Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-07-30
The Millionaire FOrger.
From the Virginia City Enterprise

From the Virginia City Enterprise.l
The recent action of the California
Legislature in condoning the offenses of
the millionaire forger and robber,
Harry Meiggs, has led to an overhaul
ing of the files of old journals in order
to ascertain the exact nature of his
crimes. The Sacramento Daily State
Journal, of Oct. IL, 1854 paper
long since extinct-containing the fol-
lowing
The frauds committed by Harry
Meiggs are supposed to amount to two
and a 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, to the amount of $50, 600, was also
forged, and the signatures of different
business houses to notes for over $780,
600 have been forged.
He failed for $500, 900. and owed a
number of bills, which made up in the
aggregate $2,500,000. In his opera
tons he was very shrewd. He took all
classes in his ravenous NAV. From the
highest to the lowest, the rich and the
poor, the washerwoman, the banker,
and the millionaire he paid his re-
spects to all. None were too small for
his accommodating genius, none too
great for his practice. From the bank
ers he borrowed money by giving forged
Comptroller's warrants on the city as
collateral security to double the
amount, and even offered to pledge
them at % 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, bal
lasted her with the spoils of a 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 unmolested,
laughing at his dupes. He left his
family mansion as it was, with its car
pets and paintings, and pencilings and
curtains with its ottomans and tete-a-
tetes, and golden fishes and birds of the
brightest plumage with its servants
perhaps, ana It's wines ana Its
oils and its spices on family excur-
sion 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
went prepared to conquer or purchase
a dukedom. And all this at the ex-
pense of San Francisco business men.
The loss of these men is not regretted
rs much as the manner of losing it. But
still he is poor wanderer on the face
Of the earth, with the brand of Cain
upon his brow. He can have no peace
ais evil deeds will haunt him wherever
le may go. He will be Stunned by so
,iety. With all his ill-gotten wealth he
will find the way of the transgressor .
lard."
And simply because this man has
been successful in investing his 80 5OO,- )
700, which he robbed from others, the
California Legislature, by one sweeping
let, obliterates all the indictments
pending against him. Such legislation
s well calculated to bring the law into ,
for no one will contend that,
had Meiggs been unsuccessful in South
America, there would have been any ,
me in the Legislature of that State to !,
lave drafted an act similar to the one /,
ust passed.