard and Pearce were apprehended three
days after Ripon made his disclosures, and
Pearce was subsequently detained as wit.
ness. The evidence on the trial showed that
Howard bought $4,000 worth Of stamps
from the government wnen he began his
counterfeiting operations, and that he after.
ward pledged them as security for loan. II
was alleged that his purpose in buying them
was to avert suspicion as to his real inten-
tons.
AFTER THE VERDICT.
After his conviction yesterday, Howard,
while on his way from court with Marsh
ais officer, was met by one Of the jurymen,
who said, 'Mr. Howard, am sorry for you,
but We did all We could"
Ies, 30 l see, replied the prisoner.
''The jury doubted your innocence" con-
tinued the juryman, because you did noi
produce your son to testify. His testimony
could have either sustained or rebuited that
of the Government wit aesses. Your failure
to produce him made an unfavorabIe i'm
erosion with u.s."
"How could bring him." answered
Howard. ''He would have been arrested
the minute he was seen here. They have
got an indictment against him to prevent his
coming here"
The prisoner is fifty years old, and is the
brOther-in-law of one Of the gentlemen who
served as his counsel. The maximum pun.
ishment for his offense is fifteen years i'm.
prisonment and SIS, 900. He is to be SEN
fenced by Judge Benedict on Saturday. In
the mean time he is to be kept in cell So in
Ludlow street Jail.
1t is said that his prosecution has cost the
Government over S25, 600. His trial wa
conducted by A. H. Purdy for the Govern
ment.-N. y. Sun.
sMALL.POX IN IOWA.