The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-09-07

may give a clue 10 our man you will
promptly let rs know. Yours truly,
WILLIAM FAxoN, President.
With this letter was a printed slip Offer.
Ing q reward OF $1,000 for the recovery oi
the money and the apprehension OF The
fOrger, who Is described as ga German Jew
about forty or forty five years Of age.'
Marvin can't be the mani He got from
the Trust Company S3,456 upon forged
draft purporling To be drawn by the First
National Bank OF Springfield, H., upon the
Ninth National Bank OF New York. The
printing Of the forged draft seems TO have
been similar to that OF the one employed
here by Marvin. That Is all that Marvin
has TO DO with the case, and that isn't much
as II Is by no means yet proved that The
blank form employed here by Marvin is 9
forgery. II may be a genuine blank form
stolen from the bank.
Maryin's Auburn History.
The following is from the AuJuvnian. oi
Auburn, y. T., under date OF September
lst:
Yesterday Officer Mark S. Tobin received
from Allan Pinkerton's detective agency,
his late place OF employment, two photo
graphs OF the bigamous General A. Bud
long Martin alias Colonel Mayhem alias
Arthur Merritt alias A. T. Kinsman alias
Thomas A. Marvin alias Hon. Albert T
Martin, whose recent matrimonial exploits
and numerous forgeries have been publish
ed throughout the length and breadth OF
the country, TO see IL the cunning rascal
could be identified by the prison officials.
One OF the pictures was taken before the
man with six names was arrested, and The
other is what is termed forced photO,'
where the subject conceals his identity be-
bind a number Of grimaces, which was
taken since he was in custody.
The photographs were shown TO Hospi-
tal.Keeper jenkins and Chaplain SearlS,
both OF whom identified the man with many
aliases as Alfred Merritt alias Mayhew,
who had served term in Auburn prison
for perpetrating a forgery on the Niagara
County National Bank OF LockpOrt. Mer-
ritt was received at the prison September 8.
! 1873, and the prison record contains the iOl'
lowing description Of the willy scoundrel
Fifty years OF age, five feet ten inches in
height; weight, 149 pounds; light COM
plexion, gray hair aud blue eyes; on the
lsside Of the left forearm is an eagle in In
da-ink; on the inside OF the right forearm,
also in Gndia-ink, are two anchors, the let
tiers A. T. NJ, an eagle, and flags. On the
back Of the neck are the marks OF a seatOn.
Paralysis in lower limbs. Health poor
Civil engineer by occupation"
when Merritt arrived at the prison he
was carried from the ears on a stretcher.
he complained he was smit.en with creep.
Ing paralysis. lie was admitted to the hos
pitsl. and in a short time was able TO navi-
gate by pushing couple OF chairs in front
Of him. He improved rapidly, and could
soon move about with the aid OF crutcheS.
The prison doctor was satisfied that Merritt
was playing the paralysis dodge, and that
he was right in his conclusions was evil
denced when Merritt received his passport
from the Institution. On the morning Oi
his discharge Merritt limped out Of the
front gate with his cane, ana as soon as the
guard had closed tbe gate the old rascal
turned around, and, facing the building, be
placed his thumb and finger TO his nose, and
throwing away his staff be walked off as
spry as could be.
During his three years term in Auburn
prison Merritt conceived the idea that he
would like to get out. He dare not attempt
10 risk the chances OF cheating" The place,
so be arranged a shrewd game TO get par
doned out, which, however, was detected
In the chaplain's Office. While he was in
Jail in Lockport, Merritt ingrataied himself
into the good graces OF a clergyman Of that
place, and it was upon the minister he pro-
posed to work his little "racket." He
wrote a letter, dating it far enough ahead to
answer his purpose, which bore the heading
OF having been written In Pennsylvania,
and signed ii with a fictitions name, and
addressed it to bis clerical friend IN Lock
port. The missiye was smuggled outside
the walls by convict who was going 10
Pennsylvania, and by him 1t was mailed to
Lockport. The contents were to the effect
that Merriit's brother had died in the Key
stone State, leaving an immense estate to
him, aud information was wanted as TO his
whereabouts.
The dodge was an old one, for when The
letter came to the prison from the Lock- port
friend bearing the news OF Merrit's good
luck, the officers say through it at once
that It was = game to obtain pardon on the
ground to save property from damage.
Merritt was very morOse when he found out
that his plan had been detected and nipped
in the bud.