New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-20
MERCY THAT IS MISPLACED.
AMERICAN FoRGERs IN PORTUGAL
THEY GET LIGHT SENTENCE, BUT INSPECTOR
BYRNEs KNOWS THEIR PORTRAITS

icolcr from w. Stuve, The American COnsulac
Agent at Oporto, Portugal, containing two photo
graphs OF men about whom Mr. Stuve wanted TO
get some information These persons had told
Mr. Stuve that they had been unfortunate i'm
business, but were honest men. without a stain
upon their names They had gone TO Europe in
the hope Of making fortune in some enterprise
wherein their American experience would be Of
value. They did not have much money. but they
were willing to invest what they had in any
business that would pay. They were trying to
find an opportunity. They were familiar With
the capitals Of Europe affablc and not afraid
Of spending their money when entertaining their
friends spoke several languages Huently. and had
only been short time in Oporto when every ono
who knew them had the impression that they
deserved the fortune that they were after The
two American citizens got into trouble, were
arrested. and now pining in gloomy prison.
They told such plausible story that Mr. stuve.
in order to determine whether they were uniustly
accused, wrote 20 Inspector Byrnes
According to Mr.. Stuve. these two gentlemen
called October IL at the Caixa Filial do Banco.
Branch Bank Of Portugal, at Oporto. and
quested the cashier to change ESQ note. Ono
Of them said that his name was Lyman Austin.
that his friend William Henry Hatfield,
both from America. and that he had got the ESQ
note at the Credit Lyonnaise. Austin requcstedthe
cashier to give him note of the Branch Bank Of
Portugal in exchange. This done, and Austin
handed the note to Hatfield. Both the men then
went to the London and Brazilian Bank and
cashed the note getting gold for it, When they
got the gold they held consultation and then
bought a ESQ Bank Of England note with the
gold.
Back they went to the Branch Bank OF Portu-
gal Their faces were familiar to the cashier;
their previous dealings had given them credit and
hoxr ovla mt Of tba nanIr
of England and asked to have them CHANGED at
the rate they had paid when they had ex-
changed the ESQ note. The cashier was s,is-
picious The $500 notes carefully scruti
nized, and the conclusion was reached that they
counterfeits Of excellent workmanship The
cashier called an officer and had both arrest
cd They took their arrest coolly and went will
nsly to the police station where they were locked
up. Austin said that he fifty years Old born
in New-Orleans, AID that he a dealer in
drugs Hatfield claimed that he was fifty years
I'D, tobacco merchant, and born in Roches-
ter n Y.
Austin was questioned by Amanco RodolphO
Pnheiro da Casio Rebeiro. police commissioner.
and stated that while in gambling house In
London he formed the acquaintance of man
named Morgan. After short time lie bought
from Morgan three notes of $500 each. and three
notes of flO0 each. The fi00 notes he had sold
and used the money in tra' Cling The 900 notes
were the ones he presented to the Branch Bank
of Portugal when he was arrested. While IN
Paris Austin first met Hatfield They resolved
to travel together Austin had found out that
the $500 notes were counterfeit. and he coniidcd
his knowledge to Hatfield. lie agreed to give
Hatfield share in the proceeds of the sale OF tho
notes, upon the conlit" n t'it llatheld should
pay all the expenses to Portugal and furnish the
money to buy good ESQ note on Portugal. The
| purchase of the fj0 note was a bait thrown TO
the bank where they intended to change the
tcrfeits Austin denied that he had ever been
arrested before. sta ed with tears in his eyes that
he had hitherto borne an excellent character, and
uwing TO his failing i'm business he'd attempted TO
obtain some money by of the counter felt notes
Austns statement was reduced to writing, aud
when il was shown to IL tlield, ne adDltte that
it was trte. Hatfield said that he was sometimes
know IN as William Bartheley. TIE prisoners were
sentenced 10 the House "a Correction for eighteen
mouths and to pay fine of 100 reis l9li cents q
day. BY behaving we.l they will be discharged IN
sixteen months and four days.
AS Inspector Byrnes gazeI upon the two photo
graphs. lie remembrred tina; he had seen the origi-
nails before. About seven mouths ago the Same
two had been IN his otice,and only went away
when proof of forgery against them could not be
procured. Both of the unfor uni ite gentlemen"
are noled f0rgers, and have spent considerable
portion OF their lives IN prison IN this country.
Austin $ the celebrated Walter sheridan, one Of
the best "pen-w orkers on record lle bssan his
career when young as a horse thief IN Western
Missouri Then he tired OF the will lie OF the
West anl became general tibet and conhieDce
man. After picking up and spending fortune IN
tbs line. he eutered upon successful career as o
banK-sneak" He sought the acquaintance OF
forgors, and OF late years would touch no other
line of trade. In 1868 lie MAS arrested and served
live years tor paying the "sncak game on
Chicago bank lie wa engaged with several other
thieves in getting S3o.OOO from the oprineheid
Bank for which be arrested but not Convicted.
He was with tie gang" that stole $4,000 from
the Baltinore Insurance COMPANY in 1870. aud
in MeclaQlcs
Scranton, lenn., and was a. tel. but had 10 be
discharged Tor LACK of proof In 1873 he hypothe-
Gated 100000 in forged bonds OF the Buffalo.
Nea York aud Erie Railroad with the New-f0rk
Indemnity Coppanv, for which he got Ssl, 900 IN
cash. 1t took several months to perfect this
SHERIDAN hired large Office in Bnialo lie
became "a member of the Produce Exchange, On:
gagged extensively in buying amt selling grain aud
made plenty of money. When he had established
his credit and business staDdiOg, he worked OF"
the spurious bouds He took this money with him
to Europe. and spent year IN travel aDrVat lie
came back penniless IN 1874. was arrested In
Washington. ID. g.. nud sent u Sing Spg for hve
years lie was sent TO the Eastern PeniteLtisty
in Pennsylvania in lss1 for forgery. In lSo4. soon
after his release he was sent for Two years to the
ST. Louis Prison for having counteiet money and
William Henry Hatfield is The notorious " Bill ["
Bartlett, who is one OF the shrewdest thieves thus
country ever produced no was arrestsd iov ,ne
i'm Brooklyn. For this bold AID brutal crime ho
was sentenced for twenty years Bartlett Kept up
nr,son and was discharged ON u tecsncaiity alter
s.rylnp two wears. There has been extensive
forgery for tho last fe~ years that TIC has not
been connected with, but his cunning has kept
him out Of jail. He ~ known asa IN iddle man.
ann ycts cou reriet bills from the factory and de-
iiyers them to the .snovers" who pit them on tho
market. lie never appears in any OF the public
transactions in counterfeit or forged paper. ana
though he has been repeatedly arrested, he could
not 10 legally convicted. No thief has over
ssqueaied" on him. az he Is known among his
t.Ilows as n souare man who always takes his COM
mission and ste Of the ine of his duty
Bartlett was member OF the famous party, ln-
cluilng George Wilkes. Charley Becker, George
Bel, "Ai" Wilson and John Ceary, which went to
Europe a few years ago and cnloaded an enormous
amount of counterfeit bank notes upon the unsus.
pecIng Europeans They were finally driven out