Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1895-08-15
THE KING OF FORGERS.
Operations of w +. Brockway-Evaded
Punishment when Caught.

w + Brockway the king OF forgere and
countcrfeiters. who was recently arrested,
is one of the most notorious criminals oil
this class this country has produced. Only
one crook overshadows him in point of
skilful work as a counterfeiter, and ne
was Tom Ballard. who. ii was said, pos
sessed better formula for making paper
for greenbacks than the government.
Only one man can be said to have been
his peer as forger, and he also bore the
name of Brockway.
Like most counterfeiters, Brockway
early in life learned the art of engraving
but unlike the majority his knowledge
did not end with this accomplishment.
college education in electro-chemistry un-
folded to him the mysteries of electro
tipping and also new opportunities for
crime, opportunities which subsequent
events show he was quick to seize at the
cost of years of mpri sonment.
For almost if not quite half "A century
he has been the most dangerous sort of
criminal and an almost constant source
of fear and anxiety to the officials charged
with protecting the currency from fraud.
Even when in prison the government de-
tectives have been unable to relax their
vigilance, as he managed by some means
to direct the operations Of outside coun-
terfeiters and forgers. When at liberty
he has always been kept under the closest
/ surveillance.
1t is one of the traditions handed down
to successive chiefs of the secret service
to keep an eye on Brockway, and his
record and his Whereabouts have always
been known to these officials.
This tradition has been observed to the
letter, and this policy has resulted in
| Brockway's arrest at this time.
Brockway started on his career in New
| Haven about lS45. He was a Connecticut
| boy, and found employ as a printer
| Later he learned engraving and, becom-
ing an expert, he made good wages ana
saved sufficient money to pay for special
/ course in electro chemistry in Yale. This
technical knowledge he applied to the
production of electro-types. From almost
! the day he left Yale his career as a coun-
! terfeiter and forger date. His first trick,
| so far as any record goes, was TO take
an impression in soft metal of plate
which two directors of a bank had
! brought into the shop in which he worked
to have certificates struck from.
Really his first important crime was
committed soon after the war broke out.
When the government began to issue
| bonds. Brockway thought he saw his OPP
/ portunity on the 7-30 bond his work was
! of such exceptional cloverness that %W,-
/ 600 of the issue got into the government
vaults before any suspicion was aroused
/ Brockway was arrested, but was per-
| mittod to go on surrendcring the plates.
Brockway was arrested in 1850 for coun-
terfoting and forging $1,000 & per cent
United States coupon bonds. Two crooks
/ Smith and Doyle, were also arrested at
| the same time for completely. The finish
ed bonds and plates were all seized
/ Brockway was sentenced for 80 years and
Doyle for r.
Brockway did not serve a day of this
sentence. lie managed to arrange COM
promise with the government. The SEN
tence was suspended on condition that
plates be surrendered 1t was said at the
| time that, if he were again caught tam
perng with the United States securities,
the sentence should stand. He was
caught again, but for some reason best
known to the authorities the sentence Of
| 80 years not enforced.
Brockway was arrested in New York,
in November 1883, for forging Morris and
Essex railroad bonds Two others were
taken into custody at the same time. He
pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to Sing
Sing for five years by Recorder Smythe.
He was discharged on August 4, 1887.
Since then he has gone free until just
now.