Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-06-30
A MILLIONAIRE FORGER;S RE-
WARE

In October, 1854, the Sacramento
(Cal) State JomnaI-a paper long
since deceased-contained the fol-
lowing:
The frauds committed by Harry
Meiggs are supposed to amount to two
and one-half million dollars. Warrants
on the Treasury Of San Francisco have
been forged to the amount of one
million. Stock Of the California Lum-
Der Company, Of which he was Presi-
dent, 10 the amount of fifty thousand,
was also forged, and the signatures of
different business houses to notes for
over fifty thousand have been forged.
He had failed for eight hundred
thousand, and owed a number of bills,
which made mp In the aggregate two
million five hundred thousand dollars.
In his operations he was very shrewd.
He took all classes IN his ravenous
NAV. From the highest to the lowest,
the rich and the poor. the washer
woman, the banker and the millionaire;
he paid his respects to all. None were
too small for his accommodating geni-
us, none too great for his practice.
From the bankers he borrowed money
by giving forged Comptroller's war
rants ON the city as collateral security
to double the amount, and even offered
to pledge them at twenty-five cents on
the dollar. From the others he raised
money on forged notes on business
firms, and from clerks and mechanics
he borrowed on his word or own note.
His exodus was as remarkable as his
operations He purchased his vessel,
got her cleared by his faithful captain
for ports in the Pacific ballasted her
with the spoils of the city, equal IN
their extent to those Of many nations
in former days; gathered his family
and friends around him, and went
down to the sea- rmmolested, laughing
at his dupes. He left his family y man
sion as it was, with its carpets and
paintings and pencilings and curtains;
with It's ottomans and tete tetes, and
golden fishes and birds of the bright
| est plumage; with its servants unpaid.
perhaps, and its wines and its
oils and its spices, on u
| family excursion to San MateO, as
he said: to far off lands, as his creditors
say. He went prepared for two
years siege. He went prepared for
peace or war; with munitions OF war IN
ample store He wentprepared to con-
quer or purchase dukedom. And all
this at the expense of San Francisco
business men. The loss Of these men
is not regretted as much as the manner
of losing it. But still he is a poor
wanderer on the face Of the earth, with
the brand Of Cain upon his brow. He
can have no peace; his evil deeds will
haunt him wherever he may 60. He
will be Stunned by society. With all
his ill.g0ttan wealth he will find the
way Of the transgressor hard.
This was twenty years ago, Aeiggs
went to South America, launched into
vast railroad enterprises, increased his
millions ten-fold and is now said to be
one OF the richest men in the world.
For him, the path OF the transgressor
has not proven hard; it has Geci3 a
path Of roses from the outset of his
guilty career down to his present hour
Of trump. His case is another illustra-
ton of the truism that novIing sue
oeeds like success. By one sweeping
act the Legislature of California has
obliterated every indictment pend
ing against him. History has
no record Of such extraordinary white
washing; half Z dozen Radical Con-
crosses would not have been equal 10
the task. We live IN an age of big
things; the little is aiono contemplate.
If Meiggs had stolen only few paltry
thousands or 50, the penitentiary would
have besn TOO good for him; forgery
and robbery on colossal scale have
made him illustrious. Alas, for pubic
virtue in thesa daOe nerata daysi