The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-10-19
Ths Ball&tin.


"Reminiscences OF the f0rner Cooper
A naval officer stationed in San Francis
co gives some "reminiscences OF Willl6m
Cooper, q bri liant forger, recently arrested
In Cincinnati Cooper, who Is man OF
thirty.five years and dressy and dsshins,
was recently married TO q widow OF forty.
i've. They cut q brilliant figure with their
retlaue on the Pacific cost, and finally they
lisappeard and their trail was lost Coop
er had been dashing character in stock
clrelss, AMI soon after his disappearance
from this field OF operations he was wanted
TO explain oriiin irclulariiits viii
boxed hike lorgeries. These crookedtranE
actions caused great c0mmotion on the
stock exchange and In social circles where
the missing Cooper and bis family had been
sliDin, lights, lie gave II out that be left
San Francisco for lake Tahoe, but his tracks
in this direction could not be discovered.
II was soon a.certaIned that he had gone
TO San Jose accompanied by his wife, with
four or five hOrse,,, coupe, carriage, u
hostler, several dogs and numerous eases
OF champagne. The couple and two
friends a nIalo aud le male made the
hoe, proprietor and walters stair by their
extayagance. They fairly bathed in cham
pagine and scattered money in the widest
profusion. Alier two weeks Of such riot
ing they d!sappearj, and then all trace OF
them in California waslost. Since Cooper's
arre,t the oil naval officer has brcshei the
clbwebs oil the tablets VI hi memory and
sees clearly former passage Of Cooper
life history. soms time in 1865 Cooper
CAME into the navy department. asa sl,iO0,
CLERK. He was brilliant young man, and
fond OF dress and display. He wrote u
splendid hand, was competent clerk and
became everybody's favorite. suddenly
In 1867 1t appeared that Pay master Spauld-
Ing was drawing good deal Of money. and
a. suddenly It was ascertained. that Spauld-
ing was really not drawing 1t. Something
was wrong about draft for s15,C 0. At
first no one was further from suspicion
than Cooper. The forged draft was 80 well
executed that it deceived the imputed
maker until ii was examined closely. II
was soon discovered that another acquisi-
ton had been made and paid, and matters
became lively in the department. At
length the draft was ira ed directly TO
Cooper. In the meantime he had been
making matrimonial arrangements. lie
was engaged to a daughter off,. Z. Deirees.
the government printer. She was girl OF
seventeen, and bell of Washington. The
wedding was goiDgo on IN great style ~
Washington at the very moment the detect.
ives made the discovery OF Coopsr's forger.
les 10 philadelphia. The couple were mar.
ried and started immediately by train
for Philadelphia, where Cooper Was en-
rested while getting of the cars AZ the sta.
ton. Toe yoang wife was taken, stricken
and faint. TO hotel, and Coop er was putin
irons an conveyed TO the navy yard. lie
Wa convicted ofthe ciimeand sentenced "
| term OF live years'n the Eastern penitenti-
| airy, and served out his time. He was young,
and could stand the slice Of lite thus hewed
OF. The young wife finally recovered from
the shock, and had her marriage annulled
ontae ground Of fraud and non.consumma.
ton. Cooper is older now, but has learned
nothing from experience, and has not such
wide m argin Of years rs he had in 1867. i.