Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-12-25

nou occn nh omcer OF the sunday
School of that Society. He never
played at cards, or drank spurious
liquor, or associated with dlsrepu,a.
BILE women At his otiice,in Pine and
William streets Mr.. Gilman speculat
ed in insurance stocks and scrip to a
greater extent than any man in New
York. Ills k2nor in business was
nnquestioned /; yet in October, 1877,
Wall street was startled by the news
that he had ERASED" insurance and
bank stock from few hundred dol !.
lars to amounts aggregating hand.
reds OF thousands. His forgeries
were clumsy, yet his method was
snch as TO escape detection q long
time. When the discovery was made
early in October, 1877 Gilman could
not be found, and his friends believed
be had committed suicide. After
weeks absence he wrote to Recorder
Hackett promising to surrender him
self on October r. He expressed
poignant remorse. He was not ar
rested, tut a, the appointed time he
appeared in the Court OF General
Sessions, before Recorder Hackett.
He pleaded guilty to the charge OF
forgery, and his lawyer read con-
iesslon addressed to his pastor, wife,
and friends.
The substance OF this confession
was that, being trusted with large
sums of money, be began to feel as
1t they were his own, and losing
speculatlons at last led him to crime.
At first be chad thought of adding
SIN to sin by suicide, but at last lie.
solved to meet the crisis meekly and
frankly
Recorder Hacket passed sentence.
and in few days he was sent to
Sing Sing Prison. He was subse.
quently transferred to Auburn Pris-
on. He said at that time that he
would never ask for pardon, but
would serve out the iull sentence.
The remains OF Mrs. Gilman are to
buried from Trinity Episcopal church
in Norwich. He was a native Of
Norwich, and for many years resided
in palatial mansion on Washiu gton
street in the fashionable quarter.
Mr.. Gilman owning large manuactor
les at the time. Alter Mr.. Gilman's
speculations, and his conviction and
sentence, his wife was completely
broken down. Her reason became
deranged, and she spent several
months in the Hartford Conn. Re
treat tor the insane. She partially
regained her reason aud came TO
Norwich TO live. Despite the efforts
OF her friends she continued to brood
over her sorrow and her husband s
disgrace. Two young boys aud her
daughter, Bessie Colt, were her com
pauions. About three weeks ago
Bessie, who was an exceedingly
bright and vivacious gill OF fourteen,
was taken strangely i'll, and died at
ter a short illness. This second blow
was fatal to Mrs. Gilman. For many
days her reason was despaired OF.
Soon after the burial of Bessie the
mother insisted on a visit to her bus
band in Auburn State Prison, al
though mentally and bodily unfit for
the undertaking. 10 this city she
met friend who accompanied her to
Auburn. On her way home, Mrs.
Gilman stopped at Albany, and plead
ed with Governor Robinson tor Der
husbands pardon. The Governor
was obdurate in denying her request.
Mrs Gilman reached her home com.
pletely Frustrated. She had not
closed her eyes in sleep for over a
week. 1t is said that she repeated
her visit to Governor Robinson few
days later, and met with second
disappointment. On last Saturday
night she broke down. She fell into
stupor and remained in a ,comatose
state until Monday. Her friends
endeavored to arouse her Monday
morning in vain In the afternoon
Miss Sarah Young called and ap.
preached her bedside. The dying
woman opened her eyes, smiled, and
greeted her visitor The young lady
approached nearer. Then the sick
woman closed her eyes with a weary
smile and died without struggle
Yesterday Miss Maria Gilman, the
dead woman's sister in law, went to
Albany in company with the husband
of William G. Giman's wife's sister,
and pleaded with Governor Robin
son for the forgers pardon. The Gov.
ernor was unable to resist the pa
thetlc appeal and this afternoon Miss
Gilman teIegraphed friends in Nor
wich. "Willam is pardoned.
Postpone the funeral When the
pardon was taken to Gilman in Au
burn by his sister, he refused to ac-
cept it at first, saying that be wished
to serve out his full sentence. After
long pleading, he was prevailed up
on to leave the Jail.