Francis Mallison
Encyclopedia
Francis Avery Mallison was an American journalist, editor and public servant. A longtime reporter for the Brooklyn Eagle
, known under his pen name Francis O'Pake, he and then city editor Joseph Howard, Jr. were responsible for publishing a forged document to manipulate the price of gold
on the New York Stock Exchange
resulting in the "Great Civil War Gold Hoax
".
to a Connecticut
Methodist family, his father being a local schoolteacher. He attended the Oneida Conference Seminary, the Polytechnic School
at Chittenango and the Seminary at Lowville
. Mallison received common school training and began contributing to the Rome Sentinel shortly after leaving school. Mallison also traveled to the western United States
in 1849 and the southern United States
in 1851-1852, studying the culture and economic issues in these areas. He also worked as a telegraph operator in Central New York.
He eventually gained editorial control of the Rome Sentinel and remained editor until he moved to Brooklyn
in November 1859, whereupon he took a position at the City News. He became acquatinted with many prominent New Yorkers while on the paper and, upon its reorganization, joined the Brooklyn Eagle
. While with the Brooklyn Eagle, he and city editor Joseph Howard, Jr. conspired to forge a document, under the guise of an Associated Press
dispatch, which claimed that President Abraham Lincoln
was calling for 400,000 men to be conscripted into the Union Army
. The news of the draft caused the stock market to crash while the price of gold went up. Although he and Howard made a large profit, detectives managed to track down Mallison two days after the document had been published. Implicating Howard in the deception, the two were arrested and Mallison was held as a prisoner of war
at Fort Lafayette
for six months before his release on September 23, 1864.
Mallison eventually became city editor of the Brooklyn Eagle himself, but was forced to retire due to poor health. However, his position gained him valuable political connections and after he was admitted to the bar in the New York Supreme Court
in December 1866, he was nominated to New York State Assembly
to represent Kings County the following year, where he won by a large majority. He remained in journalism as a political correspondent while a member of the Legislature and resumed it on a full time basis after the end of his term in 1868. In 1870, he was appointed Deputy Clerk of the Brooklyn City Court and held the position until September 1875. Retiring to private life, he traveled to South America
for his health and remained abroad for four months. Upon his return, he lived at his Myrtle Avenue home until his death from jaundice
on the morning of June 22, 1877.
Brooklyn Eagle
The Brooklyn Daily Bulletin began publishing when the original Eagle folded in 1955. In 1996 it merged with a newly revived Brooklyn Daily Eagle, and now publishes a morning paper five days a week under the Brooklyn Daily Eagle name...
, known under his pen name Francis O'Pake, he and then city editor Joseph Howard, Jr. were responsible for publishing a forged document to manipulate the price of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
on the New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
resulting in the "Great Civil War Gold Hoax
Civil War gold hoax
The Civil War Gold Hoax was an 1864 hoax perpetrated by two US journalists to exploit the financial situation during the American Civil War.On May 18, 1864, two New York City newspapers, the New York World and the New York Journal of Commerce, published a story that President Abraham Lincoln had...
".
Biography
Francis Mallison was born in Rome, New YorkRome, New York
Rome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States. It is located in north-central or "upstate" New York. The population was 44,797 at the 2010 census. It is in New York's 24th congressional district. In 1758, British forces began construction of Fort Stanwix at this strategic location, but...
to a Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
Methodist family, his father being a local schoolteacher. He attended the Oneida Conference Seminary, the Polytechnic School
Polytechnic School
Polytechnic School, often referred to as simply Poly, is a college preparatory private school in Pasadena, California.-History:The school was founded in 1907 as the first private non-sectarian, non-profit elementary school in California. It descends from the Throop Polytechnic Institute founded by...
at Chittenango and the Seminary at Lowville
Lowville
-Places:United States*Lowville Township, Minnesota*Lowville , New York*Lowville , New York*Lowville, Wisconsin, a town**Lowville , Wisconsin, an unincorporated community...
. Mallison received common school training and began contributing to the Rome Sentinel shortly after leaving school. Mallison also traveled to the western United States
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
in 1849 and the southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
in 1851-1852, studying the culture and economic issues in these areas. He also worked as a telegraph operator in Central New York.
He eventually gained editorial control of the Rome Sentinel and remained editor until he moved to Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
in November 1859, whereupon he took a position at the City News. He became acquatinted with many prominent New Yorkers while on the paper and, upon its reorganization, joined the Brooklyn Eagle
Brooklyn Eagle
The Brooklyn Daily Bulletin began publishing when the original Eagle folded in 1955. In 1996 it merged with a newly revived Brooklyn Daily Eagle, and now publishes a morning paper five days a week under the Brooklyn Daily Eagle name...
. While with the Brooklyn Eagle, he and city editor Joseph Howard, Jr. conspired to forge a document, under the guise of an Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
dispatch, which claimed that President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
was calling for 400,000 men to be conscripted into the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
. The news of the draft caused the stock market to crash while the price of gold went up. Although he and Howard made a large profit, detectives managed to track down Mallison two days after the document had been published. Implicating Howard in the deception, the two were arrested and Mallison was held as a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
at Fort Lafayette
Fort Lafayette
Fort Lafayette was an island coastal fortification in the Narrows of New York Harbor, built offshore from Fort Hamilton at the southern tip of what is now Bay Ridge in the New York City borough of Brooklyn...
for six months before his release on September 23, 1864.
Mallison eventually became city editor of the Brooklyn Eagle himself, but was forced to retire due to poor health. However, his position gained him valuable political connections and after he was admitted to the bar in the New York Supreme Court
New York Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in thestate court system of New York, United States. There is a supreme court in each of New York State's 62 counties, although some smaller counties share judges with neighboring counties...
in December 1866, he was nominated to New York State Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
to represent Kings County the following year, where he won by a large majority. He remained in journalism as a political correspondent while a member of the Legislature and resumed it on a full time basis after the end of his term in 1868. In 1870, he was appointed Deputy Clerk of the Brooklyn City Court and held the position until September 1875. Retiring to private life, he traveled to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
for his health and remained abroad for four months. Upon his return, he lived at his Myrtle Avenue home until his death from jaundice
Jaundice
Jaundice is a yellowish pigmentation of the skin, the conjunctival membranes over the sclerae , and other mucous membranes caused by hyperbilirubinemia . This hyperbilirubinemia subsequently causes increased levels of bilirubin in the extracellular fluid...
on the morning of June 22, 1877.
Further reading
- Mott, Frank Luther. American Journalism: A History, 1690-1960. New York: Macmillan, 1962.
- Starr, Louis Morris. Bohemian Brigade: Civil War Newsmen in Action. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1954.
- Wert, Jeffrey D. "The Great Civil War Gold Hoax". American History Illustrated 1980 15(1): 20-24.