Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/301



were not  delivered  until  the  day  after  his  departure, and the  attachment  that  followed  was  the  first  inti- mation the public  had  of  his  failure.

That the  arch  criminal  had  confederates  in  the board of  aldermen,  of  which  he  was  shortly  before  a member,  among  the  street  contractors  of  whom  he was  special  patron,  and  among  those  who  aided  his escape, there  can  be  no  doubt. That his  scheme should so  successfully  have  prospered  in  the  face  of  so many  chances  against  it,  show^s  him  to  have  been  what his previous  career  in  California  and  his  subsequent manipulations of  South  American  railway  systems amply prove  him,  a  matchless  financier  and  manager. It was  one  of  the  most  gigantic  swindles  successfully perpetrated the  world  has  ever  seen. What is stranger  still  the  money  which  he  carried  away, united with  his  consummate  skill,  yielded  him  an  im- mense fortune, and  to  this  day  he  has  never  been brought to  judgment. Having served  an  apprentice- ship in the  politics  of  San  Francisco,  he  felt  qualified to manipulate  governments  on  a  grander  scale  ;  and notwithstanding the  blasted  reputation  which  followed him, he  acquired  such  an  ascendency  over  the  leading- minds of  Chile  and  Peru  as  to  blind  them  to  his  faults, and build  for  himself  a  gigantic  fortune  and  a  world- wide fame.

As in  all  scoundrelism  there  was  the  utmost  heart- lessness displayed  in  his  frauds. Rich and  poor  alike he plundered,  and  scrupled  at  nothing  which  should add to  his  ill-gotten  gains. The exact  amount  car- ried away by  him  was  never  known — probably  about six hundred  thousand  dollars. Many victimized  never mentioned it. . His  failure  and  forgeries  left  him  de- linquent over two  millions. The American  was  pro- visioned for a  two  years  voyage,  the  bills  for  wine  and fine stores  amounting  to  over  two  thousand  dollars. She was  well  armed,  having  on  board  four  guns,  two of them  brass  pieces,  and  was  manned  by  a  crew ready to   do  their  master's  bidding,  so  that   if  over-

(AL. Int.  I'oc.    19