The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-23
NOTED FORGER OUT
Charles Becker Proposes Lead
ing Honest Life.

4NG w L OIIh, OCI. ZZ.-CnarleS Beck.
er, known as the king of Counterfeit
ers." who has just finished a five years.
term in the California state prison at
San Quentin, is expected at his home,
No. III Bradford street, Brooklyn, to-
day.
Becker used to be a great favorite
among New York singing societies, and
several members of these have ar
ranged to give him hearty welcome.
His faithful wife, through whose eff
forts he obtained new trial when SEN
fenced for life, has made elaborate ar
rangements for his home coming.
Becker says he intends to lead an
honest life. He will embark in the
manufacture of paper, writing upon
which cannot be altered without detec-
ton. He patented the process while in
prison
Becker was convicted for raising a.
$l2 draft on San Francisco bank to
$4,000. He was sentenced about seven
years ago to life imprisonment A sec
ond trial was granted because of new
evidence and the jury disagreed. On
the third trial Joseph Creegan, known
among his craft as Jim the Penman,'
turned states evidence. He was SEN
fenced to three years and a. half and
Becker to eight years Imprisonment,
which, through good behavior, has re-
suited in his release after about five
years.
In prison Becker never did a days
work. His wife sent SIS weekly for
his keeping. Much Of his time was oc-
cupied in shooting and fishing, he hav-
ing the freedom Of the prison grounds.
Although fifty-three years of age
Becker looks much younger. Previous
to this last Imprisonment he served six
years in the Kings county penitentiary
for counterfeiting. He was arrested in
his counterfeiting den in the cupoIa Of
house at the corner of old Cypress
avenue, now Crescent street, and Full
ton. East New York. The complete
counterfeiter's paraphernalia was cap
tured in the cupola.
Not alone in this country is Becker
known and feared. Thirty years ago.
after having robbed the Third National
Bank OF Baltimore, Becker made a.
tour of Europe with band of able as
sistants and left weeping bankers in
London, Paris, Frankfort, Hamburg,
Berlin, Vienna, Smyrna, Constantinople
| and every other city Of Importance on
the continent. All languages looked
alike to Becker when he was altering
checks, and he did it so cleverly that
his work was not discovered until the
banks checked up with one another.
1t was Becker who forced the Ameri-
can BANKERS association In 1894 to
ganization and employ detectives to run
| down professional criminals who preyed
on their members. Up to that time he
had comparatively easy time of it for
he surrounded himself with so many
safeguards that it was practically i'm
possible to connect him directly with
any of his crimes. Becker was always
accompanied by band of crooks who
could be relied on to adhere to the
| maxim of honor among thieves" and
while he was ever ready to desert them,
as he did many times, they seldom failed
to protect him.
The method of the gang was to buy
them to thousands of dollars. Becker
writing with acids, restoring the delicate
| tints to the safety paper and writing in
the new amounts his equal has never
lived. When the amount of the draft
was perforated in the paper he would
| fill in the perfora tons with paper pulp,
press it out with hot irons, and perforate
in the figures to agree with the changed
amount. When a check or draft left his
hands it was almost impossible to de-
| tect the alterations
| WASHINGTON, d. c., Oct. 17.-Charles
Becker may be the first man in the
United States to be paid big salary to
do nothing but be honest. He is the
most expert as he is the most famous
/ forger this country has ever. produced
| He was recently released from San
| Quentin prison in California. where he
| served five years for one OF the most
remarkable forgeries on record, and II It's Is
| has agreed to pay him $500 month for
| life on condition that he, will be good.
Becker denies the story and government
| him doubt that it is true, but they
| admit that stranger things have hap
pened. .;o.,,
| bankers as is Becker. He has taught
them them to fear him by literally taking
| their money from them by the barrel;
! and though he is sixty-six years ola
there Is no Indication that his hand mas
| inst its marvellous cunning.