The sun., 1898-10-16
FORGEDON ENGLlND'S BANK
William Ringgold Cooper, a Del.
aware Boy, Victimized That
Great Institution.
WAS His AMBITION ASA FORGER
Born In Kent County, This Remark.
able Man Early Developed Natu.
raj Keenness and Skillfulness
as Successful
FOrger.
WAS His AMBITION ASA FORGER

The recent robbery Of e1 900 in gold at
the Bank of England is doubtless a
proof, If proof were needed, that there
exists an organized gang who patiently
and persistently arrange for these very
profitable raids. During the last few
years the "adventurers" have made sew
eral coups with entire success.
Though the Bank of England may to-
day be victim Of an organized gang
who persitently arrange for profitable
raids, the State Of Delaware at one time
contained man-born on this soil
who with greater degree of patience
and persistency, and working in conjunc-
ton with no one, manipulated that
which was perhaps the greatest steal
eyer affected on the great Bank OF Eng.
land
His name is William Ringgold Cooper
He was born at Smyrna, Kent county,
over fifty years ago, and grew into man
hood in that vicinity. His was wild
character from early youth, quite the
contrary to the disposition and character
of his elder brother.
Naturally bright, added years to his
age only tended to sharpen his keenness,
which had developed in a path leading
/ to crime.
Withal, a spirit of frankness and geni.
ality endeared him to all with whom
he met. 1t was his ready acceptance
into the good graces of all with whom
he associated that aided his desires for
unlawful gain.
He could borrow large sums of money
and with national sickness spread the
veil of years quickly over the time of the
transaction and finally convinced the
creditor that is was useless to attempt to
regain the amount.
Cooper turned his attention to steal
ing at an early age. He was perfect
gentleman. He was readily admitted into
society and as result rarely visited q
social function or private affair without
coming away large gainer-fnan-
cially.
As he attained a ripper age Cooper
gained desire to enlarge his field of
professional stealing and adopted as his
part of the profession the branch of
forgery. Local banks and their deposit
ors began to suffer. Banks in nearby
states lost money through forged checks
and yet Cooper remained undetected
He left Delaware and his Kent county
friends and associates and travelled west.
Shortly after his departure railroad mag
mates and rich men in Pittsburg, Pa,
became victims of clever forgeries. The
forged remained undetected.
Success having attended his operations
in this country William Ringgold Cooper
weEt to Europe and entered newer,
larger, and at the same time, more
dangerous field, owing to its strangeness
and unfamiliarty of the people.
Not speaking any foreign tongue
Cooper took up residence in London.
Bankers and moneyed men in the"Foggy
City" became his. victims. Jews on
Lombard stree were feeced by this Della
ware boy.
Cooper next turned his attention to
the Bank Of England, the greatest bank
ing institution in the world 1t was, as
he afterward described it, his ambition
to make Il successful haul from the Bank
of England, the strictness of accounts
and skillful detection of fraud in which
institution has world wide reputation
Cooper played his card. He forged on
the ''Old Lady of ThreadneedIe street."
for an amont reaching 9lO, 600 or nearly
$50: 900. He was successful in obtaining
the money.
He had forged on a well known
banker, who was closely identified with
the Rothschilds The steal was discov-
cred and having made a mistake in the
time at which his steamer left Dover for
Calais, France, Cooper was suspicioned
L la.
rested just before taking the steamer.
He confessed, was sentenced, and to-
day this Delaware boy is serving a term
in an English prison for forging on the
Bank of England.