George H Meeks, CT/Philly, 1860's, criminal
I had checked into this guy, but I don't think he's an ancestor after some research.Just passing it on for human interest value...
Note, the newspaper articles are available at Genealogy Bank (www.genealogy.bank.com) (pay site has many Philadelphia papers!).Also this site is free (digital searchable newspapers) at Penn State:
http://digitalnewspapers.libraries.psu.edu/Default/welcome.asp?skin=civilwar&QS=skin%3Dcivilwarhttp://digitalnewspapers.libraries.psu.edu/Default/welcome.asp?skin=civilwar&QS=skin%3Dcivilwar
(civil war era papers including Philadelphia Bulletin)
I didn't copy all of them, but these articles pretty much cover it.George H seems to have been in prison when my Mary E Mix was born...
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Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/10/1864 - Arrivals at Hotels, Girard House, C.H. Atwood, Chicago
Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/21/1864Robbery at the Sanitary Fair
Heavy Robbery at the Sanitary Fair - Yesterday morning a gentlemanly-looking and well-dressed man, about twenty-two years of age ,was arrested at the Sanitary Fair on the charge of embezzling a large sum of money belonging to the Committee.His true name is J.M. Micks, and it is alleged that he represents himself as a native of Hartford, Connecticut.He boarded at the Girard House, under the name of Marshall.This man, at the opening of the Sanitary Fair, applied to the Committee for a situation, bringing with him a letter purporting to have been written by Matthew Baldwin, Esq., of this city.Upon this he was placed in the position of Assistant Cashier, and last week, it is alleged, a deficiency of about $125 was discovered in the accounts.The loss could not be traced to any particular person till yesterday, when, it is alleged, Micks wanted to leave, on the pretense that Mr. Baldwin had gone down the river;but several persons to whom he mentioned the fact happened to be aware that Mr. Baldwin's country seat lay up the river, and as he left the office and went into the Fair in company with a companion suspicion was excited, and investigations set on foot, which ended in the arrest of the gentleman in question by Detectives Charles H Smith and Edward Carlan, as he was leaving the Fair by the Race street gate.
The prisoner appeared very indignant, asking those who made the arrest if they were not detectives, to which they replied in the affirmative, and forthwith took him into custody.He went with them without much resistance, and on searching him, it is alleged, $325 and a valuable gold watch were discovered in his possession.His trunk being examined, it was found to contain a fine wardrobe, two pistols, a quantity of soap and a pomatum in fancy bottles;also a number of pen-knives, a costly album, filled with photographs;four or five pairs of splendid patent-leather boots and other valuable articles.
He is now in the Central Station, and when placed in his cell became much excited and cried like a child.Micks had a photograph of himself, which is in the hands of the detectives.A list was also found in his trunk of persons to home he had sent photographs of himself.
The hearing in his case will take place today at the Central Station, before Alderman Beitler.
[Girard House, at Ninth and Chestnut Streets]
Philadelphia Press, 6/21/1864
Bank Robber Arrested.
Detectives E. Carlin and Charles Smith, yesterday afternoon, arrested a young man, named George H. Mix, alias Marshall, alias Attwood, as he was leaving the southeast entrance of the Sanitary Fair.The prisoner became highly indignant, but the officers, who had "spotted" him for four hours, told him that he might as well come down at once.
"You are detectives," replied he;"what do you want with me?"
"Want with you?" responded Carlin, in a quiet, good-natured way."We want you to go with us."
"I don't associate with detectives, so go about your business," said the indignant young man.
"Come, come," said both detectives, "we can't spare time for nonsense."
The young man was taken to the police office and shortly after this to the Central Station.He was searched, and the sum of $354, stolen from the bank, was found upon him.Also, a gold watch and chain worth $600.His trunk was seized at the Girard House and made to yield its contents at the Central Station.It contained considerable clothing of excellent quality.Also, a lady's gold watch, which the prisoner purchased at the fair for the sum of one hundred and eighty-two dollars, stolen from the bank.There were several scarf-spins, and pieces of jewelry.There was also a silver-mounted parlor pistol belonging to Mr. Caldwell, assistant cashier of the bank, found in the trunk.This weapon was stolen from the banking room several days since. This thief was bold in his movements;indeed, so much so that the disarmed suspicion.Nobody but a detective, or those conversant with police business, would have regarded him with distrust.
