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 SpencerAlleged 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