Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1874-08-08
RecOllectiOns of John Mar
tin,

RecOllectiOns of John Mar
tin,
ONE OF THE EARLY sErfLERs OF BRADFORD.
John Martin, for many years fa.
miliarly known by the name of
Devil John, (pefhaps to distinguish
him from another John Martin call.
ed Boxum John) was born in COTS.
town, N. H., about the year 1874.
This was then a frontier town. The
Redskins were prowling about the
region where the days of his child
hood were spent; and the report OF
horrible massacres and dOleful cap
tivities we're the early lessons which
young Martin learned of human no.
ture. The principles of moral rec
titude had found no place in his
mind and it was'no strange that
his education was, at least, but a
small remove from savage life. He
was naturally possessed Of considera-
BILE ingenuity, and the first that we
find of his skill was the making of
counterfeit piastereens from old
Block.tin teapots, by melting them
and mixing with the tin some other
substance, to give it the ring of sill.
YER. He thus supplied himself with
pocket money for q considerable
time. After he became older, we
find him engaged, with others, in
counterfeiting bank bills then in
circulation. Martin had from early
youth, traversed the mountains and
swamps in his hunting expeditions,
and upon a certain mountain he
had discovered alarge and commodi-
ous cave, formed by shelving rocks,
and admitting full day light. This
subsequently, became the place of
their occult operations.
A man, by the name of Sullivan,
came to this country, from England,
and having been educated in the
fine arts, and especially in the art
Of engraving and working the roll
ing press, he formed the idea of
counterfeiting the bills of a certain
Bank, which were then in circula.
ton. He communicated his design
to several persons, and formed
company of sufficient number to
carry on the business. John Mar.
tin was one Of the company, and
his mechanical genius was highly
valued by Sullivan the leader
Perfect secrecy was necessary in
the matter, and a place must be
found, where no human being would
be likely to 60 except those engag-
ed in the enterprise. Martins
knowledge of the cave on the noun
tain now furnished them with
suitable place, and thither they
transported the necessary appara-
tus for accomplishing their favorite
object. Sullivan had engraved the
plate before they went up; so that
having arranged the press, and 9th.
er things, necessary, they struck off
their bills with such accuracy, that
they were not detected by the best
judges of currency; and they were
received, even by the Banks to
which they we're offered. do not
recollect how long they pursued
this business together; but after a
time, Sullivan left them, with the
plate and the apparatus neces-
sary for continuing the business,
and went back to England and
engaged in a similar business /;
that of counterfeiting the Kings
coin. In about a year from this,
I think, as Martin related the story,
they were together again in the
cave, busily at work, when they
were surprised, and affrighted, not
by the appearance Of armed sava-
ges upon them, but by the wellknown
voice of Sullivan, singing a favorite
song which he had often sung when
with them. They searched every
part of the cave aud the grounds
around it, but nothing could be
found of any human being. Martin
said the voice seemed to proceed
from the rock, as if it were in it.
They were thus left in mystery and
wonder as to what it could be. In
process of time, however, they re-
ceived intelligence from England,
that on the same day in which they
heard the mysterious song in the
rock, Sullivan was executed in Eng
land for counterfeiting. They then
believed it was his ghost which they
had heard singing the song. John
Martin was at that time, tall ath-