New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-15
KNOWN To- MR.. PINKERTON.
A NOTED FORGER ARRESTED IN ST. LOUIS
PERRIN. WHO ESCAPED FROM SING SING AND WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE IN ENGLAND, AT HIS OLD

PERRIN WHO ESCAPED FROM SING SING AND WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE IN ENGLAND, AT HIS OLD
TRICKS.
A man who gave his name as George A. Vincent
was arrested in st. Louis on February 20 for at
tempting TO sell forged drafts on NewYork TO tho
banks there He is Gow in Jail in st. Louis awaiting
trial. The prisoner not known 10 the ST.. Louis
police, and Lawrence Harrigan, Chief of Police,
sent photographs of him to the principal cities in
the hope that he might be identified. One of the
pictures was sent to Pinkerton's Detective Agency
in this city and was recognized by Robert A. Pink
erton as that of old acquaintance, usually called
Charley" williamson Mr. PnkertOu .was at q
loss, however, 70 account for the mans presence in
this country. He received the photograph last Sat
urday, and on Monday morning, by n strange COIN
cidence, he found in his mail letter from London
announcing that Williamson had been pardoned
several months ago in consideration of his having
given valuable information to the English Govern
mcnt.
The prisoner whose real name is Charles Perrin,
first known to the police of this city about sew
enteen years ago when he was concerned in tho
robbery of II warehouse of large amount Of silks
and cutlery. He was arrested and under the name
of Stevens was sentenced for five years At the end
of his Imprisonment he returned to New York and
shortly afterward fell in with gang of professional
forgers some of whom have since become we'll
known in both Europe and America. Perrin gained
his greatest nOtOriety in 1872, when he was asso-
ciated with Roberts. Gleason Walter Sheridan alias
Stewart, Spence Pettis "Steve' RaymOd,
Doctor" Blaisdel and others in the great bond
forgeres of that year Something over Sl,OOOO00
of forged railroad bonds negotiated by the gang
before il was broken up. Perrin, VINO was then
known as Charles j. Williamson, alone sold over
800, 900 of the forged bonds. His victims vera
the National Trust Company, the New-iOrk Guar
tratxr md utgmu \
and others. He disappeared with his share OF the
proceeds, although most Of his associates were ar
rested. He was not seen again III NeW-lork lor
several years
Early in 1879 man was arrested by Captain
Petty, who was then In command OF the tirsl Pfe-
cmct, for attempting 10 sell 10 Rollins ErOthels
brokers at Wall and Broad SITS, some T6OOOD or
Central Pacific bonds of the California and Oregon
branch He had sold the firm few bonds which
had been found to be forged before he offered the
second and larger lot. He Identified at the
District Attorneys office, where there were over
100 indictments against HIM lie was brought 10
trial and after a searching trial was convicted and
sentenced for the full term of eight years. he DIS
trct-Attorney did not consider that an adequate
punishment for the crimes OF which Perrin had been
guilty and secured another sentence OF hve years
ON the charge that the crime was second offence.
About six months after he had been placed IN sing
sing Perrin. with the and of "A fellOW-cOnylct, set
ire to the prison bake-hOuse and IN the confusion
attending the alarm made his escape. lie was tho
only one who eluded capture. lie Immediately
fled to England, in company with several noleu
criminals OF New-York. They began there after a
time a scheme OF forgery on lhe DauhS III EuRiaIn
and on the Continent. Detected IN forgery ON tls
Union Bank of London, Perrin gave the name ~
Charles Cherwo0d 1t was learned by the London
detectives that the prisoner was an American, and
his pictures sent at once TO tins city. Identity
was established and he was convicted for ten years
lie succeeded in having this sentence mitigatef
by turning Queens evidence against some OF his
accOmplces. He also gave valuable Information
TO the English Government in regard 10 the move
ments of American thieves and forgers IN England.
Ills confession made considerable sur among
them, as his information on the subject was eA-
plcit =. -,
Perrin was Of respectable parentage, but long
before he had become known to the police his lam
iy had disowned him on account of his dlsreputabie
habits At the time of the great bond forgery,
brOther-;n-law was banker IN Wall street. 80
Notice was sent to the prison authorities at sing
Sing Yesterday that their escaped prisoner was
under arrest at st. Louis 1t is probable that no
will De required to finish his uneXplred term