Daily Republican., 1879-10-02
ADELAwARE FORGER.
Arrest i'm England Of william
RinggOld CO0per-An Exlrs0Fdi-
nary Career-A ''Flne Old Englfsh
Gentleman"

R1nggOld CO0per-An ExirsOrdi-
nary Career-A 'Flne Old EngItsll
Gentleman" .. ......
A special despatch from London to
the New York "Herald" of Tuesday
says:
A man who was arrested last week
for forgery at Messrs. Glynn, Mills &
Co.'s, bankers Of London, has just been
identified as VIM. Ringgold Cooper, an
American by birth and education, tor
merly of the United States Navy, but
one of the most daring and successful
forgers who ever operated. He was en-
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
extent of several thousand dollars.
Though we'll known in Washington
he went to the Fourth Auditors office,
coolly represented himself as paymas-
ter at Baltimore, got money, then went
to the next Office, represented himself
as another paymaster and secured a
further sum. He was subsequently ar
rested. Cooper's friends represented
that he died in prison, but in reality
he went to San Francisco at the expira-
tion of his term, where he became q
stock broker, ,and committed tremendous
fergeries year or two ago, fed, and
was never heard of after.
Cooper's forgery ON Messrs. Glynn,
Mills & Co., Of London, was for the sum
of $40, 900. The check had been paid,
and but for the foolhardiness Of the
forger, the signature being perfect,
Cooper would have escaped. But when
the detectives and the bankers thought
he had flown he coolly walked into the
lion's mouth-otherwise the banking
house of Messrs. Glynn, Mills g. Co.,
where he had the audacity to keep an
account, and demanded to know what
was all this talk about forged check.
He was very indignant, but was never
theless Immediately arrested. This
affair led further to his detection in
another forgery perpetrated on the
Bank Of England in June last for which
he will be arraigned tomorrow, and 10
discovering the manner ia which he
has been living in England while per-
petrating his forgeries.
The detectives found that he had
been residing at beautiful country
seat called East Lodge, at Hemmsl
Hampstead, Hertfordshire. There he
had carried out life in sumptuous
fashion. He had six horses, drag,
carriage, traps, three liveried menials,
and number Of other servants such as
any rich gentleman would desire to
have. He followed the hounds and
hunted and shot with the neighboring
gentry; he attended the village church
with pious regularity; gave grand din
ners and parties, and donated literally
to the poor Of the parish. He kept an
account at the village banking house,
he paid his bills promptly and his
house was filled with valuable books
and pictures, bric-a.bac, and was
superbly furnished throughout. He
was known and highly respected in the
entire district.
Cooper was born at Smyrna, Kent
county, Del, where he remained with
his family until old enough to seek
employment in Philadelphia. He OBJ
tanned situation with his uncle, who
owned Photographic establishment in
that city. He was employed there un-
til the breaking out Of the war in 1861,
and nothing detrimental to his charac-
ter occurred during this time. On the
outbreak Of the war he Cooper enlist
ed in the navy and was shipped on
board the flagship Blackhawk, belong
ing to the Mississippi squadron. In
short time he was detailed as clerk to
Rear Admiral Davis, commanding. His
conduct during this period Of his life
was uniformly good SO far at least as is
known. On the termination of the
war he returned to Philadelphia, and
eventually went to Washington, where
he secured an appointment as clerk in
the Navy Department at salary Of
81 400 per year.
So far as is known it was during bis
connection with the Navy Department
that he began his criminal career.
Taking advantage Of his knowledge of
the working of the department, gained
through his duties as a kind of entry
clerk Of the paymasters' acquisitions,
he forged requisition purporting to
come from Paymaster Spalding for $751;
900 and another for 100000, in which
he initiated the handwriting of Pay
master R. w. Allen, of the Norfolk
Navy Yard. During the prosecution of
his search for wealth by these means
he had become engaged to the daughter
J. D. Defrees, the government prin-
ter, and the marriage was to have TAX
en- place soon after the date at which
his forgeries were discovered. The case
against him, indeed, was not thorough
ly made out until the eve of the mar
riage, which took place in Washington.
The wedding party, on the conclusion
Of the marriage ceremony, started at
once for Philadel phia, but the detec-
tives were waiting for Cooper at a sta
ton few miles out from the city, and
arrested him on the train.
The unfortunate bride was sent to a
hotel and her father summoned by tele-
graph. Cooper was taken to the Navy
Yard in irons, and after a speedy trial
was found guilty and sentenced to five
years. imprisonment in the psnitsn-
tiary. There he served out the full
term Of the sentence, and in 1870 re-
NAMED his freedom. After his libsr-
alton he visited various cities, obtain
ing money upon all sorts of ingenious
devices, swindling banks, merchants,
etc., and often fell into the clutches of
the police. In 1875, Cooper saw an
advertisement in San Francisco paper
for a uorobo ouoa CLARK end opn1;od for