The daily gazette., 1879-10-02
An American Forgar.
Arrest i'm England of Will
liam RinggOld Cooper.
AN EXTRAORDINARY CAREER.

AN EXTRAORDINARY CAREER.
DISMISSED FROM THE UNITED STATES
NAVY AND Is WANTED IN SAN
FRANCIsCO--A FINE OLD ENGLISH
GENTLEMAN HOW THE FoRGEHIEs
WE'RE COMMITTED AND THE CAP
TuKE EFFECTED. -
LONDON, Sept. 20, 1879.
A man who was arres ed last week for
forge. y at Messrs. Glynn, Mills ~ Co.'S,
bankers of this city, has just been idellti-
fled as William Ringgold Cooper, an
American by birth and education, for
merly of the United States Navy, but
one Of the most daring and successful
forgers who ever operated. lie wa, ell
sign on the staff of Admiral Lee, Of the
North Atlantic squadron, during the
war, after which he was given duty in
the Office of Detail, in the Navy De-
partment. In Washington he forged the
names of several paymasters TO the
amount of several thousands of dollars.
Though well known at Washington lie
went to the Fourth Auditors Office,
coolly represented himself as paymaster
at Baltimore, got money; then went 10
the next office, represented himself as
another paymastcr, and secured fur
ther sum. He was subsequently, arrested.
Coopers friends represented that he died
in prison, but in reality he went to San
Francisco at the expiration of his term,
where he became stock broker, and
committed tremendous forgeiics wear
or two 40, fled. and was never heard of
after.
AS was seen from a despatch in the
GAZETTE yesterday, he was arrested In
London, where he had assumed many
DISCUSSES, committed numerous torgeries,
and was finally arrested, as appeared
GAZETTE. His career in London and
the United States is somewh,t IT of ro
nance, and as he was formerly Of Smyr-
nd, Del, we give place to it.
BEHIND THE SCENES IN ENGLAND.
While playing the English gentlemen
at his country seat he paid frequent visits
to London, where he went about in all
sorts of strange disguises and fjrgiiig the
names Of his neighbors down in Hert.
( rlshlre. The manner in which he i'm
posed on astute bankers is well llustra-
ted in the following story On the 2Stll
Of June well appointed brougham was
driven up to the bank Of England. A
boy descended from the box seat and 90
ing up to the door of The carriage receiv-
ed from the gentleman inside check and
instructions to get the money for il inside
| The cheek was given by J. GoOda i'm for
| tlnn Tho al n irat tya psar nat nd
| suspected. The clerk asked the boy how
lie would have 1t. The boy answered
| "Gold.' AS the bank never pays out
large amounts in gold without cxplana
tion, the paying clerk asked the boy
| where Mr.. Goodman was. The boy an
swered, 'Ou,side." "Call him" said the
clerk. The boy went out and told the
pseudo what the clerk had said. Cooper
who was disguised in bushy brown whis-
kers, refused to leave the carriage. The
| hoy returned to the bank and told the
clerk wha. the gentleman had said. The
clerk becoming suspicious went to u.t
| front Of the bank, but the brougham will
Goodwin had diss. .ppcared. The boy, be
ing questioned, said that he had met til,
gentleman at the Cannon Street Hotel
that he had asked him to come in All,
brought him to the bank, where he had
asked him to present the cheque.
HIS DISAPPEARANCE AND ARREST.
At the Cannon Street Hotel Cooper
had entered his name on the registry as
Neville Hunter. After leaving the bank
lie babe his driver take him to the hotel
where he aighted. The driver then no
ticed that Cooper had a smoth face. The
swindler got his luggage, drove to the
Charing Cross station and dismissed the
brougham. lie was never heard of after
| till his arrest last week, when Detective
| Mitchell, one of the shrewdest officers of
London police, thinking that the Glynn
| fOrger might be the man wanted at the
Bank of England, succeeded in estab-
lishing his identity.
To show the audacity of the man il
should be added that Cooper opened all
account at the Bank Of England soon
| after the forgery committed in June last.
Cooper is still ignorant that he has been
identified and connected with the Bank
Of England torseres. lie stoatly main
| tains his innocence.
FoRGERIEs ON AMERICAN LETTERS OF
CREDIT.
Forgeries to the amount of from f10,-
600 to f15,000 on American letters OF
credit were recently committed, Messrs.
Smith, Payne IL Co. being the victims.
The forgers got thousand pound Bank OF
England notes from Smiths then went
to the Bank Of England, represented that
they were 20 ng TO South America and
wanted gold. The bank people We're
bamboozled, and gave them gold and
small notes. As soon as the forgery " as
discovered the bank stopped payment Of
the notes. The forgers changed the
numbers and so passed them. No clew
has been discovered to the fOrgers, and
the bank is sensibly chagrined.
CAREER OF WILLIAM RINGGOL ID
CoopER-HIs AMERICAN RECORD
OF CRIME IN WASHINGTON, NEW
ORLEANS AND SAN FRANCISCO.
Cooper was born at Smyrna, Kent
county, Del, where he remained with
his family until old enough to seek en-
ployment at Philadelphia. He obtained
situation with his uncle, who owned
Photographic establishment in that
city. He was employed there until the
breaking out of the war in 1861, and
nothing detrimental to his character oc-
cured during this time. On the out
break of the war he (Cooper) enlisted
in the navy, and was shipped OH board
the flagship Blackhawk, belonging to
the Mississippi squadron. In short
time he was detailed as clerk to Rear
Admiral Davis, commanding. His con-
duct during this period of his life was