by Gregory Kopp
When he arrived, he spotted the sheriff from Lima and an unshaven man in a large overcoat. They were standing next to his wife at the door of their cabin. The man alongside the sheriff was the Allen County property tax assessor and he and the sheriff were speaking harshly to his wife. She was fighting back her tears. “Stanislaus,” the sheriff said when he spotted the tall and muscular farmer, “I have a writ of possession for you and your family!” and he produced a large piece of paper and waved it at Stanislaus.
The Allen County property tax assessor grunted, “Property taxes are due, you must pay now.”
The sheriff said emphatically, “You’ll have to leave your farm, unless you can pay your property tax before the sheriff’s sale on January ninth.” The tax assessor nodded his head in agreement and gripped the ends of his overly large overcoat to ward off the early December chill. Stanislaus looked at Karolina, who had been crying after she was told by the sheriff that they had to leave their home. He suddenly realized he was wearing the same jacket he wore when he left Richard Cordwell after discovering the whereabouts of Mary Morter in South Salem Ohio. The envelope he received from the Scotland Yard detective was still in his pocket. He reached deep down into his breast pocket and thrust the unopened envelope at the sheriff.
“Will this be enough to pay my taxes?” he asked in his heavy guttural German accent. The sheriff opened the envelope addressed to Stanislaus, and his eyes grew wide when he saw it contained many pound notes drawn on the Bank of England. He displayed the contents of the envelope to the property tax assessor. The Allen County property tax assessor gulped and drew back from the sheriff in surprise. He was shivering from the cold and tightened his grip on his coat.
Looking at the envelope and quickly counting the money, he said emphatically to the sheriff, “That is more than enough!”
The sheriff placed the English pound notes back in the envelope and handed it back to Stanislaus. “I’ll expect to see you tomorrow to pay your taxes, Stanislaus!” He then grabbed the property tax assessor by the arm and steered him back to their waiting carriage. “Now, let’s leave these good people alone,” he said to the tax assessor in disgust. The Allen County property tax assessor quickly nodded and hurriedly climbed after the sheriff into the carriage and they both rode back to Lima.
Karolina looked at Stanislaus and asked in disbelief, “Where in the world did you get that money?”
Stanislaus merely shrugged and told her he received it during his trip to Cincinnati. “It was payment for work for a friend,” he said. He then related to her the story of Abraham Lincoln’s speech, Allan Pinkerton’s job offer, and his role in Richard Cordwell’s search for Mary Morter. Karolina even more bewildered than before after listening to his story. She smiled, shook her head and wiped away her tears. Stanislaus gave her the envelope to keep and returned to the woods to continue chopping firewood. They would need many cords of firewood to keep their cabin warm during the upcoming winter.
Karolina clutched the envelope tightly as she entered the cabin and placed it in her travel bag underneath the bed. She would find it hard to sleep that night with such a considerable amount of money in their cabin.
Chapter Nineteen
Christmas Day, 1859, London, England
“You are sure she is dead?” Sir Richard Mayne, asked Richard Cordwell when he reported to the Commissioner’s office after arriving in London.
“Yes, I saw where she was buried,” Cordwell said, pretending not to know why he was sent all the way to America to find Mary Morter. Richard then provided the sealed confession letter from the criminal law partner and former Chartist to the Commissioner. The Commissioner looked at the envelope to make sure it had not been opened. He placed it in the top drawer of his desk and locked it with a click.
Unbeknownst to Cordwell, the ringleaders of the Chartist plot in the United Kingdom were already identified and being arrested, including some well-placed members of Her Majesty’s government. Queen Victoria’s throne was safe for the time being.
“Well, the Queen will be disappointed about Mary, but I have another assignment for you,” Sir Richard said as Cordwell leaned forward to listen attentively. “Sorry, to call you in a holiday, but we have an urgent mission for you. One of our gold shipments has gone missing from California, and we need a man to investigate. You have done such a splendid job for Her Majesty in your previous assignment, and so we thought of you.” He pointed at Cordwell. “There is a ship leaving on tonight’s evening tide. You will be on it and headed towards San Francisco.” The Commissioner continued, “Our man in the San Francisco Consular Office will contact you and give you all the particulars. Her Majesty’s government is increasingly concerned that more turmoil is occurring in the former colonies. Our Consul in New York City reported the man you met, Mr. Lincoln, is becoming even more popular.” He scowled as he continued, “If Mr. Lincoln is elected president, the southern states will secede because of his abolitionist views. Our textile mills are dependent on a steady supply of cotton from America and this supply would be disrupted by a war between the Northern and Southern States.”
Sir Richard took a sip of tea. The Commissioner leaned back in his chair. “As you see, Her Majesty’s government has quite a few irons in the fire and we need good men to help keep an eye on them.” The Commissioner smiled and then dismissed Cordwell.
