New-York tribune., 1880-02-06
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
c.prrR OF 4 sKLFUL FoRGER.

CAREER OF A SKILFUL FORGER.
| cuAPIRs BRoCKwAY TEMPTED BY MS sklLL ~
COMMIT FORGEEY-sUsPECTED BEcAUsk OF h'e
ABILITY.
The forger, Charles Brockway, VINO Is at presen'
IN the Tombs awaiting trial. and by whose opera
tOns within the last year, IL is asserted the cou''
munity has been swindied out OF Inuch money ~
smooth-spoken, pleasant and polished person he
began life as an apprentice in printing ohice VI
New-Haven, Conr.. and as he advanced III years
became an excellent Workman his inas'er con
ceived great liking for him, and sent nm 10 rio-
fessor Sliman of Yale College TO study the secrets
of electro-chemstry. He left his INSTRUCTOR "ii
accommodated chemist and a very clever
student and returned to his work as n
printer with his former master At that time
the New-Haven Bank employed the proprietor OF
the priutng office TO strike of it's notes from plates
furnished by the bank and upon paper also supple9
by the institution. The Work was nsuaI{ perl9Ilneu
in the presence of two of the directors OF the Oahk
who brought the plates from the bank to the PRINT
ing office who stood by the press while the bllis
were being worked of, and who returned the plates
TO the bank vault, on every occasion o thfr peine
used In addition to this prceaution the blils were
signed in the Old-fashlOned way by the president
Brockwav determined TO counterfeit the issue
and he took into his confidence his employer, who
promised him all assistance. II was agreed be
tween them that when next the New-liaVen plates
iWo Wei directors Tree Ss' came with the s. plate and
the supply of paper. The plate was paeea
upon the press and they stood by TO sec that
ONLY the ordered and recorded number should DC
printed. The boy worked the press Suddenly me
old man called the attention OF the directors 70 the
other side of the room to examine the last lot OF
paper the bank had sent in, which, lie sald was IN
ferior in quality. The two men turned away only
for a moment or two, but the time was suliclenliy
long to give Brockway an opportunity TO take ifom
beneath his apron a prepared wax plate, place IL
upon the genuine one and gam perfect impression.
From this he made cOpper-faced plate that vas IN
ali respects perfect. The two cOnspiratOrs only
lacked hank paper TO complete their scheme, and
this they procured by degrees. Finally they Sc
cured sufficient paper to w0Ik on Zu,UVo impress pres
sions of the So note. giving them$lOO,OOO III bogus
money.
Brockway is wonderful penman. Speaking OF
him yesterday, Assistant D'strct-Att9rney hussell,
who has charge of the case, said that there
was no signature Brockway could not forge
so as to deceive the owner OF II; II
he was allowed half day to study over 1t, After
the New Haven notes had been printed thev required
the signatures of the president and casner OF me
bank, and they were soon attached me "hol9
Issue was i'll short tame placed III clrcuihtloh' huu
the work had been done so well t1at Tor time Ihe
bank officers themselves received the notes uncnai
lcnged. The signatures finally aroused susplc'on;;
The bank believed that the notes had been printed
from the original plates. They redeemed tue
spurious notes, but afterward dld their prlhl,
ing in the bank The affair renamed unexpiinnssd ns
until the printer and his assistant quarreled. lhe
former swindled BTOckwaY out of his share OF the
profits but gave hm the 10 plate. Brockwdy
then cot out counterfeit notes on the North RIVER
Bank and on the New-Yorll State Bank. The last
got him into trouble. and he was indicted by the
Grand Jury. He was arrested in the woods 10 New
Jersey and subsequently gave up all the plates IN
his possession. The New-Hayen forgery was theD
explained Brockaway was convicted upon the
North kiver Bank charge and was sentenced TO
State Prison for six years. 49,,
Almost Immediately on bis release be resumed ms
counterfciIing business. He was concerned IN q
counterfeit OF United States go bonds, 1i wnch
$4,000 found their way through the hapds oI
trustworthy bankers back TO the Treasury at Wash
ingtou before suspicion was aroused. Brockway
was arrested and charged with the crime. An eX-
animation was had before United States Commis-
sioucr Osborn but the evidence was not sufficient
10 hold him. IL was known that he was the only
mau who possessed the ability to accomplish the
accurate transferring of the face of plate,
by electrotypc process, from which the
fine eteel-plate engraving could DC 80
nicely reproduced Brockway declared that
the whole proceeding against him was a persc-
cution and he charged that officers of the police
force had attempted to biackmall him.
IL the present case he asserts his innocence, and
saws that SWIM the man who has informed against
hIin, did so out Of revenge.