The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-10
VARIED CAREER OF A FoRGER.

VARIED CAREER OF A FoRGER-
Two INDICTMENTS AGAINST A PRISONER
WHOSE TERM EXPIRES on THURSDAY.
Inn, an Occasional Correspondent Of The Trtbune)
PORT JERvIs. y. Y. Jan. o2.-By commute.
ton Tor good behavior the term in Sing Sing of
Sor ave years. viii expire on Thursday, but un.
lass his lawyer succeeds between this and that
time in etfecting a compromise or In quashing
viii at once be rearrested and locked up
for trial on one or both of the indictments.
Smith. came to this place six or seven years
ago. He was u young man OF superior educa-
ton. fine personal appearance. ana raro social
qualities. He soon gained entrance, into tho
proprietor Of the extensive tanning and lumber
ing establishment at Gilman's station, made
him smi,b his had pU %on tSe heart rn Of t6e dsSRhter OF ote the
Rev. Henry butcher. and they were engaged to
Early in 1850 Mr.. Gilman discovered that his
name had been forged TO checks to the amount
OF 81, 900. which checks had been negotiated in
New io or MI ln GfImsn ,'i ,ba, lG bis mo boo d1ae5 en- fne
committed the forgeries, and he caused his
arrest. Smith ~solemnly swore that he was in
notably the lady to whom he was engaged to be
married. Tho forgeries having been uttered in
New York he was taken there and lodged IN the
Tombs Miss butcher sat by his side, with words
Of comfort and Encouragement. all through. the
trial that followed and never doubted him.
years in Sing Sing. he took with him to prison
the solemn assurance of her faith in his entire
innocence.
There were others who firmly believed that
Smith was the victim of inoxplicable circuni-
stances. and after he had been a year in prison
smith prepared m elaborate statement, and
able lawyers presented 1t. with others. TO Gov.
esO G1PSl III in ,d laying NJ before nny.r him w ,hs 2 gisndSsd f9 Or
look favorably on the petition. but before TAX.
ing action in the matter he directed the pardon
s sisas ae a" and e career OF the prisoner a.'o AS a
means Of ascertaining, anything that might
pertain to past criminal tend en- in
varded to the different State prisons of the
country, with q request for any
inr on his career. An answer was received from
the prison authorities of Illinois stating that. no
S Ss9, se and h q term niso 81 'bs ySar sr II In on t 1,et ehn dGr eO Of
wife murder. On the latter charge he was ac-
quilted. Gov. Cornell then refused to interfere
lowing OF friends that had continued to believe
in him. Miss butcher discarded him completely
and was last year married.
a. C. Butts, counsel for Smith. has boon seek
Ing to have the remaining indictments against
him quashed before his sentence expires. This
COUNSEL e5UGeeIi fos the has prosecution Pesa sasanugM Mr.. Gilman HpREsi Is not Ss
disposed to show any mercy, to Smith, holding
t 4oa,d hf b. !, m a w dsn tn s6nw cF Tsnisnsv s ,Sst that no5l 4
turn him loose upon society.
Chairman Hackett also submitted tho follow
ing editorial. which appeared in the Ne,r York
Tribune on the same day:
The value of good manners and q pleasing ad.
dress is once more illustrated in the story which
10 published elsewhere in the Tribune this
Wis forger, J. p. G. Smith. This man was SEN
fenced to several years imprisonment In 1880
fer forgery. and. although the evidence, against
him was strong, many people who had known
him refused to believe in his guilt. An effort
was made to have him pardoned. and II Gov.
have succeeded. The iss' GoVorDor had i IN HEfts
made about the convict, and soon
say that Smith was allowed to serve out his
term. which will expire tomorrow.
however, that an effort 10 making to have tho
untried Indictments against him Quashed. 1t
{ Sd5Ird5t tSu as nat THIS III p ls ra . rogue e Just the
Evidently tho last words fought to DO kept
tooked mp II possible" contain q typographical
nlunder. 1t was evidently meant to read
ought TO DO kept locked up II possible"
On Oct. 80. the closing hours of the campaign.
M Reid. in tho effort to demoraliEe Repub-
ncanS and induce them NOT to vote for Gen.
Tracy. allowed Smith. whom he knew to DO Q
convict, free scope in tho columns OF the Neto
Xors Tribune to declare on his unsupported
word that In 1892 Presidential year, a deal
existed between TammAny Hall and Senator
flatt whereby Thomas +. Gilroy, Tammany's
candidate for Mayor. was to be elected and in
return Mr.. Gilroy was to sopoint Charles II.
murray and Michael Kerwin as the Republican
follce Commissioners Smith was then and 10
now editor Of the Wine and Spirit Gazette.
tdWin Einstein was the Republican candidate
Ior Mayor in 1892. 1t was the year of tho
cleveland tidal wave. Cleveland's vote In New
iork city was It's, 267;G ilroy's. 1850; Har-
nson's. 9s.967. and Einstein's, 97.927. The
iaiocy OF such a story as Whitolaw Reid allowed
smith to I'll up the New Fork Tribune with was
apparent to all political students.
In 1891 Whitelaw Reid. knowing the charac-
sr OF smith from the news columns and editor
AIS OF his own newspaper, through his personal
agent. John F.. Milholland. induced the Repub.
ncan State Committee to employ Smith. alias
o'huienoerg, alias Schoeppe. Reid Mt the time
vas a candidate for the nomination for Vice.
PRESIDENT, He was hungry for 1t. The Repub-
"sa state was favorable to Iteid's
candidacy and they took Smith, OF whom they
Aue" nothing. into their employ. and
Tue services Smith performed. Chairman
nackett declared last night. were all
" Reds behalf. Reid was nominated at
minneapolis. He had run a non.union printing
o"ee Tor many years. In 1854 Mr.. Blaine be-
eOaEht Reid to fix up his labor troubles. Reid
REUSED. He was not n candidate himself. The
.eplo'lr0n National Committee in 1888 be-
sousht hcid TO fix up his labor troubles in Har-
,soh hehR!t. Reid refused. He was not a can
uula'e himself. After the Minneapolis convcn-
'o" Feid and his agents hustled night and day
"pa'ch M Reds labor troubles. Reid was a
saa"u'uate then. The troubles were only partly
SSa!uStei' Every worklngman in the United
Aus Iscid's conduct. and in hack
80 nnm 10 pieces they pulled down Gen. Harri-
n pn' The Minneapolis ticket was defeated from
moment 1t was nominated. and all because
Wei hero to recall an experience a SUN
pol'er had with Mr.. Blaine during that cam
pS'sh' Reid had invcigled Mr.. Blaine to come
Enou Augusta and he his guest at Ophir
..r. Ar' Blaine remained there two days and
o0ru On TO tho Fifth Avenue Hotel. Reid ac-
Ipahied him to the hotel. carrying the grip
.~oA OF the great Maine statesman. The follow
pr, norhing several New York newspapers
news articles 10 the effect that Mr..