forty centuries of ink-第40章

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word　'thousand；'　so　that　in　place　of　the　draft

reading　'twelve　dollars；'　as　at　first；　it　read

'twenty…two　thousand　dollars；'　as　changed。



〃In　the　original　12　draft；　the　figures　'1'　and

'2'　and　the　character　''　had　been　punched　so

that　the　combination　read　'12。'　The　forger　had

filled　in　these　perforations　with　paper　in　such　away

that　the　part　filled　in　looked　exactly　like　the　field

of　the　paper。　After　having　filled　in　the　perforations；

he　had　perforated　the　paper　with　the　combination；

'22；000。'



〃The　dates；　too；　had　been　erased　by　the　chemical

process；　and　in　their　stead　were　dates　which

would　make　it　appear　that　the　paper　bad　been　presented

for　payment　within　a　reasonable　length　of

time　after　it　had　been　issued。　The　dates　in　the

original　draft；　if　left　on　the　forged　draft；　would

have　been　liable　to　arouse　suspicion　at　the　bank；

for　they　would　have　shown　that　the　holder　had　departed

from　custom　in　carrying；　such　a　valuable　paper

more　than　a　few　days。



〃That　was　the　extent　of　the　forgeries　which

had　been　made　in　the　paper；　the　manner　in

which　they　had　been　made　betrayed　the　hand　of

an　expert　forger。　The　interjected　hand…writing

was　so　nearly　like　that　in　the　original　paper　that　it

took　a　great　while　to　decide　whether　or　not　it　was

a　forgery。



〃In　the　places　where　letters　had　been　erased　by

the　use　of　chemicals　the　coloring　of　the　paper　had

been　restored；　so　that　it　was　well…nigh　impossible

to　detect　a　variance　of　the　hue。　It　was　the　work

of　an　artist；　with　pen；　ink；　chemicals；　camel's　hair

brush；　water　colors；　paper　pulp　and　a　perforating

machine。　Moreover　the　crime　was　eighteen　days

old；　and　the　forger　might　be　in　Japan　or　on　his

way　to　Europe。　The　Protective　Committee　of　the

American　Bankers'　Association　held　a　hurried　consultation

as　soon　as　the　news　of　the　forgery　reached

New　York；　and　orders　were　given　to　get　this

forger；　regardless　of　expensehe　was　too　dangerous

a　man　to　be　at　large。　It　was　easier　said　than

done；　but　the　skill　of　the　Pinkertons　was　aroused

and　the　wires　were　made　hot　getting　an　accurate

description　of　Dean　from　all　who　had　seen　him。

Suspected　bank　criminals　were　shadowed　night　and

day　to　see　if　they　connected　with　any　one　answering

the　description；　but　patient；　hard　labor　for

nearly　two　months　did　not　seem　to　promise

much。〃



Not　satisfied　with　their　success　in　San　Francisco

these　same　bank　workers　began　a　series　of　operations

in　Minneapolis　and　St。　Paul；　Minnesota。　This　information

by　chance　reached　the　Pinkertons　who　laid

a　trap　and　captured　two　of　the　gang。　Shortly　afterward

Becker　on　information　furnished　by　them　was

also　arrested；　taken　to　California　and　after　three　separate

trials　as　before　stated；　sent　to　San　Quetin。



This　triumph　of　the　forger's　art；　I　examined　in　the

city　of　San　Francisco　and　although　it　was　not；　the　first

time　I　had　been　brought　into　contact　with　the　work　of

Becker；　was　compelled　to　admit　that　this　particular

specimen　was　almost　perfect　and　more　nearly　so　with　a

single　exception　than　any　other　which　had　come　under

my　observation。　Becker　was　a　sort　of　genius　in　the　juggling

of　bank　checks。　He　knew　the　values　of　ink　and

the　correct　chemical　to　affect　them。　His　paper　mill

was　his　mouth；　in　which　to　manufacture　specially

prepared　pulp　to　fill　in　punch　holes；　which　when

ironed　over；　made　it　most　difficult　to　detect　even　with

a　magnifying　glass。　He　was　able　also　to　imitate

water　marks　and　could　reproduce　the　most　intricate

designs。　He　says　he　has　reformed。



