Case of Fraud Against Roger Wolcot
Item
Type
Autograph Letter Signed
Title
Case of Fraud Against Roger Wolcot
Description
Describes case of fraud against Roger Wolcot, who altered a note from the Paymaster General, and sold shares against the note. Request for deposition on the incident of fraud to be used in county court against Wolcott. Enclosed a copy of the testimony given in November regarding case of fraud. Discussed losing property and reputation.
year created
1784
month created
12
day created
29
author
sent from location
Hartford
recipient
in collection
in image
notable person/group
Joseph Howell
William Thompson
Benjamin Ray
Roger Wolcot
Paymaster General
magistrate
bondsman
attorney
notable location
Hartford
Hartford County
Connecticut
prison
county court
notable item/thing
note
certificate
bail
deposition
merlet
notable idea/issue
punishment
auction
fraud
sale
claim
corporal punishment
trial
reparations
damages
guilt
civil suit
defacing money
notable phrase
satisfaction to acquaint you
pecuniary punishment
knaves
alteration
paymaster General's certificate no 27974
office
November last
to be examined
case
neighbor
daughter
sold
auction
share
complaint
magistrate
apprehended
examined
testimony
woman
magistrate
altered toe note with fraudulent intent
ordered to prison
bail
appearance for trial
supreme court
cause
bonds
forfeited
non appearance
circumstances
against him
he has hardly a chance of escaping corporal punishment
stand trial
forfeiture
bonds
public reparation
bondsman
laws of this state
criminal prosecution
action against him for private damages
county court
January
implicit confession of guilt
effrontery
defense
civil suite
mitigate the damages
attorney
damages
written deposition
oath of a magistrate
competent authority
facts
circumstances
note
office
record
deposition be certified
sealed
adjourned country court
trouble subject
post
public interest & credit
to refresh your memory
copy
certificate
signed
November
offender
man
property
family
severer mulet
discovering
alteration in the sum from
artful manner
note
defrauding
alarmed
deface it by drawing a line of ink crosswise upon the fact of it
assurance
detect the author of the knavery
recover my money
fraud and injury
property
reputation
risque
risk
damages
repay
season
gentlemen
identity
time
sum
assistants.
document number
1784122990001
page start
1
number of pages
4
transcription
Hartford December 29th. 1784
Sir
[Marginal note: #12/MIT]
I have now the Satisfaction to acquaint you, that
I am in a likely way to bring to pecuniary Punishment, one of
the Knaves that were concerned in the Alteration and uttering of
the Pay Master General's Certificate No. 27.974 in favor of Benjamin
Ray, which you will doubtless remember I brought to your Office
on the 25th. of November last to be examined -- The Case is as
follows - (One Roger Wolcot of this State, procured a Neighbour
to find the altered Note, by his Daughter (little known) to be sold in
this City at Auction, by promising them a share of what it sold
for ) on Complaint to a Magistrate, Wolcot was apprehended and
examined, and upon Testimony of the Woman, it appeared so
plainly to the Magistrate, that he altered the ^Note with fraudulent Intent,
that he was ordered to Prison, unless he gave Bail for Two hundred
pounds, for his Appearance for Trial before the Supreem Court,
which is now fitting, but the Causee is not yet come on -- he
found Bail -- but it is expected that the Bonds will be forfeited
by his non Appearance -- the Circumstances being so strong
against ^him that he has hardly a chance of escaping corporal
Punishment, if he should stand Trial -- and only by neglecting
to appear, the Forfeiture of the Bonds will be all the public
Reparation he, or rather his Bondsmen, will be subjected to, by
the Laws of this State, -- but besides the criminal prosecution
above recited, I have commenced an Action against him for
private Damages, to be tried at a County Court in January --
and altho his non Appearance on the criminal Suit may
be taken as an implicit Confession of Guilt, yet he may
have the Effontery to make a Defence in the civil Suit, in
order to mitigate the Damages -- therefore my Attorney informs
me, that in order to my recovering adequate Damages, it
will be necessary to produce your written Deposition, taken
upon Oath before a Magistrate, or other competent Authority,
setting forth the Facts and Circumstances that arose on my
bringing the Note to the Office to be compared with the Record, -
and that the Deposition be certified by the Magistrate, and
sealed up, and directed to the adjourned County Court, to be
holden at Hartford in Hartford County and State of Connecticut
on the fourth Tuesday of January AD 1785 -- I must
therefore intreat the Favor of you, and the other Gentlemen
Assistants in the Office, who were present on the 25th of Novemb
last, to take the Trouble to give your Depositions jointly or
severally, relative to the Subject, in the manner above desired â and that you would be pleased to forward the same by the Post, under Cover to me, early enough to answer
my Purpose; and as it affects the public Interest of Credit,
I suppose you can get the Letter franked, but if not, don't
fail to send it without -- -- -- To' refresh your memory
I send a Copy of the Certificate you signed the 25th November,
the purpose of which ought to be expressed in the Depositions
and in order to subject the Offender (who is a Man of some
property and Family) to the Severer mulet, it may be
requisite to add some circumstances, not contained in the
certificate, which actually took place, if you remember
them - namely that upon your discovering (the alteration
in the Sum, from 8 4/90 Dollars to 800 Dollars, and the
artful manner in which it was executed, you was greatly
surprised, and very much alarmed for the consequences)
and to prevent the note effectually from defrauding
any Body you began to deface it by drawing a Line
of Ink crosswise upon the face of it - and (as it appeared
to me) was unwilling to let it go out of the office again
- but upon my making myself known, and giving you
the strongest assurance that I should make no other use
of it than to detect the ^ author of the knavery and recover my money, you
permitted me to take it away with me - and further, if you
had at that Time any Thoughts about destroying the tattered
note, (to prevent Fraud and Injury), it will be best to express
