Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-04-17
william =. Gray, Forger.
AN EX-w AsHINGTONIANw WHO Is PRI
ONER IN LONDON.

"
ONER IN LONDON.
A telegraph message was received from
London recently saying that VIM. =. GRAY,
the wall street forgeT, had been examined
III The Bow Street Police Court and remandei
for eXtIadition. His solicitor asked for his
discharge, saying that he had been 10 tue
United States several times since the forge
rieS, and bad been unmolested. Grayis ope-
Tations vos on two continents. Captain
Thomas Sampson, The detective OF the Stock
Exchange. says:-"The first I knew any,
thing Of Gray was in 1868 One day : 1 900
registered governments we're received a, the
sub treasury from Jay Cooke a Co for re-
demption. The bonds had been stolen and
the names altered, and caveats hal been
Cooke told me that he got them from Wm
r. Gray, broker al a. Broad street. Gray
said that he had taken them from a
man who had departed for Honduras. I
doubted his story, but had no evil
dence on which 10 arrest him. He gave
me ten good bonds. When I imparteI INV
suspicious To Sub Treasurer Van Dyck he
exclaimed, Tom, il can't be. You are mis-.
taken. Why, be is the son OF the CHAPLAIN
OF the United States Senate. Some OF the
boys in the Office went 10 college with him
In the fall and early winter OF 1863 Gray Dor
rowed $4,000 from several rich banking
houses on New York bounty loan certir-
cafes. each OF which he had raised from
$1,000 TO $4,000. He fled TO London with the
money, also taking with him a quarter OF a
million in registered bonds that had been
stolen ard altered. In London he was known
as James Payne Morgan. He had forged
letters from L. 5. Senators, and ne used
these as an IL troduction into society. His
whole desire was 10 swindle. IL is said hat
he spent over 100000 in making presents,
and ne gave the British nobility The impress
sion that he was the possessor of immense
wealth In this country. He kept a stud OF
American horses, and on several occasions
he got up sleighing parties and had the Duke
OF Edinburgh TO accompany him. After he
had been In London about a year and had
successfully established himself, an oppoTtu-
Bity occurred for him 10 get rid of the
SEQ, 900 in stolen and forged United States
registered bonds that he took from here.
MIR. Chatteris, an opulent Londoner, Invited
cray 10 become partner with his son in
banking, each partner 10 invest $3.50 600.
Gray consented. Young Chatteris nut
$4,000 in gold into the firm, and Gray used
the stolen and forged bonds TO represent his
share OF the capital The money of young
Chatttris was squandered by Gray within a
year from the starting OF the firm. i arrived
IN London in ISG2 with mandate for Gray.
Two secret service officers OF the Treasury
mad been over after him before / went. but
they failed 10 get him. l found him living
IN Sly lie in Upper Bloomsbury square, oppo-
site TO Dickens house. An English officer
arrested him, but was frightened by his lofty
bearing, and let him escape. supposiug that
he bad made mistake. He led TO the Con-
tinent, and heard that he engaged in gold
mine swindle there, and victimized large
number of bankers on the Hague. He APP
name of DR.. Francis W. Coletzo, and subSe-
quently returned to London. understand
that all his money is gone"
Gray is q tall man OF elegant address and
has light complexion, hair and moustachs.
He is the son OF the Rev. DIR. Edward II.
Gray, who was Chaplain OF the United
States Senate from 1861 10 ls69.-IN Y
SIN, 18Th.