Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1879-11-12
OLD SAM.

People that live 10 the Bowcry, o'
the vicinity OF Hester St., New York
or have had occasion to bo much IL
the locality, will probably remem
Der hobbllng old man, somewhat
lame aud supporting himselfon thick
stick who was often to DO seen there
Sundays as we'll MS on week days, some
two years ago. lie was decently dress
ed but was known as "Old SAM" lie
was supposed to live in New Jersey
but no one precisely knew. lie was
generally taken for farmer or for O
resident in some little outlaying place
lie was called lame Sam also, and
whoever heard his quiet mode Of speak
ing, and saw the friendly smile that
was always lighting up his face, must
have taken him for a very harmless
man. And whoever met him on Sun
days, vending his way to church with
o most devout aspect, must assuredly
thought that he was very good man
who was going thither out Of piety.
But lame Sam was very little OF q
saint. On the contrary, he was IL most
arraut scoundrel, who, to get money,
was capable of any wickuedness, and
and only went for bad motives. In
every thing he did he had dishonest
motive in view. and although he vas
generally considered as a good man,
he was, in truth, nothing else than a
crafty, deceitful scoundrel, and con-
federate Of a notorious forger, burglar
and safe thief named Crosby.
Sam had been running his evil
course for some years, and had sys.
tematicaIly circulated counterfeit
money wherever occasion guided him
proceeding which was easy enough
to him with his seemingly honest face
and an aspect which one would have
thought that he could not say boo to
a goose
Fortune favored him so long and so
we'll, that he succeeded in accnmulat-
ing sum of money which enabled
him to buy fine farm in Quakertown
which brought him a handsome re-
turn.
Sam was always to work, tor the cir
culation of counterfeit money continu-
ed to remain his sole occupation. But
he conducted this vile business 80
cautiously, SO crattily and under such a
pious air, that it never occurred to any
one to take him for what he really
was. And so he hobbled about from
place to place, he was always the sub.
ject Of Il friendly good word, until
one day the chief of tho United States
detective police, Colonel White, con-
ceived a suspicion against him, and
thus the man who had tor 80 many
years been cheating people with false
money began to bs watched.
As before remarked Sam always
carried thick stick, which as he said,
he could not do without. because he
was 80 lame, that he required a strong
support. Wherever he was seen,
whatever he was doing, sitting or
standing he had the stick constantly
in his hand. He never let go of it.
But one day the thought occurred 10
the detective who was entrusted with
the case, that there must be something
more about the stick than first appear.
ed, and he determined to come TO the
truth of it.
Abou, this time there were large
number OF counterfeit notes of various
denomations in circulation in New
Jersey, and down as far as Maryland.
The detective officer worked under
the assumed name Of Rugg, found
out that Sam often paid visits in that
direction. 4
So the officer scrsped an acquaiut-