it in the Deposition - because every Circumstance that tends
to prove any Risque I may have run, of losing my Property,
or Reputation, must enhance the Damages I sue for - but
far be it from me to ask wish any thing should be inserted
in the Depositions but what is strictly true - whatever
charge you may be at, I will cheerfully repay as soon as
I know what it is - - In full perswasion that
you will be so obliging as to comply with my present
Request, in the properest and most authentic Manner
and Form, and in due Season for the purpose - I am
Sir
Your most obedient
and
very humble Servant
Wm Thompson
Joseph Howell Jun. Esq
Assistant Commissioner of
Army Accounts
Philadelphia
or either of the Gentlemen
Assistants in the Office
PS: If Mr. Howell should be absent the Deposition of one or
more of the Gentlemen who were present 25th of November last
may serve to prove the Identity of the Note exhibited at that
Time, the Sum for which it was given at first and the atten
tion thereof, and other Circumstances that can be recollected
Sir
[Marginal note: #12/MIT]
I have now the Satisfaction to acquaint you, that
I am in a likely way to bring to pecuniary Punishment, one of
the Knaves that were concerned in the Alteration and uttering of
the Pay Master General's Certificate No. 27.974 in favor of Benjamin
Ray, which you will doubtless remember I brought to your Office
on the 25th. of November last to be examined -- The Case is as
follows - (One Roger Wolcot of this State, procured a Neighbour
to find the altered Note, by his Daughter (little known) to be sold in
this City at Auction, by promising them a share of what it sold
for ) on Complaint to a Magistrate, Wolcot was apprehended and
examined, and upon Testimony of the Woman, it appeared so
plainly to the Magistrate, that he altered the ^Note with fraudulent Intent,
that he was ordered to Prison, unless he gave Bail for Two hundred
pounds, for his Appearance for Trial before the Supreem Court,
which is now fitting, but the Causee is not yet come on -- he
found Bail -- but it is expected that the Bonds will be forfeited
by his non Appearance -- the Circumstances being so strong
against ^him that he has hardly a chance of escaping corporal
Punishment, if he should stand Trial -- and only by neglecting
to appear, the Forfeiture of the Bonds will be all the public
Reparation he, or rather his Bondsmen, will be subjected to, by
the Laws of this State, -- but besides the criminal prosecution
above recited, I have commenced an Action against him for
private Damages, to be tried at a County Court in January --
and altho his non Appearance on the criminal Suit may
be taken as an implicit Confession of Guilt, yet he may
have the Effontery to make a Defence in the civil Suit, in
order to mitigate the Damages -- therefore my Attorney informs
me, that in order to my recovering adequate Damages, it
will be necessary to produce your written Deposition, taken
upon Oath before a Magistrate, or other competent Authority,
setting forth the Facts and Circumstances that arose on my
bringing the Note to the Office to be compared with the Record, -
and that the Deposition be certified by the Magistrate, and
sealed up, and directed to the adjourned County Court, to be
holden at Hartford in Hartford County and State of Connecticut
on the fourth Tuesday of January AD 1785 -- I must
therefore intreat the Favor of you, and the other Gentlemen
Assistants in the Office, who were present on the 25th of Novemb
last, to take the Trouble to give your Depositions jointly or
severally, relative to the Subject, in the manner above desired â and that you would be pleased to forward the same by the Post, under Cover to me, early enough to answer
my Purpose; and as it affects the public Interest of Credit,
I suppose you can get the Letter franked, but if not, don't
fail to send it without -- -- -- To' refresh your memory
I send a Copy of the Certificate you signed the 25th November,
the purpose of which ought to be expressed in the Depositions
and in order to subject the Offender (who is a Man of some
property and Family) to the Severer mulet, it may be
requisite to add some circumstances, not contained in the
certificate, which actually took place, if you remember
them - namely that upon your discovering (the alteration
in the Sum, from 8 4/90 Dollars to 800 Dollars, and the
artful manner in which it was executed, you was greatly
surprised, and very much alarmed for the consequences)
and to prevent the note effectually from defrauding
any Body you began to deface it by drawing a Line
of Ink crosswise upon the face of it - and (as it appeared
to me) was unwilling to let it go out of the office again
- but upon my making myself known, and giving you
the strongest assurance that I should make no other use
of it than to detect the ^ author of the knavery and recover my money, you
permitted me to take it away with me - and further, if you
had at that Time any Thoughts about destroying the tattered
note, (to prevent Fraud and Injury), it will be best to express
it in the Deposition - because every Circumstance that tends
to prove any Risque I may have run, of losing my Property,
or Reputation, must enhance the Damages I sue for - but
far be it from me to ask wish any thing should be inserted
in the Depositions but what is strictly true - whatever
charge you may be at, I will cheerfully repay as soon as
I know what it is - - In full perswasion that
you will be so obliging as to comply with my present
Request, in the properest and most authentic Manner
and Form, and in due Season for the purpose - I am
Sir
Your most obedient
and
very humble Servant
Wm Thompson
Joseph Howell Jun. Esq
Assistant Commissioner of
Army Accounts
Philadelphia
or either of the Gentlemen
Assistants in the Office
PS: If Mr. Howell should be absent the Deposition of one or
more of the Gentlemen who were present 25th of November last
may serve to prove the Identity of the Note exhibited at that
Time, the Sum for which it was given at first and the atten
tion thereof, and other Circumstances that can be recollected
Item sets
Document instances
| In image | In source | Location in source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| [view document] (4 pages) | AEG01 (4 pages) | Collection: William Thompson Papers | F:1 |
Document names
| Type | Name | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | William Thompson | Hartford | [n/a] |
| Recipient | Joseph Howell | [unknown] | [n/a] |