A week since he called at the Fair with an unsealed letter purporting to have been written by his uncle, M.W. Baldwin.This epistle was directed to George H. Stuart, president of the Christian Commission.The young man stopped at the Fair, and had an interview with Mr. John Welsh, the chairman of the executive committee.A friendly conversation ensued.The stranger, a very smart, good-looking young man, deeply sympathized with the wounded Union soldiers, and said that he would like to do something to aid the glorious cause.He said he was a nephew of Mr. Baldwin, and then he exhibited the letter aforesaid.This seemed confirmatory of the fact.He said that he was formerly a clerk in the banking house of Jay Cooke & Co., but latterly was engaged in the Second National Bank in Connecticut.It was vacation with a part of the clerks, but as he desired to remain in Philadelphia one week, he would have no objection to acting as a clerk or assistant cashier in the bank as his contribution in aid of the Sanitary Commission.His services were accepted, and he his position on last Monday behind the counter as clerk.He was smart at counting money.It was evident that he was used to handling notes.On Thursday last, Mr. Caldwell, an assistant cashier, missed a pistol from the banking room, and yet, strange to relate, no suspicion fell upon the stranger.Other parties were suspected who were entirely innocent.A considerable amount of money was also missing in making up the weekly account, yet no suspicion was entertained against the stranger, a bogus nephew of Mr. Baldwin.The amount of funds missing is reported to be $2,000.The week's service was up yesterday, and from an expression that fell from his lips, it was thought that something was wrong.He said he was going down the river, to his Uncle Baldwin's place.It happened that a gentleman belonging to one of the committees heard the remark, and he said Mr. Baldwin's place was not down the river.The young man seemed a little confused, but managed to brave through it.It was not until then that the services of the detectives were called, and fortunately for the sake of justice two of the old shrewd ones were at hand.They soon became satisfied the fellow was a thief, and they "piped" for accomplices.The young man finally took his departure, and upon reaching the street was taken in the manner above described.At the Girard House he registered the name of Attwood.At the Central Station quite a conversation ensued between Mr. Carlin and the prisoner.The former was at a loss to know how the latter came to use the names of Messrs. Baldwin and Stuart.The prisoner made a clean break of it to some extent.He said while in New York he observed an advertisement in the papers that Mr. Stuart was the president of the Christian Commission, and that M.W. Baldwin was one of the managers.Coming to the conclusion that Mr. B. was a man of considerable influence, he selected him as his uncle, and thus wrote the letter, directing it to Mr. Stuart.In doing this he had his eye on the bank of the Sanitary Fair, and used the letter accordingly.Besides the robbery he has committed forgery.It is to be devoutly hoped that he will have a speedy trial, now while the evidence is fresh, and that the judge will impose a good long term of imprisonment.A more daring piece of barefaced crime has not been committed in this city for some time.
Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/22/1864
A Swindler in Earnest - A young man named George H Mix _il tribulation and tears, was before Alderman Beitler? yesterday afternoon charged with a heavy embezzlement from the Great Central Fair.He was arrested the day before, but stontly protesting his innocence, and declaring his intention to persecute for a libel any mention of his name, our reporter deferred the matter until due developments were made.The young man, about the time the Fair opened, called upon Mr. Welsh, bearing a letter of introduction, purporting to be written by "his uncle, Mr. M.W. Baldwin."He said that he had been granted a three weeks holiday by the officers of the Second National Bank, in which he was a clerk.He wished to do his part toward the Great Fair, and having no money, tendered one week's service gratuitously in any department where they could be made available.
This just suited the Fair Committee.His abilities as a former assistant of "his uncle," Messrs. Jay Cooke & Co. and the Second National Bank, were precisely what were needed at the Fair.Mr. Mix, therefore, was __sly installed Assistant Cashier of the Fair Bank.The scamp called himself Mr. Marshall.The whole view came out at the hearing yesterday afternoon.He was committed in default of $5000? bail, and today his case will be sent into the grand jury.He was arrested because ever since he began his task sums of money were disappearing.This was extremely annoying, yet it was not for some days that suspicion fastened upon him. When it did, inquiry was made of Mr. Baldwin, who for the first time learned that any such character was his relative.He had neither been in the employ of Jay Cooke & Co nor of any national bank.In short he was a swindler.Detectives Carlin? and Smith having charge of the matter, arrested him at the Girard House, where he flourished as "Mr Atwood."There were $400 in money upon his person, a lady's gold watch, worth about $500?, and a lot of jewelry that he purchased at the Fair.
A parlor pistol, that Mr. Caldweil had supposed to have been stolen by some one else, was found in his trunk.The officers found that he had deposited $___ with Messrs Baily & Co, for safe keeping.He proves to be a man, who some months since drove off a pair of horses and sold them, for which, under the name Cobb, he went to prison for six months.He had been out of prison but three weeks.He shed tears yesterday when before the Alderman, and howled like a baby.The day before he was defiant and menacing in his manner.As we have stated, today his case gone to the grand jury, and thence into court.His suspense as to the length of his sentence will not be of long duration.
(so must have been arrested about Dec 1863).
Philadelphia Inquirer, 6/23/1864
Mix, the Fair Bank Robber - His Trial, Conviction and Sentence.Yesterday morning in the Quarter Sessions, George W. Mix alias Marshall was arraigned and plead guilty to two bills of indictment charging him with the stealing of $7000, the money of the Sanitary Fair;also a pistol, the property of Mr. C Lowele?.He was sent need by Judge Allison, to six years' imprisonment in the county prison.(difficult for him to father a child in Dec 1864 if he was in jail!)
1870 census, Harford Connecticut, George H Mix 25 [27], bookkeeper with mother Clarissa C 59, $100,000/5000
(right one?)