The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-01-26
4 MILLIONAIEE CRUSHED.
The Counterfeit Plate that ain Gys-
tcrman Found.

Benoni Howard, the once wealthy New
England Quaker, convicted of procuring
the engraving of a counterfeit revenue
plate, and was first tried in May, 1873
but the jury disagreed. His second trial
was begun before Judge Benedict on the
Sth inst, and occupied eleven days. An
army Of witnesses testified against him.
The case was ably conducted on both sides.
lie was defended by eX-Judgc Fullerton
and three associate counsel.
A few years ago Howard ranked as the
largest and richest match manufacturer in
the United States, He employed Il small
regiment of workmen il his factory in
New York, and lived in style up town. In
The course Of his business he paid The In
ternal Revenue Department at Washington
nearly 100000 for one cent stamps to use
on his match boxes. In 1869 he became
involved in II suit with the revenue agents
in Supervisors butchers officers. who sls-
pcctcd him of not using stamps on al his
matches The seizure Of bis establishment
Was the beginning Of his downfall.
ARRESTED As \ ooUNTERFEITER.
Ia February, 1870. he was arrested by
Col Whitley of the Secret Service Corps
~ Il couutcrfeitcr. Col. Whitley had pre-
riuu~ly heard OF the finding OF a revenue
plate on Staten Island, and had therefore
detailed officers to get 1t. Two days after
II came mo his possession. John Ripon,
lu cngHycr. called at his headquarters and
announced that he had confession TO
make IN regard To the plate lie 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 it.
RipOn's story was marvellous one. lie
said that Howard was introduced to him in
1868, and made Il compact with him for the
engraving of a plate for printing his match
stamps. lie offered to pay all his expenses
and give him half the value Of the stamps
printed from the plate. The engraving
was done by Hart l.. Pierce, who had been
fellow workman with Ripon in Tiilany's
lewclry store and was more sllilllul than
he. Over $4,000 was spent in getting it
up. After it was finished Howard pur-
chased printing press aud a perforating
machine for separating the stamps tor
which he paid several thousand dollars.
The machinery was moved to the cottage
of Ripon in the environs of Brooklyn, and
the work Of printing begun. The only
persons who were privy to the conspiracy
besides the two engravers and Howard was
Il son of the latter. All four were pledged
to keep the most
RIGID SECRECY,
and not to tell even their wives. The i'm
prcssions from the plate were SO good as
easily to pass for genuine stamps Every
week Howard visited ltpon for a supply of
the stamps, which he carried away in rolls
to his factory under cover of darkness.
At the end of six months Howard took
alarm from the proceedings against him by
the revenue authorities and decided to re-
move the presses and tell-tale plate to q
retired spot. The officers had no knowl-
edge of his operations at the time. The
machinery was taken in fishing smack to
a summer house belonging to Howard on
Staten Island, near Princess Bay Ripon
having been established here, soon resumed
the printing Towards demand for the
stamps fell off, however, after his compli-
cations with the revenue officers, and at
length no almost ceased 10 print any.