ROMANCE IN A FORGER'S LIFE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9064, 26 May 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

ROMANCE IN A FORGER'S LIFE.

SENSATIONAL incidents follow so breathlessly in the career of William Ringgold Cooper that the wildest imagination of the novelist is left far behind by fact. The sentence of 15 years just passed on him at the Old Bailey was the crown of a life of most extraordinary stratagem* of misused abilities, and of sheer audacity. There seems to have been as little limit to this latter quality as to the mental alertness which marks" his attitude. He began life as an ensign in tho American navy, and it was not until he became a clerk in Washington that his criminal propensities asserted themselves. Ho forged the names of several paymasters to the amount of some thousands of dollars. An intelligent, bright young man, with dark brilliant eyes and attractive ways, it is not surprising to find him at tiiis timo newly engaged to a lovely Creole girl, and the wedding-day had been named to take place at the time of the discovery of these forgeries. A dramatic writer could make much of such a situation—still more of Cooper's arrest on his wedding journey, within a few miles of Philadelphia, where the honeymoon was to have been spent. The bridegroom was carried away in irons, and the bride sent to an hotel to wait for her father. There have been more tragic marriage moms, but none more unblessed. After five years' imprisonment, Cooper went to New" Orleans, and obtained employment as the agent of an insurance company. Theunfortunatejbrideclaimoddivorce, under the garb of religion, he successfully wound his way into tho affections of a credulous widow, hinting artfully at an intention to take holy orders. The plausible forger married the widow, Mrs. Hill, and very soon ho had squandered her means. Then it was that he succeeded in perpetrating his most audacious crime. He was in the habit of visiting a bank, and managed to get {possession of a few sheets of the bank a letter heads and envelopes. He visited the post office, where he was well known, and advanced the hands of the clock twenty minutes. The postmaster, not aware of this act, made up his mail, and, when the messenger of the bank arrived, ho was informed that he wad too late for that day's mail. The letters were left on the table, and Cooper managed to steal one addressed to the Mobile Bank. This he copied, and added that the Bank of Columbus had on that day sold to a Mr. Sloane a eight draft on the Mobile Bank for IS,OOO dollars. He made out this draft, and forged the signature of the Columbus Bank. Ho posted his letters with Sloane's signature, and went off to Mobile, presented the forged draft, and obtained the money. The very thought of the amount of energy, promptness, audacity, and skill such a scheme demands takes one's breath away. Such a man might have attained dizzy heights in statesmanship or commandership had his fancy lain in either department. Suspicion was at once aroused, and discovery followed, with Cooper's second arrest. But his wife stood to him, sold her property to obtain bail, and they went to San Francisco. Here he was employed by a Mr. Treadmill, with whom he was on very friendly terms. Treadmill had a large tin box which contained his papers and valuables. This Cooper stole, and, during the owner's absence in New York, continued forging hi 3 name for large amounts. Upon his return, Cooper disappeared, and made his way to England. His life in England was splendid, and reads like fiction. He had a beautiful country seat at Hemel Hempstead, horses, carriagos, liveried servants, followed the hounds, and shot with the neighbouring gentry. Ho gave good dinners, was liberal to tho poor, was an attentive church-goer, and paid his bills regularly. When he came to London, he forged the names of his country friends in Hertfordshire, imposed on the" Bank of England, and might still be forging and dining well, and following the hounds, had he not overreached himself and fallen into the hands of the law a last time through reckless daring. Ho had forged on Messrs. Glyn, Mills, and Co. for the°pum of £400, and, when it was believed he had flown, he walked coolly into the bank, and demanded an explanation of the talk about a forgery. This led _to his arrest, and he haa since been identified by an American ensign who knew him fourteen years ago. In appearance he is dark, slightly built, clean-shaven, with dark hair, rather grey, and small hands and feet.