Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1902-07-19

Bur Mr.. Pa;tison advised them rot T.
trine with Justice, and through his in
tcrvcn:ion lie plates were dug IN and
Pat out of harms way. While in Jail
E0wever. they resolved to make an
other effort TO baCkmail the govern
ment. The necessary materials were
struggled in to them. ami they rugged
UP a tent of blankets. beneath which
they could work at night by the light
OF taper without being seen by the
guard in the corridor. Under these
trying conditions they produced plates
for printing a very clever counterfeit
of the $50 note bearing the portrait
of Hamilton. Brelell lured his father
into helping him by a pretence that
he had invented mechanism for iron
ing cuffs in a laundry. and needed a
small model 10 accompany his appli
cation for patent. The son iur
nishel the drawings. and the father
made the machine. which was actually
a press for printing false notes. and
Sc small that it could he packed in an
ordinary cigar-hox. with space 70
spare. With this apparatus Bredell
and Taylor ran eff few bills, provid
ing the paper in the same way as for
the sl00 note first discovered Tay
iors brother Harry was taken into the
secret. and the plan was. after few
of the counterfeits had been circulat
cd. to send one TO the treasury for
judgment on its genuinene.Ss. II was
then expected that the government.
discovering so dangerous counterfeit
at large. would be ready to make al
most any terms with its authors to
have it suppressed.
This scheme failed, however,
through an accident not necessary to
describe here. Harry Taylor, who had
undertaken the handling of the notes
outside, and a poor creature named
Hayes. whom he had employed as his
tool. were arrested within FIVE days
OF their beginning operations. This
last defeat seemed to break the spirit
OF the engrayers. who again confessed
their guilt. but charged their junior
counsel with having advised their
course; and on The strength of theiI
representations Semple was arrested
but after two trials he was discharged
on a verdict of mot guilty"
The trial of hewitt and Ingham re.
suited in their conviction, but an at.
tempt to corrupt the jury was discov.
cred. and two more men. named Fair
banks and O'Dea. were arrested for
the offence. In all, 13 persons have
been brought TO the bar of Justice in
this remarkable case, and IL con.
victed.
Between the counterfeit stamps,
which Jacobs had already used on mil.
lions of cigars before his capture, and
the false silver certificates. the male
factors might today have been rolling
in wealth, and government and public
proportionately poorer. but for the
miscarriage of the first 500 note
How came the defective seal on
piece of work otherwise so admirable?
Poor human nature, The engravers
had been originally mere employees OF
Jacobs, who was 10 pay them S25
apiece. weekly. till the profits of the
scheme reached a certain figure. The
Gisproportion between their salaries
and their ambitions stirred their i'm
patience. till they decided one dag to
test the plates already made by print.
ing a few notes and trying them on a
bank. The right kind of carmine ink
was too expensive for their purpose
and. as this was a strictly secret side
speculation. they could not borrow any
money of their richer partner Sc
they bought some inferior ink. which
was bright enough while fresh, but
soon faded. The success of the eX-
pertinent was immediate and com
plete. and they put out note after note
Their greed. as we have seen. was
their undoing.-Harpers Weekly.