ROMANCE OF COUTERFEITING.

Southland Times, Issue 1113, 24 February 1869, Page 3

ROMANCE OF COUTERFEITING.

(From the * Cincinati Commercial.')

Charles Ulrich, the notorious counterfeiter, has been convicted and sentenced to twelve years' hard labor in the penitentiary. Ulrich pleaded not guilty. He is regarded by the United States' authorities as the most accomplished and dangerous counterfeiter in the country, and the smartest man in the business. His career has been one of successful adventures, which the accident of his conviction at this time will not check if more tban usual pains are not taken to watch him while in the penitentiary. To escape from gaol is a m.itter of little effort with him, according to the best accounts we can gather. His detection and conviction at this time are mainly due to the efforts of Colonel Wood, Chief United States detective, of Washington, now in the city, and, we may add, not in a state of confidence that Ulrich will remain for any considerable time behind the iron bars of the Ohio State Penitentiary. Charles UJrich was born in Westphalia, and received a liberal education, but early in life developed remarkable talents as a draughtsman. He is about thirtythree years old. At the commencement of the Crimean war he went to England and joined the Royal itifle Brigade as draughtsman, served throughout that war faithfully and received an honorable discharge. He then came to this country and settled in New "Xork, where he commenced the business of an engraver, and carried it on for two years successfully, having realised enough to purchase a nice little residence in that city, which one of his wives now enjoys. Ulrich commenced extensive counterfeiting about two or three years ago in New ■ York, and made as much as 80,000 dollars on United States bills, according to his own statement. The authorities soon discovered a connection between his establishment and the most expert counterfeiters, and thenceforth his course was precarious, and downward. He was arrested in New York first and imprisoned, but escaped before his trial. He was arrested next in Canada by the United States authorities, but before being brought into the States broke gaol in Toronto and Jescaped. Knowing his daring character special watch was kept upon his actions, even to calling him every half-hour during his confinement there, but in spite of the precaution he succeeded in outwitting his keepers and effected his escape, which at the time was one of the most daring on record. With a shoemaker's awl, pickedup in the shoe shop of the gaol, Ulrich made a graver, and with it fashioned a key for his cell out of the iron hoops of the slop pail. He made a rope of his blanket, scaled gaol walls, and escaped. When he reached the Niagara river the officers were on his heels. He crossed that river a little above the falls in a rickety skiff, and came near being drifted into the irresistible current a little above where it takes its fearful leap. He made for the city, and commenced or continued operations as a manufacturer or dealer in counterfeit United States bank bills. Whilst I serving out a term in Sing Sing prison, New York, he contracted an intimacy with the gaoler's sister-in-law, and, when released, married her, having at the same time a wife living. About that time he became acquainted with James Colbert, an English boxer, who keeps a " crossman's" den in New York, and through him with Mary Brown, a shrewd German girl living at Colbert's house. The value of Ulrich as a counterfeiter was recognised at once by Colbert ; and he kept him close at work on plates, allowing no one to have access to him. Ulrich is a goodlooking fellow, and soon won the favor of Mary Brown, who reciprocated his affection by communicating his ambitious views to Burdell, alias Edwards, alias Harwood, a notorious New York counterfeiter ; and he, in conspiracy with Mary Brown, and Kate Gross, took Ulrich into full companionship, and started westward in pursuit of fortune on ! their own responsibility. Ulrich' s original wife came with him, and the entire party arrived in this city. They rented a twostorey frame house at Cleves, in this country, and set to work issuing 300-dollar counterfeit bills. Mrs Ulrich was sent back to New York as unnecessary, and the adventurous Charles made love to the German girl in this city, then living with her father, an industrious tailor *' over theKhine." To make a long story short, he married her and set her to work "sLoving" the new " hundreds." Mary Brown, not realising sufficiently from the business, suspected Burdell of treachery, and sent Kate Gross to Philadelphia, to act as the eastern agent for the new ' hundreds,' of which she procured any quantity from Ulrich on the

score of their first love. Colonel Wood was watching the operations closely and I discovered at last that the counterfeit I money reached Philadelphia from Cincinj nati through Adam's Express Company, and accordingly put a detective in the Cincinnati office to watch the forwarding operation. Burdell was arrested first, and kept in the room of an hotel for some time. Ulrich turned up next, was arrested, and also taken to the hotel. He made a partial confession, and promised to tell where the plates were if his women were allowed to go unpunished as accomplices. Ulrich was taken to New York on promise to the authorities there to do so. He was then transferred to Brook- | lyn, but escaped to Canada, and passing through there, as already shown, reached I Cincinnati a second time. He was I betrayed here by his women, who, with that unaccountable perversity of depraved feminine nature, cling to the object of affection and seek at the same time to destroy it. Ulrich made frequent attempts to break gaol here, the last only the night before last. He succeeded in procuring small files, and had cut through his window bars and unscrewed the nuts on the hinges of his cell door before being discovered. From all accounts Ulrich is the counterfeiter of the seven-thirty bonds about which there was such a bow. wow in "Washington some time ago, and it is i believed that he has made more plates than any other five counterfeiters in the country. He is highly intelligent, with agreeable and plausible manners, cool as a cucumber, sharp as a steel trap, and always self-possessed and ready. It would be difficult to say who is most en- 1 titled to credit for his detection, but with it the great gang of large counterfeiters in the country is broken up, and will cease from worrying until an equally bold spirit arises to reorganise them ; if, indeed, Uii-ich does not again escape and pursue his counterfeiting career.