Charles Becker was born July 1839 in Germany. He was called the cleverest forger of modern times, and the Pinkerton's were out to get him.
Charles was also a prisoner in Kings County Prison in New York sentenced 10 years. He was locked up many time for the crime of Forgery all over the world.
His first known crime was in 1872 The Third National Bank in Baltimore, Maryland. They opened The Chapman & Elliott Brokerage Firm one floor over the bank. They tunneled through the floor and into the vault and fled to Europe, with $50,000. They were captured in Smyrna, Turkey.
They were tried in English Consular Court and sentenced to three years. They escaped Elliott and Becker fled to London leaving Chapman behind.
https://books.google.com/books?q=charles+becker&id=M1ocAAAAMAAJ&output=text#v=snippet&q=charles%20becker&f=false
In Omaha they defrauded five banks in one day. Clearing approximately $100,000.
One of his partners James Creegan Below
Inmate #18022 San Quentin Prison
Rec: 31 Dec 1898
Crime: Forgery
Term: 7 Years
Discharged: 30 Sep 1903
He and an accomplice forged a $12.00 check for $22,000 at the Nevada Bank in San Francisco. The Pinkertons were employed by the bank to catch the thieves.
His first known crime was in 1872 The Third National Bank in Baltimore, Maryland. They opened The Chapman & Elliott Brokerage Firm one floor over the bank. They tunneled through the floor and into the vault and fled to Europe, with $50,000. They were captured in Smyrna, Turkey.
They were tried in English Consular Court and sentenced to three years. They escaped Elliott and Becker fled to London leaving Chapman behind.
https://books.google.com/books?q=charles+becker&id=M1ocAAAAMAAJ&output=text#v=snippet&q=charles%20becker&f=false
In Omaha they defrauded five banks in one day. Clearing approximately $100,000.
One of his partners James Creegan Below
Inmate#4564 Folsom Prison
Rec: 27 Mar 1899
Crime: Forgery
Term: 2 Years
Discharged: 27 Nov 1900
Here's the newspaper accounts of the San Francisco Crime:
Charles Becker was married newspaper says his wife was Clara Bechtel, but the Google book mention he was arrested along with his father-in-law Clement Hearing. So he either was married twice or someone got a name wrong, or Bechtel was her first marriage. I have not found any marriage records.
Charles Becker walked out of San Quentin Prison in 1903 before any other prisoners were to be release as to his request. He got onto a stagecoach and headed to San Francisco where he planned to live out his life.
Their other partner McCluskey died shortly after the trial.
Charles was taught to be an engraver and he was so good at it he was teaching his own teacher.
What an amazing story and life he led. He was clever and very intelligent, too bad he wasn't smart enough to invest the money and not get caught. I have Becker's in my tree but I didn't find a connection yet..Mine also came from Germany, but the surname Becker is as hard to trace as Smith and Jones. But I made him a tree on Ancestry and maybe he is an ancestor only time will tell. I will embrace it. His death is currently unknown.
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