Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1888-08-02
FORGING A DISORDER.
The Careers of Noted Criminals Cited to
Prove . Charitable Theory,

II
The Careers Of Noted Criminals Cited to
Provo . Charitable Theory.
The desire to obtain wealth by cOun-
terfeiting, whether it be in imitation
of coin by means of a die, or the sigma
ture of a banker, by means of pen. is
very strong one among that class OF
individuals who are averse to earning
their bread by the sweat of their brow.
1t is not the rough, uneducated class
that become forgers; their illiteracy
drives them to highway robbery and
makes cracksmen of them; but the re-
fined, Intellectual class, the members
of the swell mob of gentiljty who pre-
fer the more dexterOus and heightened
groove of fortune than attention to the
two former crimes gives.
In Sutton's history of the Tombs
there are several stories told of we'll
known forgers who have spent most of
their lives behind prison bars, and.
after serving sentences for one crime.
would go back again on another charge.
Perhaps there is no forger who has
spent less time in prison for the
amount of his operations than Spencer
Pettis, who began a successful career
as forger and counterfeiter in 1868, and
is now serving the latter part of a ten
year sentence in q Boston prison. In
early life his habits were those Of q
gentleman of leisure. He took no part
in politics, but always associated with
politicians, and was well paid by them
to do their dirty work. He was con-
nOisseur of wines, and any evening
could be found sampling his pet bever-
age in the bar-room of the st. Nicholas
Hotel. His first forgery was for $25,-
coo on Messrs. Lathrop, Luddington &
Co., but his political friends got him
cut of the scrape after he had served
only few months in the TOmbs. Then
he figured as stock speculator and
finally wound up in Boston, where he
was detected in a $4,000 crooked deal.
Sutton tells of a notorious bird by
the name of Canter, whose luck seems
to be entirely opposite that of Pettis.
Canter is now only fifty-six years old.
and more than half of his life has been
spent in prison. He was an expert
counterfeiter and a most proficient PEN
man. He could produce a fac-simile of
the most difficult signature at one trial.
His first sentence was for fifteen years
in Sing Sing. There he spent his time
comparatively easy after they dis
covered he was an expert penman.
They put him keeping books. After his
discharge he was caught at his old
tricks again and sent back shortly after
ward for ten years. He was pardoned
before his term expired, but again
found his way back. While in Sing
Sing he was detected altering the terms
of prisoners on the books from nine to
seven. and from FIVE to three, thus
virtually giving the men two years, for
which, of course, he was paid.
Monroe Edwards is another of whom
Sutton gives a very extended history.
He borrowed money from the crowned
heads of Europe and paid them in
forged drafts on wealthy gentlemen.
His forgeries were never for smaller
amounts than $4,000. while he never
thought nothing of drawing a check
for $4,000. While in Sing Sing he
forged the name of Andrew jackson to
letter to Governor Wright asking for
his pardon, and. had it not been for a
timely discovery of the forgery, would
have been pardoned.
These are only few of the many
cases which show that counterfeiters
and forgers are men of intelligence,
shrewd enough to make a good living
in an honest way; but they are afflicted
with the desire, and must follow the in
clinatfons of their diseased minds,
even if it cost them their honor, their
manliness and their libertv.-N y
Cor. st. Louis Republic.
Horace Was Un decid ed.