Oct 11, 1867



1856, August

How to tell a counterfeit bank note. (1856, August). The Merchants' Magazine and Commercial Review (1839-1870), 35(2), 215.  Retrieved October 16, 2007, from APS Online database. (Document ID: 73592172).

1862, July 30

COUNTERFEITING :Statistics of Frauds on Our Paper Currency. Twelve-Thirteenths of Our Banks Have their Issues Counterfeited Proportions of Altered, Spurious and Imitation Frauds in Circulation. SIx Thousand Varieties of Counterfeit Money.DEFECTS OF OUR PAPER CURRENCY EXPOSEDStartling Increase of Counterfeiting in Six Years.A National Evil Demanding a National Remedy. SPURIOUS NOTES. THE "IMITATIONS" THE DEFECTS OF OUR PAPER CURRENCY SUMMED UP. WHAT IS THE REMEDY?. (1862, July 30). New York Times (1857-Current file),p. 1.  Retrieved October 16, 2007, from ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York Times (1851 - 2004) database. (Document ID: 78694390).

-“The road to wealth by such easy though dishonest means, presents a temptation which the young, too often, are incapable of resisting…”

Oct 11, 1867

WASHINGTON.; AFFAIRS AT THE NATIONAL CAPITAL. AFFAIRS AT THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.

New York Times

-the counterfeit us gov. bonds have been discovered

Oct 13, 1867

MONETARY AFFAIRS.

New York Times

-jay cooke & Co puts out a warning about the differences between forges seven thirties and the real ones.

Apr 14, 1869

Another forgery-The Bank of the state of New-York Defrauded of $26,000.

New York Times

Dec 9, 1870

COUNTERFEIT TREASURY BONDS'; A Startling Conspiracy by Expert Counterfeiters. ARREST OF A WEALTHY CITIZEN. Capture of William Brockway, Otherwise Known as William Spencer-Alleged Operations of the Accused to Defraud the Government-The Prisoner Held in Thirty Thousand Dollars Rail by Commissioner Osborn.

NEW YORK TIMES

- “Celebrated counterfeit 7-30 bond plate”—did people empathize with him? Even root for him?

- “Despite all those obstacles, Brockway, as alleged…after years of patient toil, he was enabled to gain a large fortune…”

Alias William Spencer alias “Long Bill”

Dec 17, 1870

The Seven-Thirty Bond Counterfeiter Discharged.

NEW YORK TIMES

- The case was discharges because no proceedings had been made in more than three years. It seems Brockway was out of contact for this period, suggestion he had fled, but since no

- progress had been made in the trial against him, the case was let go.

Oct. 25, 1880

COURT NEWS

Brooklyn Eagle

-being held in Raymond Street Jail

-Jay Cooke & Co. took $85,000 worth of the fake bonds.

Nov 27, 1880

Brockway at liberty

-2 indictments: forging $100 National bank notes and forging the $1000 bond.

-Judge Benedict

Dec 3, 1880

THE CRIMES OF BROCK WAY

NEW YORK TIMES

-employed by a bank-note engraving and printing company in Hartford, Conn.

-Bank of New Haven gives the company the job of printing, Brockway manages to make a copy of the plate, makes counterfeit money, “several thousand”, circulated it, was caught, convicted, and served a portion of the term.

May 22, 1882

The Counterfeiters and the Treasury Department

-Smythe (Smith) blames Brockway, “Smythe told a pitiful story of the influence that Brockway had gained over him, and represented himself as a victim of a perculiar fascination exerted by Brockway.” VERY different from how Brockway is portrayed during his interview with Smith, where he is “cool” and “level-headed”. Why does Brockway get so much more sympathy?

Jun 4, 1882.

WILLIAM BROCK WAY'S ARREST.; TAKEN TO WASHINGTON TO OBTAIN IMMUNITY FROM PUNISHMENT.

New York Times

- arrested as he entered HIS HOUSE IS NUMBER 760 EIGTH AVENUE

o 760 8th Ave

New York, NY 10036-7001, US, Manhattan, midtown, by West 47th Street

- kept at Ludlow Street Jail

Jun 8, 1882

DOMESTIC.

The Independent ... Devoted to the Consideration of Politics, Social and Econ...; 34, 1749

-arrested on Saturday

-accused of stealing plates from the U.S. Treasury building in Washington, and taken there.

Aug 01, 1888

Forger Brockway arrested, police will not allow him to walk in Wall Street

-he was arrested because he is a known crook and “prevention is better than cure”. Then he was released.

