Alexander Cohen was born Jan 1828 in Hamburg, Germany. He married in 1863 to Fredericka Mendel (1839–1906).
He was an Insurance Agent who came to America on15 Aug 1853 • New York, New York, USA
Bankruptcy
In Jail
The Daily Milwaukee News
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Tue, Jul 08, 1879 · Page 4
Trial
Arrested
The Daily Milwaukee News
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Thu, May 08, 1879 · Page 4
The Daily Milwaukee News
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Sun, May 18, 1879 · Page 6
Here are the long articles that explain he took money from his employment and disappeared. He was caught and arrested in Richmond, Virginia.
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77800254/alexander-cohen/
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77800116/alexander-cohen/
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77799747/alexander-cohen/
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/77799254/alexander-cohen/
He get s pardon
He disappears with a total amount of $13,000
He had the following children
Maximilian Alexander Cohen
1865–1957
Anna Cohen
1868–
Alice Cohen
1869–
Elsa Cohen
1876–1967
In his own words here is his story:
For some years back my business as insurance agent was not remunerative, that is I could not live upon my income from it. . The result was that I soon ran behind on my monthly settlements with the insurance companies, and to make up the difference, I was compelled to borrow money. This kept on for several years and was growing worse all the time. I borrowed chiefly from my friends and at a high rate of interest: on part of the debt I paid eleven and one-half per cent, and that to a close personal friend,
This trouble continued to increase until I found myself paying interest to the amount Of $2,000 per annum. I finally found it impossible to either pay the interest or borrow more money, and in order to keep my business up I forged the papers for which I have been arrested. The whole amount of the forgeries is between thirteen and fourteen thousand dollars.
Before leaving Milwaukee I wrote a list showing the amount of my indebtedness to each of my creditors and the amount of the forgeries. This list I left with my other papers in charge of my cierk to be given to my family. My family and friends knew all the time that I bad not committed suicide. We had made arrangements that I was to go to Montreal, Canada, and wait there until the affair had blown over here, and my friends could then inform me as to what terms my creditors would be willing to accept.
When I left Milwaukee, that afternoon, I took the 3:30 train on the old LaCrot8e branch of the St Paul road. On this train I went to Ripon. I recollect meeting Mr. Singer at Horicon. From Ripon I took the Chicago and Northwestern train for Chicago. On the train in the morning I was surprised to see a full account of my flight in the papers. ' I determined not to go into Chicago on the train, as I knew I would be watched for, so I got off at Clinton, a station in the suburbs. From there I walked into the city and went to a barber shop and had my whiskers cut off. I then went to a hotel and had breakfast. After breakfast I went to the depot and bought a ticket for Sandusky, Ohio, on the Baltimore and Ohio road. I stayed over night in Sandusky and in the morning started for Baltimore, haying changed my mind about going to Canada, as I believed that my chances of being taken would be much greater in going there, as everybody would expect that I would try to get out of the country as quickly as possible. When I left Milwaukee I had with me only $52, and this amount had already been largely drawn upon when I reached Baltimore. I tried to find employment in Baltimore, and while there wrote two or three letters to Grimscheiu, who keeps a cigar store in Milwaukee, to be given to my friends, but he did not do so. as he feared that it might lead to my detection. Failing of procuring employment in Baltimore, I went to Richmond and tried to get something to do there. My money was all gone and I was obliged to sell my watch and chain- a heavy gold chain for $18 to get money to support myself with. The rest you Know yourself as well as I do.
I feel bad for him to a certain point. He was basically robbing Peter to Pay Paul and that kind of situation you may never get out of.
Alexander died 5 Jul 1906 in Milwaukee, WI
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