The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-12-21
TELEGRAPHIC
A FORGER's CAREER
How HE ROped HR Some Of the
Big Ones.

| BIG OneSs
New York, 19.-One of the morning
journals publishes the career of fOrger
named w. K. Gray, who caused a sen.
sation on Wall street in 1863 by raising
and passing forged bonds to the amount
| of $500, 900, and who is at present out on
rail. The scheme in which Gray is now
engaged was apparently planned before
| he had reached this country, after being
extridated from England. Police Cap
tam Kealey, who who brought him over,
said yesterday that Grsy's one subject of
/ conversation while crossing the ocean
was the electric light. After being re-
leased on bail he Immediately set to
work to cary out his plans. Beng man
of education, refined taste and good
manners he was we'll aware that appear
ances were everything toward success, so
his first step was to secure suitable apart
ments. This he did at No. 297 Fifth
avenue. How to get prominent wealthy
| men interested was the next thought.
Looking around Gray fixed upon Cor
nelius Vanderbilt, Without approach
ing Vanderbilt upon the subject
| Gray used his name He
next convinced Mr.. Isaac K. Roberts,
son-in law of the late Marshall D Rob
erts, that Vanderbilt had consented TO
| be president of the company. 1t was
decided that Senator Jones, of Nevada,
would be an influential director. So
Roberts, remem berIng that he had been
a schoolmate Of june father-in-law
Collector Sullivan, of the port OF San
Francisco, wrote glowing accounts Of
the plan TO Sullivan, telling him that it
was Chance seldom offered, and that the
IL
risking a dollar. sullivan, knowing Of
course who Roberts was, began influence
ing his son-in-law, but the senator was
e5durste He refused to go into the
scheme, saying be was entirely q
mining man, and had enough 10 do.
While they was going on in California,
Gray was not idle here. Through the
wife Of prominent merchant in New
York who had already done everything
possible for him during his trial, Gray
was int oduced to assistant United States
District Attorney Conkling. Conkling
was easily won O., err The scheme WAS
practical, he thought, and as he was TO
| be the attorney, he could see that every
| thing was conducted properly. About
the time that COnkling began to work to
pr mote the scheme Senator Jones came
east. The failure to secure the senator s
name on the Pacific coast did not dis
courage Gray, He urged Cooking to
call upon the senator. Conkiirg did SO,
and sfterWsrd made second visit
at which time be Introduced
GRAY. The forger brought all his
powers Of conversation 10 bear ID show
how easily the scheme could be made
successful He talked as It ne hsd i'm
mense wealth, and h d power to GO what
he undertook, no matter what Difficult
ties he encountered. sc offered tn
place his box at the opera Al the disposal
of Jones vile and family when they
came TO the city. Jones, L. speaking OF
the matter on Sunday, said Gray was
such an intelligent man, and So gentle
manly in manner and dress, thst as he /
had been introduced 10 me by CoEklIng /
listened TO him quite willingly. After /
he had explained his scheme. it seemed |
to ne that it was practicable, and that /
money could be made if the control of
various patents could be secured. Gray I
asserted that he had influence to do /
this. Then l rememb ered what my |
father-in-laW had said t. me in San |
Francisco, and also that y soh
Of Marshal Roberts was interested in it.
/ was assured that Vanderbilt was presi-
dent, so upon consid Grafton l said that | |
wolld become a director, and l signed
the papers. After the names had all been
obtained and the scheme was well on its
way. The following appeared in the
DAILY Register, of November 7th, 1881:
THE UNITED GLOBE ELECTRIC LIGHT
COMPANY.
The undersigned, being majority OF
the trustees Of the United Globe Electric
Light Company, hereby give notice that
a meeting of the stockholders Of said
company will be held at the office of
Sewell & Price, No. 206 Broadway, in
the city Of New York, on the 18th day
of November, 1881, at IL o'clock noon
for the purpose of increasing the capital
stock Of the said company from $4,000
20 Sc, 600 900, so that thereafter the said
capiia al stock shall consist Of60, 600 shares
of the par value of 500 each.
Signed, Cornelius Vanderbilt, John p.
Jones, J. K. Roberts, Charles K. Pratt.
Dated, October Goth, 1881.
1t is needless to say that the meeting
was not held, but tie capital was in
creased, however, to $4,000 900 ard so
printed in circulars. The Identification
Of Cray as a f0rger was brought about in
the following way: A Tribune reporter
was directed 10 look into the history Of
the new company. As different facts
were obtained suspicion arose that every
thing was not al right. Interviews were1
obtained with Gay and one thing led
into another, until all that remained was
10 ObtaiB positive Identification. The
services Of Captain Kesly were obtained
and Gray as he came from the house.
afternoon, was identified by
he reporter as Gray, agent of United
Globe Electric Light Company, aud
BY Captain Kealy, as Gray the forger.