I think it was about two years later that my sister, 

 on her return from England, told me that on visiting 

 a great institution she was taken into the engraving 

 room, shown some exquisite machine work, and intro- 

 duced to the maker and inventor as an American. 

 She said his sharp features, deep-set, piercing eyes 

 never could be forgotten. On some reference being 

 made to Philadelphia, he asked if she was acquainted 

 there. On her replying that it was her native city, 

 he asked if she had ever met me. 



When she told him I was her brother he gave her 

 a piercing look, turned to his table, wrote a word or 

 two on a scrap of paper, folded and handed it to her, 

 saying: "Hand this to your brother, and say to him 

 no deeds or words can express the gratitude I owe 

 him; say all is well with me, he will be glad to 

 know it." 



Supposing the paper to be only the man's name, 

 she put it unopened in her pocket-book. When she 

 described her interview, the man and his work, and 

 I opened the slip of paper and found on it only five 

 letters, the surname under which the counterfeiter 

 was convicted; who I supposed, if not dead, was 

 serving his long term in the Eastern Penitentiary of 

 Pennsylvania, I was amazed, as no other man could 

 answer the description given. 



I went to Mr. Biddle to learn if he could throw any 

 light. On my reporting what I had learned from 

 my sister, he said he was glad to have her confirma- 

 tion to reports he had from London, and then went 

 on to say that he thought he had told me the result of 

 the inquiries he set on foot that had confirmed much 

 of the man's story to be true. That about that time 

 he had a letter from his London correspondent, who 

 was the head of the institution my sister referred to, 

 asking if he knew any man in America competent 

 to do certain portions of the mechanical engraving, 

 that could be induced to go to England; he had re- 

 plied that the only man he knew was serving a long 

 term in the penitentiary for counterfeiting; that he 

 told as much of the man's story as he felt at liberty to, 



and said his belief was if the man could be released 

 by pardon, taken away from all his former associates, 

 placed in a position that would supply his wants 

 under such surveillance as he would have in their 

 institution, he believed he could fill the place to their 

 satisfaction. 



The reply came that, if the pardon could be ob- 

 tained, they would take the risk. With this letter 

 Mr. Biddle had personally gone to the Governor, 

 represented the case, obtained the pardon, placed the 

 man in charge of a trusty employe, who never let 

 him out of sight until he left the steamer by the pilot 

 boat outside the port of New York. All the accounts 

 Mr. Biddle had received from London were favorable. 



I will only add that his course was such that gained 

 him confidence and respect; and when unable from 

 age — probably premature, from early dissipation — to 

 perform his work, he was maintained in comfortable 

 circumstances by the institution he had faithfully 

 served. Although it is now over fifteen years since 

 his death occurred, reasons still exist why I am not 

 at liberty to name him. 



It affords me pleasure to pay a just tribute to the 

 noble trait in Mr. Nicholas Biddle, who, so long as 

 it was for the interest of the United States Bank, un- 

 tiringly pursued the man known to be the most 

 expert and dangerous counterfeiter of the time, but 

 believing in reformation, rather than vindictive 

 punishment, after the man had received a just sen- 

 tence, instead of dismissing the matter from his mind, 

 continued his investigations until he felt the world 

 would be the gainer of the man's ingenuity if properly 

 directed. He then lifted him out and gave him a 

 chance, with the result as I have shown. 



I speak knowingly when I say that during the most 

 prosperous days of the United States Bank, with 

 Mr. N. Biddle at its head, the internal improvements 

 of the country, the prosperity of the manufacturer 

 and producers, even to the humblest mechanic, 

 found in him a friend and aider. [54] 



141 



