HONEST TOM SAMPSON (1827-1901)

Let's begin with this premise: Anyone who gets a medal by Act of Congress has a story worth telling. Thomas W. Sampson was mentioned in more than three hundred newspaper articles during his life. As stated in the New York Times in 1878, "To detail his exploits would require a volume." This is a story you have not read before.

Thomas W. Sampson was born in Appleby, England, in February 1825 or 1827. He came to America with his family at the age of three.

Records show Sampson was married to Mary Brown (1831-1886) in Manchester, England, on Christmas Day in 1854. They had daughters Ida Wharton Sampson (Phillips) (1850-19XX), Fanny Wharton Sampson (Miller) (1851-1899) and Cornelia Euphemia Sampson (Phillips) (1854-1874). Their daughter Cornelia married James Lyle Phillips in 1873. She died on Christmas day in 1874. James Phillips then married daughter Ida in 1878.

In the 1850 Census, Sampson was listed as a bookbinder. He left that noble profession in 1852 to take a job as patrolman in New York's 18th precinct. He was recognized as a hero and honored with a medal from the mayor. He was promoted to detective and resigned in 1860 with the rank of Captain.

New York boxer Bill Poole was killed by Irish rivals in 1854. The murderous gang chartered a boat for the Madeira Islands. The mayor sent Sampson in pursuit. His boat overtook the other after 1100 miles. Sampson arrested Lewis Baker and returned to America. Baker was acquitted of murder but imprisoned as an accomplice.

His next job was with the New York Bankers' Association at a salary of $5000 per year.

Sampson was detailed to Baltimore in 1861 to protect president-elect Abraham Lincoln as he passed through Baltimore on his way to the inauguration. A crowd of hundreds gathered at the train station including some with revolvers. Sampson warned the president's party by telegraph and the train was delayed by five hours while the crowd dispersed.

In 1864 he was appointed a detective for the New York Subtreasury. At the time there were forgers who "raised" bonds by altering their value or changing the names on registered bonds. Sampson detected forgeries and arrested forgers. The building at 26 Wall Street is now the historic Federal Hall.

After the Lincoln assassination. General Hancock detailed Sampson to lead a group to the boarding house of Mary Surratt to arrest everyone there. They arrested Mrs. Surratt, her daughter and niece Miss Fitzgerald. Sampson remained to search the house.

There was a knock and Sampson opened the door for a man carrying a pickax. It was 1:30 in the morning and Sampson inquired what the visitor was doing there. He said he came to dig a ditch from the yard to the street. Sampson saw suspicious blood stains on his clothing and placed the man under arrest. Eventually the man was identified as Lewis Thornton Powell a/k/a Lewis Payne who had stabbed William Seward. For this arrest, Sampson received a $1,500 reward.

On July 7, 1865, Lewis Powell, Mary Surratt and two others were hanged at the Washington Arsenal. Mary Surratt was the first woman executed by the United States government.

On January 7, 1870. Sampson became head of the detective corps at the New York Stock Exchange. On June 21, 1871, he was also enrolled as a police detective. After nine years he resigned in 1878 to return to the Subtreasury.

Sampson had a farm on Staten Island. In 1866, Sampson won an award for "best four-year-old Mare." In 1872-23, Sampson served as president of the Richmond County Horticultural Fair. He received a gold shield for his office.

William E. Gray was a forger and son of Dt. Edwin H. Gray, the United States Senate Chaplain. In 1869, he left the country headed for England, He carried with him $250,000 swindled by altering the value on bonds and $250,000 in bonds that had been stolen and altered. He carried forged letters of introduction and gave the appearance of a rich American. Detective Sampson left in November 1871 to pursue him to England but he escaped to Europe. Sampson returned empty handed in February 1872. Sampson returned to England in April 1876 but could not get extradition for Gray. Gray was returned to America in 1878, put on trial and convicted in 1879.

Louis Maxmillian Van Eaten was a forger. Sampson pursued him from New York to California and then on to Panama, Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and South America. He was arrested by Sampson in New Orleans in 1871. He was sentenced to nine years in Sing Sing in March 1871 and died in prison.

In 1879, Sampson filed for bankruptcy. His real estate investments had lost value.

In August 1878, Sampson resigned from his position at the Stock Exchange to return to his previous position at the Subtreasury. For nine years he worked at the Subtreasury at a salary of $1500 per month. He retired in 1889.

Sampson was lauded as a hero and known as "Honest Tom Sampson." He died at the home of his daughter Ida in Mount Vernon, New York, on April 19. 1901. He is buried with his wife at Greenwood Cemetery. He was described as wealthy from reward money.

A Heritage auction of January 24, 2015, had documents related to Abraham Lincoln and was not a numismatic sale. Lot 4222 was a small archive of Thomas Sampson documents including, "an 1890 itemized pawn shop receipt for medals and a watch pledged for security, an 1889 letter regarding the payment of interest on the medals and watch."

During his lifetime, Sampson received sixteen medals for heroism or meritorious service. Mentions in the press are often scant on details. There are often contradictions and inaccuracies in the reports. For some incidents, he received more than one medal.

New York Mayor Fernando Wood in 1855 presented Sampson with a silver medal on a blue ribbon for saving four lives in five years. In August of 1854, he rescued a child from a burning house. On May 16, 1855, he rescued a child thrown out of a carriage and under the wheels of a railroad car.

On August 18, 1856, he received a silver medal from the Life Saving Benevolent Association of New York for saving several people from drowning.

It was reported that he received another medal from the Life Saving Benevolent Association of New York for a different incident.

In 1857, he rescued three boys from a tenement fire on Seventeenth Street.

The New York Board of Fire Underwriters gave him a gold medal for his work at a fire.

He received a gold medal for saving the life of John McSorley during a fire on Seventeenth Street.

The Humane Society presented him with a medal for saving the lives of thirteen people from drowning.

On March 1, 1871, he was presented a medal for bringing Louis M. Van Eaten to justice. The citation read; "Presented to Capt. Thomas Sampson by the National Park Bank, the Bank of California. and Wells, Fargo & Co., in recognition of faithful professional services in bringing a noted criminal to trial and conviction for forgery."

In 1872, members of the Stock Exchange presented him with a gold badge set with diamonds.

The Board of Brokers gave him a medal of chaste design set with diamonds.

The New York Bankers' Association presented him with a medal for the 1873 arrest of "Dutch" Heinrich.

He received a medal from the German Turnverein for meritorious service.

He received a medal from Richard H. Fox, publisher of The Police Gazette during a dinner at the Astor House on October 13, 1883. The oblong medal, studded with diamonds, was valued at $600.

He was awarded a medal by Act of Congress on July 19. 1886. This was described as his fourteenth medal.

In 1888 he was presented with a life savings medal of the first class by Act of Congress of May 14, 1888.

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