River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-03-22
4 GREAT COUNTERFEITFR.

New York Dispatch
The most skillful engraver and the
most eminent counterfeiter in the world,
man who has left the impress of his
misdirected genius on the currency of
America, ola half a dozen European
countries, and even of Africa, is now an
inmate Of the Kings county, peniten-
tiary. undergoing long term Of impris-
Onment, ora he himself puts it, 'six
stretches years., for attempting TO is
sue spurious bills.of the Bank of France.
This monarch of the showers of the
queer" is Carl Becker, born in Rhenish
Prussia some forty years ago. He was
apprentieed to the trade of an en-
graver early in life, and within two or
three years his skill with needle and a
plate astounded veteran workmen. In
Germany, while almost yet youth, he
was recognized as a leader in his art and
had his talents been turned to good ac-
count he would years ago have amassed
handsome competency. But Becker
was not satisfied with the prospect of be-
coming rich by slow degrees and patient
toll with head and hand He became a
counterfeiter, was arrested and served
two or three short terms in Jail in his
native land. Thence he turned his at
tention to Italy; easily counterfeited the
coarse paper money of that country, with
the enormously deprecated currency:
again fell into the hands of the Philistines
and was sent to Jail in TunIs. He escaped 4;
went to Sicily, where he was rearrested
and confined at Palermo. There he
broke Jail again, and came to the United
States. 1t is claimed by those who ought
to know that he has escaped from at
least a half-dozen European prisons.
IN has adventurous career at the other
side Of the Atlantic he somehow man.
aged tn escape English prisons, which
are claimed to be the strongest and best
guarded in the world, and for the reason.
no doubt, that he never attempted the
difficult task of coInterfeiting British
bank notes.
After his arrival in the United States,
Becker and his companion concerted
gigantic scheme to put money in their
pockets at the expense of the Egypt
ian government; and it was afterwards
carried out with partial success.
1t was nothing less than 10 counter
felt the Turkish currency in circulation
an tbs dominions of the Khedive.
The plates were prepared here and
the trio sailed from New York to the
Mediterranean. They made their head
quarters IN the city of Alexandria. and
had already begun to flood the country
with paper money, which WAS easily
manufactured because Of its coarse
character, when they were captured.
They were sentenced To long term in
the penitentiary at COnstautinoDle, but
all three escaped after a few months
They again returned - the United States
and separated.
Nothing daunted by previous prison
experience, Becker Matched plan to
counterfeit billets de banque'on the bank
of France, the government financial in
stltution of tilat country. This was the
most delicate of all the plots he had
undertaken, because of the extremely
line nature Of the bank paper and of the
water mark" made in the process of
manufacture under government super
vision But Becker was equal to the
occasion. He spent months and months
periecttDg his paper, and the writer saw
a specimen of his work during his recent
trial in Brooklyn, which was fully equal
to the French bank paper.
Experts expressed their amazement
ut his skill. He completed the plate for
one SIDE OF the note, having taken up
his residence in an unfreQuented suburb
of the City of Churches When this part
of the job was finished he took consta-
BILE of East New York into his conf.
dence, and to this mans custody the
nearly completed plate was en-
trusted. Meanwhile Detectives Boland
and Mooney, of this city, had somehow
got on Becker's track. With Detective
Edward Looney, of the Brooklyn police
force, they made RAID on his residence
in East New York. Becker was taken
rllnfpf4r hEr rflFnpica 4g1H after n HAE-
perate resistance was safely lodged IN
Raymond street Jail. The beautifully
finished plate was found hidden between
he leaves of the family Bible in the
eonstable's house. The Messrs, CoCdert
brothers, the lawyers for the French
government in this city, took up the
case, and Becker was tried in the Court
of Sessions of Brooklyn, before Judge
Moore and a jury. The constable
turned states evidence, and the king OF
the counterfeiters was promptly convict
ed and sentenced TO six years IN the
Kings county penitentiary, which
he is now serving out The point
was raised during the trial by his coun-
sci that the state had no jurisdiction IN
the case of attempted forgery on bank
ola foreign country and Of course he
could not be extradited bv France for a
crime against the French laws committed
in the United States. Becker had evil
IDENTIFY carefully studied out this legal
difficulty and relied upon it to save him,
as will be seen from what he himself says
regarding his escape from the Constan-
tinople Jail. In fact, it has always been
part of his plan TO so conduct his crooked
work that knotty law points can be raised
in his behalf An old statute, however,
was found by District Attorney Catlln, OF
Kings county, under which Becker was
indicted and successfully prosecuted.
The evidence was damning, and Becker's
only hope left him when he found that
there was law of which he was ignorant
to meet his case. He took his sentence
philosophically, and was led from the
court into the prison van outside sfnll-
ing. During the trial handsome we'll
dressed woman sat by his side She was
said to be his wife, and when the YER
dict of guilty was pronounced by the
foreman and the Judge briefly gave the
prisoner the full term the law allowed,
She broke down and sobbed hysteraal-
w. The story in the courtroom was
that she had been q performer in one OF
the variety theatres IN this city, where
Becker met her and made her his wife
Since he was sent to the penitentlary
she visits him as often as Warden john
Green allows, which is now seldom, 10y
reason of Becker's attempt 20 escape.
Becker went to Crow Hill to serve out
his six years last spring. He was appar-
emily one of the qnietest and best-be-
hayed convicts in the prison, and was
rapidly winning the confidence of his
keeper, though Warden Green, know
ing his record in European ails, kept q
sharp eve on him. Within aew months
Becker became intimate with two des-
perate burglars who were undergoing
long sentences. The tri' Of worthless
elaborated plan OF escape. Becker's
wife was in the habit of visiting him com
stantly on Sunday and on week days
during the dinner hour of the convicts.
One day it was found that the key of a
gate leading from the prison yard was
missing. A search was m0de and the
kew was found in the gentilatoT of the
cell occupied by one of the burglars IN
league with Becker, named Kelly.
Becker it was found has taken an im-
preston of other keys, and by the help
of coniederates outside everything was
in readiness for jail delivery of the
three when the key of the yard
gate was missed. Warden Green
made up his mind at once that
there was nothing for it but TO put Beck
er in irons, which was promptly done
He was transferred to the first cell
on the ground tier of the
Iong-term prison, and he has since been
almost directly under the eve of the