Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-02-05
A CONVICTED MILLIONAIRE.

CONN lC1ED VI NllILlO-NAlhE.
The following account is given of Benon
Howard, recently convicted Of counter tcl'lng
in New York:
A few years ago Howard ranked as the !iarge>
aud richest match manufacturer in the Cnlte'
States. He employed small regiment OF work
men in his factory IN New I ork, aud lived IL
s,yla un town, la the course or his business ht
n,;j the Internal Revenue Department, al
Washington nearly 500, ,OUO Tor onc-cent stamp:
m use on bis match boxes. In 1889 he became
involved in suit with the revenue agents, wht
suspected him of not using stamps on all III
uatches. The seizure of his establishment was
the beginning of his downfall.
In February, 1870, he was arrested as coun
terteiter Col. Whitley had previously hearC
of the finding of a revenue plate ou Staten Is
land, aud had therefore detailed officers to get
il Two days after it came into his possession,
John Ripou, an eugravcr, called at his head
uuarters an announced that he had confession
to make in regard to the plate. tie SAID that
he had heard that the plate had been seized,
and consulted his lawyer, Colouel lIrhard on
whose advice he Was there to tell what hc knew
about 1t. :, ;,
RipoD's story was a marvellous one He said
thai Howard was introduced to him III 1868,
and made a culnpant with him for the engrav
;np Ola plate for printing his match stamps.
He offered to pay all his expenses, aud give
lIm half the value of the stamps printed from
,, Mate. The engraving was done by Hart
|, Pierce, who had been fellow workman with
Ripop, IN Tiffany jewelry store, and was more
skilf than he. Over $1,000 Was spent
in ye,tiug it up. After it was finished Howard
purchased printing press and pertoratlng
machine for pcrforatng the stamps, for which
Lr "aii several thousand dollars The ma
chincry was moved to the cottage OF Rpon, 10
,;n,. ..1ylrons of Brooklyn, and the work OF
printing begun. The only person who was
i,riyy 10 the conspiracy besides the two epgrav-
rr, and Howard was a son OF the latter
All four were pledged to keep the secret
and moi to tell even their wives. lhe lm-
prrssi3Is trom the plate were so gooI as
easily to pass for the genuine stamps. Every
week Howard visited Ripon tor supply OF
the stamps, which he carried away 10 rolls to
Nj, factory under cover OF darkness. At the
end Of six mouths Howard took alarm tlom the
proceedings against him by the revenue au-
thorillcS, aud decided to remove the presses
Sud ,-talc plates 10 more retired spot. Inc
officers had no knowledge OF his operations at
the time. The machinery was taken 10 a hSh-
;,r smack to a summer house belonging to
Howard, on Stalen Island, near Princess Bay.
Kinon having been established here, soon re-
sumed the printing. Howard's demand Tor
the stamps fell off, however; after his compil-
cation with the revenue officers, and at length
he almost ceased to print any. RHpon then
sought chance to err -. sklll III other
chauuels, aud ..~d negotiations with some
mapuiac. -,ers in New Jersey, who wanted
patcs engraved The latter were arrested De,
lore they had time to perfect their pans:- aud
this so frightened Ripon that he cast the How
ard plate into Princess Bay. He felt easier at
trrwards, as he thought he had seen the last
ofit
Several months elapsed, and John Slower, a
fisherman, while dredging the bay one alter
noon Tor oysters, spied the plate ID the water
1t was lying near the shore, and he easily haul
Ell it near the surface. He thought it would
be good for mendng his stove, but on his way
hume some of the verdigrs which was on the
plate was accidentally scraped OF, and ne ascer-
tanned that it was not a piece OF iron, as ne
had supposed He examined it more closely
and saw the words B. & f. d. Howard 10 sew
oral nIaces He changed his mind about the
use Of the plate, and on reaching home he
thrrw il into an clubhouse. A number OF his
nelyhbors got wind of what he had found,
and called to look at it. Ripon also heard OF
il and hurried to inform Howard. The latt
went 10 a friend named Lyon, who lived at
Princess Bay, and told him that he would give
SIS for the plate Lyon promised to get 1t,
but before be could do so Col. Whitley learned
OF the plates existence, and took 1t from Stov-
er whom he arrested on suspicion. Howard
and Pearce were appreheuded three days after
R,pon made his disclosures
lAvA FIELDS WEST OF THE Rocky Noun
TAINs-Prof. LIE Conte, OF the California
State University. considers the Cascade noun
tain regions one of the most interesting fields
for geological research on the earth. ln CON
nectlon with the great overflow of lava which
dcIugcd the territories OF the Northwest: i1
past ages the Professor says: The principal
point of eruption irom the great central cald-
ron was al the Cascade mountains, IN Oregan,
which are Of themselves one solid mass OF lava.