Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-01-04
EsO 'T,ey Read ss.e Newspapers.


From the Providence Press.
One OF the most notorious criminal cases Of
late years was that of the forger w. T.. Gray.
The son of a clergyman in Washington who is
, universally respected. reared under the most
! favorable influences, highly educated, polished
and sentlemanlle in his manners, he went to
New York, where he made hosts of friends.
lived in excellent style. aud moved in the best
society Engaging in business as a broker.
under the firm title of William T.. GRAY & Co. he
seemed to be prospecting. and stood Well ON
THE street. when the city was startled by the
report that he had been engaged in gigantic
ior@eries and had fled to Europe. He had OBJ
tanned large sums Of money from two banks in
New York (s3o, 600 by one operation) by depos-
it!nG collateral, bonds of the New
York state bounty fund loan which had been
raised Lrom II coo to $4,000 each. He was fol-
lowed 70 London by stock exchange detective
who caused his arrest. but with remarkable
skin he escaped from the police and Went 70
SW itZeraGd- A few years later he was again
arrested in London, but owing to the fact that
the extradtion treaty between the United
States and Great Britain had expired and had
not been renewed he was again set at liberty
After that he lived fast life in England for sey-
ef1ii Years. apparently having plenty of money
ana spending il freely, until. in the spring of
1879. he voluntarily surrendered himself to the
London police. confessed Ills crime of forgery
was eXtgadited, brought back to this country.
| meat for ten years
Thus far Gray's history ought to be familiar
to every newspaper reader. For ten years his
name was repeatedly in the daily Journals ana
"a, tiIfes whole columns were devoted to his ex-
plots. HIS original fOrgerhrs caused much OK
| cItenleut in New York. lis arrest at two subse-
quent times. and his final surrender were occa-
sioEs when the incidents of his career were
feieaFsfd again and again. His escape throu. "A
the expiration OF the eXfraditon treaty was fine
at IA
! gave rise to some very severe criticisms of the
management Of the State department at that
| tine. III there was any man i'm the country
against whom the people had had tie most
| ample warning. or one whose very name II
! should seem would put people on their guard.
! that man was William +. GRAY
Ana yet. Incredible as it may SEEM this same
man Gray. out OF state prison or, bail has bean
hvihg IN ME style on Fifth avenue. in New York,
making no effort to conceal his name and has
worked up gigantic scheme for consolidating
| all OF the electric light companies. getting in
! tefestea IN ms Wildcat scheme some of the most
prominent business men in the METROPOLIS. an
assistant United States district attorney Sen.
tor jones, OF Nevada. and Others and has boldly
used the names OF other even more promipent
| men VINO had nothing whatever to 90
with his company. and were not aware that he.
had published them rs directors. Aud what Il
| more. ms operations do not seem to have
aroused suspicion until reporter of the New
i ofk ItaLune began an Investigation which has
| resulted in startling exposure. -'''
1t seems that Gray never went to the stare
PRISON al all; Although, on appeal, his sentence
was affirmed. he was allowed to lie i'm the Tomhs
IN New York city until last April, when Jud.re
BRADY declared his sentence illegal vacated II
ana granted him a new trial. The evidence upon
"nich TINS proceeding was based consisted of
afhdayits made by Thomas p. SomeryiIle. who Is
| as notorious a character as GRAY himself Charl.S
brockway, the most successful and best known
professional coGnterfeiter in this country. and
! others. On this testimony Gray was released On
S5.oOO bail, which has since been reduced To
sS,oo. ana very good use has he made of the
lew months since he was set at liberty.
There is a very important lesson to be drawn
rom TINS interesting bit OF history The GEN
tiemen who have consented to be directors e,f
gray company, and great many others to
wnom he undoubtedly intended to sell fip
s.ocN, nave 10 thank newspaper reporter
through whose vigilance they were saved from
pecuniary loss, but they must Contemplate with
good deal OF complaceney the ease with which
they were rOped In. If GRAY had heen a mar
VINO stood high in the business commupity nr
que ,n;s,, Even. whose name was not known, there
men and LAWYERS being deceived by him R,,f
MS name OF itself ought to have been su1ifcie,n
warning TO any one with whom he attemn: al to
40 business II the legend ssForgern had heen
NaGed upon his breast in large letters. where Il
coaa De seea OF all the world, Grsy's character
TO proceed as Ear with his scheme as he sii1 is :
very striking illustration OF the fact that there s
no way In which men can BE- 40 easily s,aceiv.d
as oy Offering them chance to get rich by some
Du1 10 these men never read the newspaperss
member OF the Vermont lepis,,ture IN.
zen nnea. under statute which his vofe heIne6
~ MsAe. i0f Keeping an unlicensed dog He h
"a Nm ~ = sa me law 10 unconstitutional,