National Republican., 1882-12-26
COLONEL rITzeERALp.
His Journey 20 Kentucky 10 Answer the
Forgery Charges.

Cincinnati Commerctc

Col N. w. Fitzgerald, whose name has
been somewhat unpleasantly connected with a
forgery, came on voluntarily to Covingt6n to
answer the charge, and was last evening met
by a Commercial reporter,to whom he conversed
freely, giving the following settlement of the
facts of the case. Colonel Lafayette Bingham,
of Washington, y. c., was also present at the
interview and showed the reporter some of the
checks which were in his POSSESSIONS and which
are mentioned in the following statement
that would prove exclusively to the most in
experienced eye that they were forgcries of
his name. The gentleman charged is the cdi-
tor and proprietor of the Washington World
The statement of the colonel, as developed at
the interview is as follows:
Col. N. w. Fitzgerald, whose cxtradition to
Kentucky Charged with forging a note for
$3.50 in lS70) was denied by Judge Cartier, of
Washington, this week, voluntarily presented
himself to the state authorities yesterday,
and was Immediately discharged, the party
who made the affidavit for his arrest, Mr..
William Glinn, being present and stating at
once as soon as he saw Col. Fitzgerald, "This
is not the man-havo never before seen this
man in my life" said Mr.. Glinn asserted
that he was the victim in 1873 of u forgery
practiced upon him by one Il. F. Prtchard,
or his agents. then of the western medical
works, of indianapolis, Said Pritchard, it
appears, has been indicted some> seven or
eight times in Ohio and five or six times in
Washington for forgery and procuring money
on false prctenses. His reputation does not
seem to be of the best. He imposed upon
Col. Fitzgerald, of Washington, swindling
him out of several thousand dollars by
forgery and false pretenscs, and Col Fitzgcr-
aid has been indefatigablc for months in do
ing all in his power to bring PTitchard TO
justice, giving his time and money freely to
| that end
Pritchard was to have been tried at Green
vile, o., on Friday (the 22d inst.) and in
order to prevent Col. Fitzgerald from being
| there TO testify for the state (he having been
summoned by the state), in collusion with
conspirators at Cincinnati, caused the Ken
| lucky affidavit to be made expecting to Sc
cure Col. Fitzgerald's confinement in a Ken
| lucky jail to prevent him from being at the
trial to testify for the state. Pritchard
| thinking he had succeeded in his conspiracy,
was at Grecnvlle on Thursday, but learning
that Col Fitzgerald would be there, he at
once " Skipped and the county cOmmi ission-
ers of Darlle county, o., at once offered a
large reward for his arrest and return to
Ohio, and officers are now searching for him
! in every direction, and he is certain to be ap-
pretended and brought to justice for his
crimes. There are a score of men in DarlIe
county alone, ready to prove Pritchard's
|
at Cincinnati, have taken the above
plan to carry out their purpose, but il
has failed, and Pritchard is a fleeing
| self confessed criminal, and data sufficient is
in hand to bring his co-conspiratOr to justice
to answer for his part in the conspiracy tc
lidnap Col. Fitzgerald from his home and
friends in Washington and bring him to Ken
lucky to answer for Pritchard's crimes. The
Washington critic daily said of this at
| tempted arrest and cXtradition of Col. Fitz
gerald, that the utter absurdity of the charg,
against Col. +. is its own refutatiOn with al
who know him." and it says further: 9TH,
ingenuity displayed by Pritchard in hi
deposition as he sees the penitentiary yawl
for him, proves him a villain and scoundrel o
no mean order"
\ 1t taiTears that b. f. Pritchard has ais
committed forgeries upon other persons, hav
ing forged Gen. Lafayette Bingham's name t,
a large number of United States checks anC
drafts, and drawn the money thereon, part o
said number of checks were forged and casheC
in this city. The people of the whole country
owe debt of gratitude to Col. Fitzgerald, o.
Washington, for his efforts to bring Pritchart
to justice, and he deserves the sympathy o
all good and true men everywhere for tn,
pain and modification he has suffered by thi
attempt to charge him with " crime in thu
state of Kentucky, where he has not beer
since the war. Col. f. said to Judge Cartier il
washington, Il Will go voluntarily ana lac
these charges, no matter from what state o.
place they come. l will answer the roll call,
and he has nobly done so, and the ignoran
dupe of Pritchard and his conspirators sale
instantly and decidedly, on meeting Col +
face to face: "That is not the man wh'
forged my note-I never saw that man before
in my life" Col. +, is widely known "A
Washington, and has clients all over th
union, he being engaged in the prosecution
| pf oil A hu pHn nv
the commissioners of Darke county for thu
arrest and return of Pritchard it is to be eX
pected that he will be apprehended ant
| brought to Justice.