The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-06-25
SHAPIRO THE FORGER.

Fraudulent Enterprise that Almost
Succeeded.
From the Autobiography of Sir Walter
Bcsant.
About 1877 certain Shapiro, Poisl
Jew, converted to Christianity, but not TO
good works, came 10 England and cal, d
upon me nlysteriously. lie had with him,
he said a document which would simply
make students of the Bible aud Hebrew
scholars reconsider their ways; 1t would
throw d food OF light Upon the Pentatcucn,
and so On. The man wds a good actor, ne
Was man of handsome presence, tall, with
ialr hair and hluc eyes; not the least Ike
the ordinary Polish Jew, and With an AR
Of modest honesty which carried one away.
" hat was MS discovery: First he would
not tell me. Then salu he might so away.
So he told ME. 1t was nothing less taan
u contemporary copy OF the Book Of Deute
ionomy, written on parchment. contem-
pCraIy copy, Could ! see It; | might see
a piece which he pulled out Of his pocket
book. It was Nlitten In hnc ht lek ink, as
fresh after 500 years as when II was laid
on; and in the Phocnician characters of the
told me- through being deposited in per,
fcctly dry cave IN Moab. Then sug ;estcd
that be should make this discovery known
to the world, tic consented, after Il VII L.
the great Hebrew scholar, and Captain Con
der, tho surveyor OF Western Paiestine. |
undertook to invite them to come on the
morrow. But Glnsburg considered that tne
invitation included his friends. aud so the
whole of the British museum. SO to speak
With all the Hebrew scholars In London,
turned up. and With them Gender. Sna ira
uutolded his manuscript amid such excite
mcui as Is very seldom exhibited ny
scholars. The exposition lasted about three
hours; then Shapirl tore on piece OF the
precious document TO show the nature Of
tlfr parchment It was. as one Of the COM
pany remarked. wonderfully modern In ap-
ptarGncc. and A remarkable illustration of
The ants as known and practiccd in the time
cf Moses, Then Shapiro withdrew. an /
after a little conversation the learned CON.
pany separated. AS they went out on ot
them, a professor of Hebrew, exclaimed
with conviction, This IS ono Of tho few
things that could not he q forgery and IA
fraud
There were left with me Captain Gender
and William simpson Of the Illustrated
loidon News. Said simpson dryly; lie
values his manuscript nj t1,UO,WU. Of
coulSc he could spare the value OF the
hit he tore on suppose IT Is worth
taoo.' So he chucklcd and went his way.
simpson entertained n low view Of the
worthy Shapiro. Christian convert Then
Jonder. who had been very quiet. only put
ting in a little question from time to time,
points objected TO by German critics have
vanished In this new and epoch King
trouynie. The geography Is not confused,
and Moses docs not record his own death.
face
And | know. believe, all the caves of
Moab, and they. are all damp and earthly
lrerc is not n dry cave In the country"
Then YOU thinkt-
"prcCiScly."
Clcrmont Ganncau, who was in Paris,
cane over to sec the precious manuscript
few days passed; the learned dNines
and PROFESSORS were hanging over the
manuscript, preparing thcir commentaries.
Carpeau asked permission to see tho MANI
script. and then all the fat was In the
1iro II know" he said ''how this mann
script was obtained. The parchment IL eu
from the margins Of Hebrew manuscripts,
some of them IT considerable antiquity
lhe writing Is that Of Yesterday"
/ Alas! that was So That was exactly
/ Whist had been done. Shapiro received hi
/ manuscript back without any offer Of flo
| not 10 sneak Of H.OUOu0. II was too mucl
/ ror The peer man; the work bad cost hin
so murh trouble, he mad recknucd with
( SO much faith On the success of his careful
/ and learned forgery. that his mind heea M,
| uuhingcd He hanged himself.