-he is 66 years old

1891 Jul 05

Makers of Bogus Money, not troubling the local Secret Service men right now

-“Counterfeiting cases are becoming rare in Brooklyn”

-says Brockway lived on Broadway, near Ivy Street

-Doyle posed as a merchant and sold the bonds and a number of them passed thru Wall Street

-“Old Brockway looked like a bank president”

-another account of Thanksgiving Day excavation of the plates

-bills were in glass jars

“Smythe squealed and was never tried” – people don’t like “squealers”

1895 Aug 06

William E. Brockway, Counterfeiter and Forger

-good physical description, 6’1.5” tall, not more than 160 lbs, gray hair, blue eyes, erect and vigorous in carriage, 73 years old.

-says he saved enough to pay for a course at Yale, differs from the account where the benevolent Bank guy paid for him.

1895 Aug 06

It was a big catch

-“Petticoats and counterfeiting don’t get along together”

-“Mr. Brockway is quite old enough to know better. Knowledge comes but wisdom lingers. Mr. Brockway did know better, but his wisdom lingered, and he will linger in stripes in consequence.”

1895 Aug 07

Brockway sees his captors, talks with Secret Service officials in jail

-another alias: Edward Benson. He is in Hudson county jail.

-they questioned him about his Clermont Avenue home

-didn’t want to be in the same cell as a common murderer, “slayer”

-the SS think the “escaped accomplice”, Bradford, is planning to return to a house where some tools are stored

-there is a letter from “Mrs. Spencer”:

-she is correcting another story the Eagle printed

-she and her family have not seen Brockway for 18 years

-she hints that he caused domestic troubles

-he didn’t supports them, and owed businesses in their neighborhood

-their addresss: 264 Clermont Ave.

1896 Feb 16

(picture, name) From 16 years after initial arrest

-another detailed description of the Thanksgiving 1880 recovery of the buried plates. Jamaica, Richmond Hill

-His home address is given from Brooklyn, 264 Clermont Avenue

-wife and family said he was a sea captain

-quarreled and separated from his wife

1896 Feb 20

Carlisle on the Stand

-right name is Spencer, after having been adopted by “a family of that name when he was ten months old”

-admits to being in “sing sing” in 1848, where he met Dr. Bradford. Didn’t mention his conviction in 1880.

1896 Feb 22

The guilt of Brockway

-“Brockway is one of the very few criminals who have brains”

“The case of this man is interesting, as proving the intractability of an occasional culprit to reformatory influences”

“crime and stupidity are closely allied. The usual thief is a low grade person in all ways. His brain is small and he does not know how to use it: (goes on: stunted, coward, brute, wongly parented, no moral sense, ignorant, filth). Brockway is one of those more accidental and exceptional men in whom a tendency to crime is stronger than the restraint his mind congnized as needful. He could have made an honest living and prospered in it…”

Feb, 27. 1896

BROCKWAY, THE COUNTERFEITER, NOT A MAN WITHOUT SOME REDEEMING TRAITS

Brooklyn Eagle

-letter to the editor

-questions his guilt

Feb. 28, 1896

BROCKWAY CASE IN COURT, THE COUTNERFEITER WILL BE SENTENCED SATURDAY WEEK

Brooklyn Eagle

March 7, 1896

BROCKWAY SENTENTED, MUST SERVE TEN YEARS AND PAY $1,000 FINE

Brooklyn Eagle

-sentenced to ten years

-landlady of house where gang operated also sentenced

1899 Jan 21

He Worked with Brockway

Brooklyn Eagle

-Dr. Orlando Bradshaw, died in prison

-quotes

-542 Ann Street, West Hoboken (headquarters)

-513 third Avenue (dentist’s office)

Sept. 26, 1902

“HENRY KING’S” PENWORK AMAZED THE JAIL FOLK, UNTIL A DETECTIVE ONE DAY RECOGNIZED THE PENMAN AS WILLIAM E. BROCKWAY, FAMOUR FORGER A VAGRANT

Brooklyn Eagle

-believed dead for several years

-confined at Queen’s County Jail

-Known as Henry King

Aug 29, 1905

TOOK A NEW PICTURE OF NOTED OLD FORGER; The Brooklyn Police Fear William Brockway Still. LOCK HIM UP OVER NIGHT Half a Century Ago He Was Known as "King of the Forgers" -- Now 83 Years of Age.

NEW YORK TIMES

- arrested 1808 in Hoboken for counterfeiting $240,000 in US Government bonds and $500 bank notes ($600,000 altogether)

- sent to prison in Trenton, pardoned a few years ago because of his age

- strolling along Fulton Street

- wanted picture for “Rogue Gallery”

Three years with counterfeiters, smug[g]lers, and boodle carriers with accurate portraits of prominent members of the detective force in the secret service.

by Geo P Burnham

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