The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1874-04-10
From the Dark Side of New YoIA Llfe.l
~ "0LD SAM"

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HOW A DETECTIVE FOUND HIM OUT,
People who live in the Bowery, Oh
the vicinity Of Hester street, New
York, or who have had occasion to be
much in that locality, will probably
remember q hobbling old man, some
what lame and supporting himself
on o thick stick, who was often to be
seen there on Sundays, as well as
week days, some two years ago. He
was decently dressed, but was only
known as sold Sam He was sup
posed to live in New Jersey, but no
one precisely knew. He was gener-
ally taken for a farmer, or for res
ident in some little outlaying place.
People called him also "Lame Sam, .
and whoever heard his quiet mode Of
speaking, and saw the friendly smile
that was always lighting up his face,
must have taken him for very harm
less man. And whoever met him
on Sundays vending his way to
church with a most devout aspect,
must assuredly have thought that he
was a very good old man, who was
going thither out Of pure piety,
But t"Lame Sam" was very little Of
a saint; on the contrary, he was a
most arrant scoundrel, who, to get
money, was capable Of any wicked
ness and only went to church for
bad motives? In everything he did
he had q dishonest object in view;
and although he was generally con
sidered as a good old man, he was in
truth, nothing else than a acrafty, de-
eeitful scoundYel, and the confeder-
ate Of a notorious forger, burglar and
safe thief named Crosby. gTlV
Sam had been running his evil
course for some years, and had sys-
tematically circulated counterfeit
money wherever occasion had guided
him in his wanderings; a proceeding
which was easy enough to him with
his Seeming honest face, and an as
pect which one would have thought
he could not say "boo to q goose.
And fortune favored him SO well and
so long that he succeeded in accumu-
lating O sum Of money which enabled
him to buy fine farm in Quaker
town, which brought him in a hand
some return.
Sam was always at work, for, the
circulation of counterfeit money con-
tinued to remain his sole occupation.
But he conducted this vile business
SO cautiously, so craftily, and under
such a pious air, that it never occur
red to any one to take him for what
he really was. And so, as he hob
bled about from place to place, he
was always the subject Of q friendly
good word, until one day the chief Of
the United States detective police,
Colonel Whitney, conceived a suspi-
cion against him, and thus the man
who had for SO many years. been
cheating people with false, money be
gan to be watched.
AS before remarked, Sam always
carried a stick, which, as he said, he
could not do without, because he was
SO lame, that he therefore required
strong support. Wherever he was
seen, wherever he went, sitting or
standing he had the stick constantly
in his hand. He never let it go from
him. But one day, the thought oc-
CURED to the detective who was en-
trusted with the case, that there must
be something more about that stick
than at first appeared, and he deter
mined to come at the truth Of it.
About that time there was large
number Of counterfeit notes of vari-
Gus denominations in circulation in
New Jersey, and down as far as Ma
ryland. The detective officer, who
working under the assumed name Of
Rugg, found out that Sam often paid
visits in that direction.
So the officer scraped an acquaint-
ance with Sam. At first meeting him
on the road, he would go with him,
then he very soon took a journey on
the railroad with him, and the two
were constantly in bar-rooms and
beer houses together. He drank and
gossiped with him, and thus the ac-
quaintance grew thicker; at last on
one occasion Sam was observed 10
pass a counterfeit ten dollar bill iifh
hotel, and soon after to repeat the
action in another house.
Now the officer went to work. Sam
was travelling about in New Jersey,
but Rugg was watching him unob-
served; and one day just after Sam
had come out Of a hotel in a country
place, the detective wentin and asked
whether Sam had spent any money
there.
"Yes," answered the landlord,
"ffty cents. He is an old miser-
never stays through the night.
"What money did he give your"
asked Rugg.
"A ten-dollar note"
"May see it?" 10
''Yes, hero. it is, answered the
publican, taking the ltote out Of the
till. .s
"The note is bad" Rugg quietly |
remarked q.s. u
"The devil it is, cried the host.
Nothing but a counterfeit my
friend Not worth cent
damn itp' shouted the publican
and he burst into a torrent Of oa5hs. |
But Rugg whispered to him; Snow
be quiet, my friend, lam de.edtiye.
Leave the rest to me and take care Of
the note till | return. "
Upon this Rugg left him, and GO
ing on the road after Sam, soon I
overlook him.
Sam had just come out Of q store
upon whose proprietor he had played /
a similar game.
MY daughter" said he, as he
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