The Washington times., 1903-12-27
BROCKWAY FREE AGAIN
AT FOURSCORE YEARS
king of COunteeteS Leaves Prison After Ten Years Term
Most Noted Forger in the Country

They concocted a scheme to float 81
O00. Gao OF spurious Government bonds.
Before they carried out their scheme
they were rounded up and both were
about TO go back TO prison when Brock
way made another agreement with the
Government. through which he sur
rendered a large quantity of plates and
half finished bonds and bank notes and
thereby escaped another sentence. The
stuff he gave up at that time was dug
up at Morris Park, and he confessed
that other plates and bonds were buried
in Fairmont Park, Philadelphia.
He also said that a famous plate
known as the 1913 Morris head plate"
known to be owned by Brockway. was
buried in the East River. The authori-
ties could never find it. although Brock
way insisted that he dropped it i'm the
East River from a Williamsburg dock
and buried one end of a wire. which was
attached TO an iron box containing the
plate. under the dock Another plate.
the engraving of which cost Brockway
nine years time. is supposed TO be
buried under a Long Island Railroad
bridge near Jamaica.
Among the largest schemes ever car
ried out by Brockway was the sale Of
$50. 600 worth OF Government bonds to
Jay Cooke. the late banker So clever
\ " were the bonds made, Cooke sued
/ the Government to recover their value
/ put he lost the suit. AS far back as
1861 Brockway counterfeited Govern
ment bonds. More than 800 600 war
bonds were turned into the Treasury
vaults at Washington before they were
/ found to be bogus.
Huge Counterfeitirg Deal
I In 1892 and 1883 Brockway and several
/ associates carried on high-handed and
monumental counterfeiting deal in New
York, and for a long time defied ar
rest Chief Drummond learned Of their
operations through a downtown printer.
who was asked TO do some work for
the gang. Brockway was Swallowed
from this printers place Of business to
I6l Greenwich Street. then TO 231
/ Lexington Avenue and TO 81 Division
Street. He also had room and work
shop at zee West Eleventh Street
Inspector McClusky. who was then if
plain clothes, worked on the case. anC
when the Lexington Avenue house wa.
/ raided a complete counterfeiting outfit
was found. The scheme then was t,
float bogus bonds of the Morris anC
Essex Railroad. Brockway had severa
men working with him and they wer,
all arrested and sent TO prison II,
again got out Of prison after servin;
short time.
Although ne was arrested many time
u to the time he was sent to TIT
Trenton prison, Brockway had serve'
only about seven years behind the bars
As a young man Rrockway had pleas
ing personality. He was fine lookin,
and stood more than six feet tail II,
was well read and talked fluenuy.
Criminal as a Boy.
He was born in New Haven in 1872
and attended Yale's scientific school
where he learned chemistry. His fathe
was a poor carpenter. and William lef
school early to earn an honest living
He worked for time for a printer an,
engraveT who did work for a Connect
cut national bank. Scarcely had Brock
way learned the business before he tool
pal" and while this associate en-
gagged the firms detectives in converse
tiol. Brockway made wax plate Of
bank note.
From this the two young men made
plate from which they printed abou
100000 in spurious notes. They left Ne1
Haven and circulated the notes on rae
tracks. Although they got rid of n
counterfeits they went broke playin
the races. They were captured an
served short sentences for the offense
\ great deal OF Brockway's couuterfei
money was circulated through the rae
tracks. He fitted from city to city an
, worked rapidly and accurately. He Is
very superior engraver. and had he mp
piled his talents legitimately and save
: his money he could have easily attain
! ed a large fortune honestly.