Richard rushed back to his London flat to pack his belongings for the voyage to San Francisco. He was thrilled to see the American western frontier, and he made sure to pack his new revolver in his carpet bag. He looked at his pocket watch and knew he would need to hurry in order to make it to the train to Liverpool. He scribbled a note as he was leaving and thrust it into his doorman's hand. He ordered him to deliver it to Lady Hamilton. It contained his regrets, for he would be unable to attend Christmas Day dinner at her home this evening.
Afterword
The financial panic of 1857, not unlike the recent Great Recession in 2009, caused worldwide hardship for millions of people. Many lost their life savings and were forced out of their homes. While researching the history of my great great grandparents, Stanislaus and Karolina, who almost lost their farm during these turbulent times, I discovered their delinquent property taxes published in the Lima Times Democrat on December 7, 1859. Two weeks later the tax delinquency was gone. What happened to allow them to pay their property taxes during this interval of time? That question led to the writing of this book.
Another discovery I made during my research was the legend of Mary Morter from South Salem, Ohio. According to this legend, Mary was the daughter of the Duke of Kent and Strathearn and half-sister to Queen Victoria. She was deemed royalty before falling in love with a stone mason commoner and forced to leave England. She died shortly after arriving in Ohio and her husband carved her gravestone. On the bottom of the stone was carved the one word “Think” which has puzzled cemetery visitors for generations.
To solve these mysteries I introduced a new fictional character in this book, Richard Cordwell, a Scotland Yard detective. He investigates and identifies the culprits involved in the worldwide financial crisis of 1857 and also unravels the mystery of Mary Morter. Detective Cordwell will continue his adventures in many more books in the future.
But for the present, the Kopp Chronicles continues as Stanislaus, Karolina, and other historical figures proceed to stumble headlong into the American Civil War.
Appendix One – Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn Edward Augustus; 2 November 1767 – 23 January 1820
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edward,_Duke_of_Kent_and_Strathearn_by_Sir_William_Beechey.jpg
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Edward_Augustus,_Duke_of_Kent_and_Strathearn.svg
The gravestone of Mary Morter in South Salem Cemetery, South Salem, Ohio. Seen below at the grass line is the word “Think.” The Heiress in Kent?
Source: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/
10288908/mary-ann-morter#,
http://www.graveaddiction.com/ssalem.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Salem,_Ohio
Appendix Two – Panic of 1857
The Panic of 1857 was the first worldwide economic crisis due to the interconnected world economy of the 1850’s. After the failure of the Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Company, the financial panic quickly spread as other businesses began to fail, the railroad industry experienced a decline, and western farmers experienced a loss in revenue, causing banks to foreclose on recently purchased land.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panic_of_1857
The list of delinquent property taxpayers in Allen County published on December 7, 1859, in The Times Democrat Lima, Ohio including Stanislaus (Nicholas) Kopp.
Source:https://www.newspapers.com/image/37046347
Charles Moran was president of the New York and Erie Railroad Company during the financial crisis from 1857 to 1859.
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charles_Moran.jpg
An 1851 check from the Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Company.
Source: https://www.immediateannuities.com/museumofinsurance/old_checks/1360014.html
Appendix Three – The Metropolitan Police and Railroad Detectives
A portrait of Sir Richard Mayne, Chief Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police from The Illustrated London News, January 9, 1869.
Source:https://web.archive.org/web/20060513203546/http://www.londonancestor.com/victorian-london/richard-mayne.htm
A lithograph of Old Scotland Yard. The Metropolitan Police headquarters had a rear entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard.
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Old_Scotland_Yard.jpg
The Beaumont-Adams revolver issued to officers in the Metropolitan Police adopted by the United Kingdom in 1856.
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Beaumont_Adams.JPG
A photograph of Allan Pinkerton, circa 1861. Pinkerton was active in the Scottish Chartist movement as a young man.
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Allan_Pinkerton-retouch.jpg
A photograph of Allan Pinkerton, President Abraham Lincoln, and Major General John A. McClernand in October 1863.
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Abraham_Lincoln_.jpg
Allan Pinkerton used a Tranter 230 revolver based on the same design as the Beaumont-Adams revolver.
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tranter.230_Revolver.jpg
Appendix Four – Lincoln’s September 1859 Speech in Cincinnati
A lithograph of Abraham Lincoln speaking on a balcony on September 17, 1859, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Lincoln’s speech transformed him into a presidential candidate and paved the way for his election as President of the United States in 1860.
Source: http://library.cincymuseum.org/lincoln/items/litho1859.htm
A photograph of Abraham Lincoln on October 4, 1859, shortly after his speech in Cincinnati.
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lincoln_O-16_by_Fassett_,_1859,_LC-USZ62-11492.png
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About the Author
Gregory Kopp is a graduate of Northwestern University and a Principal Consultant for Kopp Company, a privately held firm specializing in Human Capital, Enterprise Performance and Media & Entertainment Consulting. Gregory is also a Talent Ambassador for The Walt Disney Company.
Read more at Gregory Kopp’s site.