During　the　last　twenty　years　quite　a　number　of

cases　have　been　tried　in　New　York　City　and　vicinity

in　which　the　question　of　inks　was　an　all　important　one。

The　titles　of　a　few　not　already　referred　to　are　given。

herewith：　Lawless…Flemming；　Albinger　Will；　Phelan…

Press　Publishing　Co。；　Ryold；　Kerr…Southwick；　N。　Y。

Dredging　Co。；　Thorless…Nernst；　Gekouski；　Perkins；

Bedell　forgeries；　Storey；　Lyddy；　Clarke；　Woods；

Baker；　Trefethen；　Dupont…Dubos；　Schooley；　Humphrey；

Dietz…Allen；　Carter；　and　Rineard…Bowers。







CHAPTER　XXV。



INK　UTENSILS　OF　ANTIQUITY。



THE　GRAVING　TOOL　PRECEDES　THE　PENCLASSIFICATION

UNDER　TWO　HEADS；　ONE　WHICH　SCRATCHED　AND　THE

OTHER　WHICH　USED　AN　INKTHE　STYLUS　AND　THE

MATERIALS　OF　WHICH　IT　WAS　COMPOSEDPOETICALLY

DESCRIBEDCOMMENTS　BY　NOEL　HUMPHREYSRECAPITULATION

OF　VARIOUS　DEVICES　BY　KNIGHTBIBLICAL

REFERENCESENGRAVED　STONES　AND　OTHER

MATERIALS　THE　EARLIEST　KINDS　OF　RECORDSWHEN

THIN　BRICKS　WERE　UTILIZED　FOR　INSCRIPTION

PURPOSESMETHODS　EMPLOYED　BY　THE　CHINESE

HILPRECHT'S　DISCOVERIESTHE　DIAMOND　AS　A　SCRATCHING

INSTRUMENTHISTORICAL　INCIDENT　WRITTEN

WITH　ONEBIBLICAL　MENTION　ABOUT　THE　DIAMOND

WHEN　IT　BECAME　POSSIBLE　TO　INTERPRET

CHARACTER　VALUES　OF　ANCIENT　HIEROGLYPHICSDISCOVERY

OF　THE　ROSETTA　STONE　AND　A　DESCRIPTION　OF

ITSOME　OBSERVATIONS　ABOUT　CHAMPOLLION　AND

DR。　YOUNG　WHO　DECIPHERED　ITITS　CAPTURE　BY

THE　ENGLISH　AND　PRESERVATION　IN　THE　BRITISH

MUSEUMEMPLOYMENT　OF　THE　REED　PEN　AND　PENCIL…

BRUSHTHE　BRUSH　PRECEDED　THE　REED　PENTHE

PLACES　WHERE　THE　REEDS　GREWCOMMENTS　BY

VARIOUS　WRITERSMETHOD　OF　FORMING　THE　REED

INTO　A　PENCONTINUED　EMPLOYMENT　OF　THEM　IN

THE　FAR　EASTTHE　BRUSH　STILL　IN　USE　IN　CHINA

AND　JAPANEARLIEST　EXAMPLES　OF　REED　PEN　WRITING

WHEN　THE　QUILL　WAS　SUBSTITUTED　FOR　THE

REEDREED　PENS　FOUND　IN　THE　RUINS　OF

HERCULANEUMANECDOTE　BY　THE　ABBE；　HUC。



THE　instruments　of　antiquity　employed　in　the　art

of　writing　belong　to　two　of　the　most　distant　epochs。



In　the　first　period；　inscriptions　were　engraved；

carved　or　impressed　with　sharp　instruments；　and　of

patterns　characteristic　of　a　graving　tool；　chisel　or　other

form　which　could　be　adapted　to　particular　substances

like　stone；　leaves；　metal　or　ivory　plates；　wax　or　clay

tablets；　cylinders　and　prisms。



The　ancient　Assyrians　even　used　knives　or　stamps

for　impressing　their　cuneiform　writing　upon　cylinders

or　prisms　of　soft　clay　which　were　often　glazed　by

subsequent　bakings　in　kilns。



The　other　period　was　that　in　which　written　characters

were　made　with　liquids　or　paints　of　any　kind　or

color。　The　liquids　（inks）　were　used　in　connection

with　a　pen　manufactured　from　a　reed　（calamus）；　while

the　paints　were　〃painted〃　on　the　various　substances

with　a　brush。　The　writing　executed　with　both　of

these　instruments　was　on　materials　like　the　bark　of

trees；　cloth；　skins；　papyrus；　vellum；　etc。



The　ancient　as　well　as　modern　pens；　though　of　many

sorts　and　kinds；　are　to　be　classified　under　two　general

heads；　those　which　scratch　and　those　which　use

an　ink。



There　is　no　authority　to　dispute　the　generally　conceded

fact　that　the　〃scratching〃　instrument　was　the

first　one　used。　Its　most　popular　form　seems　to　have

been　the　stylus　or　bodkin；　which　was　made　of　a　variety

of　materials；　such　as　iron；　ivory；　bone；　minerals　or　any

other　hard　substance；　which　could　be　sufficiently

sharpened　at　one　end　to　indent　the　various　materials

employed　in　connection　with　its　use。　The　other　end

was　flattened　for　erasing　marks　made　on　wax　and

smoothing　it。　From　it　the　Italian　stilletto　took　its

origin。



The　stylus　is　best　described　in　the　following

lines：



　　　　　〃My　head　is　flat　and　smooth；　but　sharp　my　foot；

