Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-01-03
A TALENTED FORGER.
W. e. Gray's Life in LOndOn-A Ca.
reer that Reads Like a Fiction.

A few days ago a remarkable story
was published of forger who founded
the United Globe Electric Light Com
pany" in New York, and, without in
vesting any money in it himself, sue
ceeded in entrapping such capitalists as
Senator Jones, Cornelius Vanderbilt and
the son of Marshall o. Roberts. The
forger was W. E. Gray. He had ex-
pensive apartments on Fifth avenue, and
always reserved a box at the opera for
the convenience of the wives or
daughters of the men whom he
wished to bring into his speculative
schemes. Gray is, in some respects, the
most talented forger in America. Capt
Simpson, the chief detective of the New
York Stock Exchange, tells good story
about him. He relates it as follows
when Mr.. Van Dyke was assistant
treasurer in New York about twelve
years ago, he said to me one day:
Sampson, here are $4,000 in bonds
caveated at Washington as stolen. |
want you to go over to Pitt, Cooke &
Co., and make them give you ten other
bonds for them. Mr.. Cooke called in
his two partners, Fahnestock and Gar.
land, and asked where the bonds came
from. we bought them from VIM. E.
Gray, was the reply, whose Office is
down here on Broad street He is a
very respectable young man, and son of
the Chaplain of the United States Sen
ate
Sampson went to Gray's office, and
there he found quite dull young man,
with long hands and arms, long limbs,
nearly six feet high, with hair so light
brown that it was nearly grey, white eye
lashes and a small moustache with
scarcely any tint. He looked like a
highly respectable Albino. Here are
ten bonds you sold," said Mr. Sampson,
(which have been caveated as stolen.
want you to replace them with ten good
bonds" In a quiet voice, as if he was
never surprised at anything, the young
man said: Certainly. Give me the
bonds and l will come back in a
moment with ten good ones" ''But
who is to take charge of this officer"
looking around on the rich furniture
and office appointments. "Why, you
can stay here, " said Gray, "till 1 come
back. "But. said Sampson, 81 might
steal what is in the Office. Besides do
not know whether l want you to go
away with $4,000 in bonds. You
might not come back again. ''Well,"
said the young man, in the same com
posed voice, ''here is a drawer full of
bonds which will be security for my re-
turn" and with that he pulled up the
edges of stack of bonds many times
the value and number of those returned.
In ten or fifteen minutes he came back
wit ten good bonds.
In the multiClicity of business no
more attention was paid to Gray until it
was found some months afterward that
he had robbed the street of 800, 900 on
raised bonds, and had quit New York
for EurOne with the plunder. These
bonds, Captain Sampson SAYS, were
stolen county bonds of New York,
which had been Systematically raised
from $1,000 to $40, 0,000-a good bond
being procured, and the word one, when
printed, changed to ten, and the figure
one being turned into cipher and an
otner figure one put before it. This
was so well done that the bonds were
never questioned. The governing com
mittee of the Stock Exchange
thought an example ought to be
made Cf this man, and they sent
Captain Sampson to England. The chief
magistrate at Bow street had his officers
discover the culprit, who was living on
bloomsbury square, and two of them
placed themselves therein, so that when
Gray was coming in his house one sig
nailed the other, and he was arrested.
Wltnout the least excitement he re-
marHed What is it for?' They told
him for forgery in America. ioiVl, -
SAID he, with a smile, lit i- Grov 4S, tSs+
you gOu.s are eM[teF M2 Wao Cards in this same
| mbioI, NY name is something else
- ne gave. and we are said to look.
like twins. I'll go and send him g.
to you in a minute"
With that Gray managad. =
door open and slam
face. He then went
blackened his .ex