Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-11-28

no camera could make a photograph
in the light their cell afforded.
Then there was Charles Becker, one
try. After taking a two years course
at Cooper Union he developed pas
sion for art engraving. His work was
in demand and he made money. but
for some unaccountable reason he pre-
ferred to employ his hand at forging
checks, which landed him in prison
time after time. This man was not
only an artist with pen and brush,
but he knew the art of lithography, he
knew how to make water marks In
the paper he used, how to blend inks
and make tools that assisted him In
erasing figures from checks and stock
certificates. "A Jail sentence seemed
INSIGNIFICANT compared to the fascina-
ton of phony engraving" he once said'
when asked why he persisted In MS
forgeries when he could be rich by
being honest. After Becker was re-
leased the last time he formed re-
Imarkable alliance with the American
Bankers association. He invented
scheme for preventing the raising OF
checks, and was paid by the associa-
ton to use his device in their interests
lessening the losses from forged
checks.
There was the curious case or an
old German, a veritable wonder with
the brush and pen. This man liter
ally painted pictures Of twenty-doiiar
notes which were works of art. He
used no tools except his pen and
brushes, and 1t took him a week to DO
the portrait of a banknote. He ng-
ured that his handicraft was worth
about So a day, and worked under
the idea that the world owed him
fair living, and should not object II
his talent led him toward portrait
painting, with twenty-dollar bills Tor
models. Even Jail terms failed to I'M
press him seriously with his wrong
doing. A collector Of curios once OF
fered $500 for one of his specimens or
bill portraiture, and the value OF some
others was said to be even greater, so
marvellous was the delicacy of the
brush work.
A queer old character used to be
familiar figure on the Bowery in the
lneighborhood Of Chatham square. He
lived in a house which was literally
den of thieves-the hang-out or
score of expert pick-pockets. This old
fellow in his youth was a scholar,
man of literary ability, although no
one knew for certain his exact story.
At all events, he was a pick-pocket OF
such deftness that his talent amounted
to sleight- of-hand performances that
would have earned him good living
on the vaudeville circuits. He served
many terms behind bars, but he also
escaped many forced retirements at
the states expense by his ability to
compose verse. He would assume his
scholastic air before the judge as
last resort, and spring plea In the
form Of extemporaneous poetry. This
was often so good as to create a real
furor in the court room, and many
Judge gave the old man his freedom
instead Of a term on the island be-
cause it seemed pity to confine such
cleverness behind the grating Of IL
cell
Blackwelrs island remembers at
least one case of woman who might
be said to have a genius for heroism.
1t was in the days when the perpe-
traitors of serious crimes were sent to
the penitentiary there for life. This
woman was convicted Of the murder
of her husband. A few years after
her arrival on the island fire started
in the womans dormitory and created
a panic. One woman, who escaped
with difficulty, left her baby behind
in the bed they had occupied. When
she found she had forgotten the baby
she became frenzied with fright and
despair. In the excitement nobody
noticed that the woman murderer,
who was there for life, had gone back
into the flaming building. She crawled
on her hands and knees to the baby's
cot and rescued it, being badly burned
in consequence. For this bravery the
woman was pardoned by Theodore
Roosevelt. She subsequently went to
distant city, married and is hon
ored and respected today.
One might go on almost indefinitely
citing cases of men of talent, some
times genius, who turn it to account
only when the monotony of prison life
drives them to it.-New York Press.