　　　　　And　by　man's　hand　to　different　uses　put；

　　　　　For　what　my　foot　performs　with　art　and　care；

　　　　　My　head　makes　void；　such　opposites　they　are。〃



Relative　to　the　employment　of　marking　instruments

which　belong　to　the　most　venerable　antiquity；　Noel

Humphreys　observes：



〃Before　the　growth　of　wealth　and　luxury　had

taught　nations　to　raise　magnificent　temples　and

stately　palaces；　whose　walls　the　hieroglyphic　sculptor

covered　with　records　of　the　pomp　and　pride

of　princes；　more　purely　national　memorials　had

found　their　place　upon　the　native　rock；　the　most

convenient　surfaces　of　which　were　smoothed　for

this　purpose。　Where　no　such　rock　existed　in　the

situation　required；　a　massive　stone　was　raised　by

artificial　means　and　the　record；　whether　referring

to　a　victory；　a　new　boundary；　or　any　other　event

of　national　interest　was　engraved　upon　it。　Such

memorials　have　been　described　by　Hebrew　writers

as　aumad　or　ammod；　literally；　the　lips　of　the　people；

or；　the　words　of　the　people；　but　actually　meaning

a　pillar。　Records　in　this　form　and　the　early　name

they　bore　account　for　the　strange　legends　of　mediaeval

times　referring　to　speaking　stonesa　name

by　which　such　monuments　were　probably　still　called

long　after　time　had　effaced　the　speaking　record；

and　the　original　purport　of　the　defaced　stone　was

forgotten。　In　semi…barbarous　epochs；　like　the　era

which　followed　the　partial　extinction　of　Roman

civilization；　popular　curiosity　and　superstition　combined

would　seek　to　give　a　meaning　to　the　name　of

such　'speaking　stones；'　and　as　an　example　of　the

legends　which　thus　arose；　the　itinerarium　cambriae

of　Geraldus　may　be　cited；　in　which　a　stone　is　mentioned

at　St。　David's　as　the　'speaking　stone'

（lech　lavar）　which　was　said　to　call　out　when　a　dead

body　was　placed　upon　it。　The　most　remarkable

rock　inscriptions　still　remaining　are　those　of　Assyria

and　Persia；　but　many　national　tablets　of　more

recent　date　are　still　in　existence。　For　the　execution

of　such　records　and　those　of　the　palaces　of

Egypt　and　Assyria；　some　kind　of　steel　point　must

have　been　used；　as　no　softer　substance　would　have

served　to　engrave　them　in　granitic　and　basaltic

slabs　with　the　sharpness　they　still　exhibit；　which

proves　that　the　art　of　hardening　steel；　long　thought

a　comparatively　modern　invention；　was　known　to

the　ancient　people　of　Asia　and　Africa。〃



A　list　of　the　various　devices　of　different　countries；

by　which　characters　could　be　legibly　portrayed　with

a　scratching　implement；　is　best　recapitulated　by　Mr。

Knight；　who　presents　them　in　the　following　order：



〃The　tabula　or　wooden　board　smeared　with　wax；

upon　which　a　letter　was　written　by　a　stylus。



〃The　Athenian　scratched　his　vote　upon　a　shell

as　did　the　lout　when　he　voted　to　ostracize　Aristides。



〃The　records　of　Ninevah　were　inscribed　upon

tablets　of　clay；　which　were　then　baked。



〃The　laws　of　Rome　were　engraved　on　brass　and

laid　up　in　the　Capitol。



〃The　decalogue　was　graven　upon　the　tables　of

stone。



〃The　Egyptians　used　papyrus　and　granite。



〃The　Burmese；　tablets　of　ivory　and　leaves。



〃Pliny　mentions　sheets　of　lead；　books　of　linen；

and　waxed　tablets　of　wood。



〃The　Hebrews　used　linen　and　skins。



〃The　Persians；　Mexicans；　and　North　American

Indians　used　skins。



〃The　Greeks；　prepared　skins　called　membrana。



〃The　people　of　Pergamus；　parchment　and

vellum。



〃The　Hindoos；　palm…leaves。〃



The　written　deeds　of　biblical　time　were　kept　in　various

styles　of　pottery　（Jeremiah　xxxii。　14）。　Handwriting

on　tiles　was　common　in　Egypt；　Assyria　and

Palestine　（Ezekiel　iv。　I）。　Such　handwritings　were　on

tablets