The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-01-04

[From N. Y. Times. Dec. l9th.l
A NOTED CRIMINAL PARDONED.

A NUIEU ChlMlNlAL fAhUUNEU.
WILLIAM J. Rec, THE NOTORIOUS FORGER,
| PARDONED BY GOV. TILDEN-No REA-
SON GIVEN FOR THE ACT-THE PROSE
CUTTING OFFICERS PUZZLED AND SUR
pRIsED-sCoREs OF THE WORST CRIMI-
NAILS ALSO pARDoNED BY TILDEN.
During the past few mouths many Of the
| most dangerous convicts in the prisons Of
the State have received their pardons at the
hands of Gov. Tilden. Day after day Dis
trict Attorney Phelps has received from Ed
ward Miggael, the Pardon Clerk at Albany,
the announcement that the pardon OF some
OF the most daring criminals has been ap-
piled for, with the customary request for in
formation in rela ton to their respective
cases. Well-known thieves, burglars. for
gers, incendiaries, and swindlers have been
set loose upon the community, and are now,
in all probability, plying their old trades.
The power which aas proved potent to effect
this wholesale cleaning out OF the Auburn
and Sing Sing Prisons is to the law-abiding
public mystery. Some say it is money;
others. political influence. Many of the con-
victs thus pardoned were known to be har-
dened offenders, aud their release was re-
garded by the prosecuting officers who con-
victed them, and the judges who sentenced
them. as an outrage on the administration
of justice. One of the most outrageous Of
these transactions came to light yesterday,
when District Attorney Phelps received a
three-line communication from Pardon Clerk
Miggael, stating that "the Governor had
pardoned William J. Rec, sentenced Feb. Z,
1867 The usual formal courtesy of wri-
ting to the District Attorney, informing him
that the pardon of the prisoner had been ap-
piled for and requesting information in re-
lation to the case had not been complied
with in this Instance, ard the prosecuting
officers had not the faintest idea that any
such steps were being taken, the first indica-
ton being the announcement that the con-
vict was already pardoned. Neither Judge
Gildersleeve, by whom Rec was sentenced,
nor Assistant District Attorney George W.
Lyon, by whom his conviction was secured,
had received any information that pardon
was about to be extended to him, and the
former has written to the Governor for
statement of the grounds on which the par
don was granted.
William J. Rec, who has thus been set
loose on the community again, is one Of the
most accomplished swindlers in this country.
He operated in Wall and Broad streets as a
s'curb-stone' broker, and his transactions
in that sphere are still fresh in the memory
of scores of victims. ne was placed on trial
before Judge Gildersleeve in the Court of
General Sessions on Jan. 81, last, for forging
the signature of L. NJ. Bates & Co., the we'll
known Broadway importers, to notes
amounting to 100000. The case was prose-
| cuted by Assistant District Attorney Lyon,
and after a trial of five days the jury return
ed a verdict of guilty. Rec was sentenced
by Judge Gildersleeye to FIVE years in the
State Prison, and the CORRECTION and SEN
tence we're subsequently affirmed by the
higher courts on appeal. The prisoner was
| therefore removed to Sing Sing, where, as
| will be seen, he only served ten months OF
| his term.
William j. Rec was known as one OF the
most daring and expert swindlers and for
gers in this City, and has had a remarkable
| and checkered career. He is q native OF
Denmark, aged about thilty-fve years, Of
| attrat We appearance, gentlemanly address,
and refined tastes, and is said by his init
mate acquaintance to be a most entertain
| ing conversationalist. He is q member of a
wealthy Hebrew family, and has two broth
ers among the most prominent merchants
of London. He came to this country before
the war, and was the possessor of some
money. His first appearance before the pub
| lie in this City was as the organizer of a file
dressing company, he claiming to.be the in
ventor of a chemical process BY means of
which old files were instantaneously restored
to their original roughness, without the eX-
pensive process of handdressing. He invi-
ted the leading machinists and hardware
merchants of tho City to visit his factory and
inspect his process, and by means Of an in
genious ruse caused them to believe that the
files which they had brought with them to
| test his patent had been operated on by his
chemical process, whereas they had, in fact,
| while their attention was directed elsewhere
by Rec, been made rough by hand labor or
in the old fashioned style. On the favorable
| report of the visitors, Rec received con-
tract from the Government for sharpening
old files, but never received any money, the
/ fraud being detected shortly after. He sue
ceeded, however, in making money in an
other direction. Owing to the favorable re
port OF his factory, he had his stock (all OF
which he issued himself,) put upon the mar
ket and regularly quoted daily. He paid a
few quarterly dividends regularly, and sue
ceeded IN running the stock from $40 to $50
per share, while in reality it was worthless,
and when lie had disposed OF sufficient
quantity at the latter figures, retired from
the concern with fortune OF between three
hundred thousand and four hundred thou
sand dollars. The File Company, of course,
shortly afterward collapsed, and Rec spent
his ill-gotten gains in high living and the
| hAoSU OotCAttGlOuS uiSplhJ tt JdLdtOSus lToh
Branch, and other fashionable resorts. He
became acquainted with the wealthy ant
fashionable widow of Commodore Levy
then possessed OF &: fortune of some fou
hundred thousand dollars, and married her
They lived in style, and Rec invested thu
money in his possession in all kinds Of spec
llations. lie carried fabulous sums of mo
ney on his person, and was known to gam
BILE extensively. lie ran through his none.
eventually, and was in rather straitened cir
, cumstances, when, one morning, an aunt 0
his wife was found dead. On opening he
will it was found that Rec was heir to mos
;, of her wealth, but this second fortune h
6 squandered as lie had done the first. II
then became engaged in a number of swim
dies, almost too numerous to mention. Ii
ingratiated himself into the confidence 9
4 Mr.. Moshier, wealthy flrrier, to whom h
} showed an apparently genuine check 70
: 100000, having raised the figures from $500
a his emily deposit in the same bank. B
means of this and other representations h
e swindled Mr.. Moshier out of $4,000. II