San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-08-03
The Romance of a FOrger.

rived at New York yesterday, at the end
OF nearly nine years. chase by the most
expert detectives of the large cities of
the world. His father, Rev. DR.. i. II.
Gray, formerly preached at Shelburne
Falls, and was for eight years chaplain
of the United States Senate, and the son
had every incentive to lead a respecta-
bic life. After leaving college he was
clerk in the Treasury Department at
Washington until 1866, when he volun-
tarily resigned. The next year he went
to New York armed with letters of rec
ommendation from Gen. Butler, Sena-
tors Fessenden and Morrill, and other
dignitaries. He was then 2S, a fine
young fellow of correct habits, who
passed as a model Of virtue. Learning
the secrets of stock brokerage with A.
w. Dimock & Co., he was soon in bust
ness for himself, and at once began his
adroit villainies. He dealt in stolen
bonds, and his fathers purse had to re-
lease him from Ludlow Street Jail,
family influence covering up other swim
dies from the public knowledge.
In November of 1869 Gray gave out
that he expected legacy of $4,000
from rich aunt, and, on the strength
of this and $40, 900 ready cash he claim
ed to have, he launched out in grand
style as a heavy operator at A Broad
street, afterward occupied by Woodruff
& Clahin. He. sailed under the firm
name of w. E. Gray & Co., his partners
being unsupported rogues like himself,
and they made Quartz Hill mining stock
cover for their frauds. The gang got
hold of stolen New York State bounty
loan certificates, United States bonds
and some stocks, and, raising the GER
tiicates, they borrowed money on them
and on the bonds, through reputable
broker, of nearly every lender in the
city. At the very start Gray nearly
ended his career by borrowing from Jay
Cooke & Co., on spurious Government
bonds, but, as he replaced them with
genuine bonds and carried himself as
an innocent person imposed upon, they
laughed at the detectives suggestion to
arrest one so respectfully connected and
Endorsed. In December, however, a
suspicious cashier discovered that the
bounty loan certificates were forgeries,
though the president and cashier of the
Manhattan bank declared that they
were as good as gold. Gray was SO
cool and told so plausible a story, when
confronted with the facts, that he was
not taken into custody. Next day he
disappeared, leaving eight firms $780,
900 out, and, after hiding in the city for
week, he left the country, and nothing
was heard of him for two years.
During that time he was lording it
magniicently in England as James 2.
Morgan, nephew Of George. Peabody,
the millionaire philanthropist. With
forged letters of introduction from Unit
ed States Senators and other men of
distinction, he entered the higest circles
of society, and lavished money right and
left, driving four black imported Amer
lean horses and dressing magniticently
At a dinner given the niece of Baron
Rothschild, the rich young American
made speech on finance that astonish-
ed the moneyed magnates, and there was
no art of fashionable society he was not
an expert in. He was intimate with the
Duke of Edinburgh, and he might appa-
rently have imposed on the English no.
bility indefinitely if his money had not
failed. At that time London banker
named Chatteris got Morgan to go into
partnership with his son. The boy was
soon short f15,00O. Spurious United
States bonds carried the information to
New York officers that this was the old
offender Gray, and they crossed over to
arrest him. He was too sharp for them,
however, and, after failing to sell n
mythical Colorado silver mine at The
Hague, he turned up at Paris as DIR.
Collesto the oculist. Being recognized,
DIR. Collesto sailed for this country to
escape extradition from France, and af-
ter swindling for time at Galveston,
Tex, he returned to London and got
500, goo on copper mine some one else
owned.
It was when The last fraud was dis
closed in 1876, after Gray was arrested,
that the English Government refused to
surrender him, with Winslow and Brent,
the Louisville forger, because Secretary