The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1888-02-11
A PHENOMENAL CAREER OF CRIME,
Incidents in the Life of william Ringgold
Cooper, the Forger.

Incidents in the Life of william RinggoId
Cooper, the Forger.
civilian Ringgold Cooper, the
| American who was arrested at Fon-
tainebleu, France, for the alleged
forgery of check which he passed at
the London and Westminster Bank,
as already reported by cable, is one
of the most expert forgers which
this country has produced, and his
American record will doubtless weigh
heavily with the English court which
will pass judgment on his latest
crime, for which he has been extra
dicted from France. He was born
in Smyrna, Del, and is about forty
years old. During the war he served
In the navy, and at the close of the
war was given position in the Navy
Department, Washington. Here his
first crime was committed. He ac-
quired the act of Initiating handwrit-
ing, and his reproduction of sigma
lures came to be marvellous in their
fidelity to the originals. Taking ad-
vantage of the trust reposed to him,
he forged orders from paymasters
for SI75, ooo, received the money,
and on the same day was married
to beautiful woman, Miss Julia
Mothershead. wealthy and well known
in Washington society. the niece of
the late J. D. Defrees, government
printer. The wedding party started
for Philadelphia, but before it reached
there Allen Pinkerton arrested
Cooper, and the result was sentence
of five years in the penitentary at
Moyamensing. The torger's SEN
tence expired in 1870, and he was
next heard of at Columbus, Miss,
where he secured the agency OF a
New Orleans insurance company.
He affected religious spirit in that
community, and at the home of the
Methodist minister, DR.. Cottrell, met
the widow Hill, a pious lady of some
means whom he soon married. He
soon squandered her fortune, and
then committed his second grave
crime. Through friendship with the
postmaster he was admitted to the
inner quarters of the postofhce.
There, one afternoon, while unob-
served, he turned the hands of the
clock forward twenty minutes, and
when the mail matter from the local
bank arrived at the usual time, it was
found according to the clock, to be
too late for the evenings train. At
favorable moment Cooper stole
from the packet letter containing
draft for $4,000 on the Bank of
Mobile. He altered the paper to
make the amount payable to himself,
restored it to the mails, and, hasten
ing to Mo lie, collected it. The
Mobile people became supicious just
in time and arrested him. Making
his wife believe that this was his first
misdeed, Cooper prevailed upon her
to sell her property, furnish the bail
required, and flee with him. They
went to San Francisco, where Cooper
for about two years led an honest
life in the employment of J. B.
Treadwell, wealthy merchant.
Having gained Treadwelps conf
dence, Cooper engaged in business
for himself as a stock broker, still
maintaining friendly and business re-
lations with his old employer. On
May IL, 1877, when about to start
on an Eastern tour, Mr.. Treadwell
intrusted to him box OF valuable
papers to deliver to Sather & Co.,
bankers. Cooper by some mean,
opened the box and distracted
Treadwell's bank book and a certih-
cate of deposit for $4,000. Three
days later he began to transfer from
Sather & Co. and the National Gold
Bank to the Trust Company such of
Treadwelps deposits as lie meant to
steal. Before the end of the summer
he drew out through forgeries a total
amount Of SI4, 500. Early in August
Mr.. Treddwell returned, but remain
ed in the city only few days, as he
was i'll and had been advised that
quiet on his country estate was
needed. 1t was during these few
days, with his peculations yet unde-
tected, that Cooper endeavored to
cover his course forever and add to
his iniquitous record the crime of
murder. He made an evening call
upon MIR. Treadwell and poisoned a
glass of lemonade which the invalid
was drinking. The noXious drug, or
whatever it may have been, had for
tunately no other effect than to sub
ject the intended victim to night of
spasms and pains, from which he with
great labor recovered. Mr.. Tread
we'll left for the country the following
day. Cooper spent the next several
days between San Francisco and
San Jose, where he placed his wife,
and on August 81 covertly left tor
the East. Cooper's brother, John,
arrived few days later and quietly
arranged the fugitive stock broker S
affairs, after which he returned to
| Kentucky. Almost on the day of
the brothers departure the discovery
of Cooper's frauds and the thefts
we're made. John was arrested in
Cincinnati, and after disgorging $40, :
900 of the stolen cash was released
because Of the difficulty in proving
his guilty. knowledge. The next
heard of Cooper was his arrest in
| T opdop IS-o for the foroar,, of