753. CONVICTED COUNTERFEITER BEGS FOR MERCY A fascinating 4pp. folio A.D.S., Kingston, Mass., 1818, in which a convicted passer of counterfeit notes, one William Jones, confesses to his crime and pleads to the court for mercy. In this period in American history, being involved in the making and/or passing of counterfeit currency was one of the most serious crimes one could commit, often being punishable by death. According to his bizarre statement Jones had previously been a lawful citizen, running a small grocery with some success. His troubles started when he unknowingly accepted three counterfeit seventy five cent notes from a counterfeiter making a purchase at his shop. The authorities were watching the counterfeiter and became aware of the existence and look of the forged banknotes. Unfortunately, our Mr. Jones had the bad luck to use these three forged notes in making a payment to a city official with whom he had a disagreement. The official immediately had Jones arrested. Jones goes on to relate that no other forged notes were found in his possession or in his store, and that further investigation found that he had made all his recent transactions with legal currency. Eventually two witnesses remembered seeing the counterfeiter pass the notes to Jones, but that was not seen as sufficient reason to release him without a trial, and he remained in prison. After over ten months in prison, Jones' family was finally able to raise enough money to make bail for him. Upon his release, he discovers that while he was in prison everything he owned was sold to pay his mounting debts. Claiming to see no other way out, on the first day of his release Jones foolishly accepts yet another counterfeiter's offer to form a partnership in which the counterfeiter would supply the notes and Jones would use his store to pass them to the public. Needless to say, it wasn't long before Jones was again apprehended for the same crime. In his closing, Jones claims to see the folly of his ways, promising that if he were not sent to prison he would do all in his power to apprehend the ringleaders of the counterfeiting operation and he wouldn't rest until these evil men were brought to justice. It is not known if Jones was granted his request, but it is certain that he was sent directly to jail, for the docketing on the back of his confession says: "William Jones's confession written in Kingston at the Circuit of 1818, previous to his departure for the State Prison." A fascinating piece of American history, in good condition with negligible toning and dampstaining. $200-300