Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-05-01
THE GAZETTE.
SATURDAY MORNING, NAY |, 1855
THE CENT-COINERS OF NEW YORK.

THE CENr-COINERS OF NE" 1oKh.
I. in TO be presumed that oounterieiting the
co;n Of the United States IL contrary 10 Jaw
Ubsther j, is Of gold. silver, or copper 1t Is
a cprious fact, however. that, although We
f,oouantl, hear of arrests for maklng AID
nass;nu base colo Of the former metals,
don't recolleet one instance Of the kind IN
wbioh a party was charged With mspuiactur-
ing cents. And yet it is practised to large
extent in New York. and no doubt in other
cities. The amoapt of that ooipin circulation
which did not pass through the United States
minis, isiDcalcuIsble, and the IMMUNITY Win
which the business has been carried on Tor
years, would seem really to have iega'iseo IT,
That it is o business, 10 beyond all ques1on'
bot provided that the material be honestly
obtained, it must be very poor one; anu
this is probably the cause why those engsgee
in il are not interfered with by the aotnori-
ties. Il ia more than probable, however,
that most of the stolen copper mas lts way
into the smelling furnaces OF those ieilows,
and therefore they obtain very FAIR reward
for their laber. :.
The business of circulating the coin is lin
tied in q great measure to the keepers oil
our German groceries, understand, with
whom the affair assumes the form OF regu-
lar business transaction, the purchasers ma
king twenty-five, thirty, or even fifty per
cent, inasmsch as for every dollars' worth
they purchase, they receive one hundred and
twenty-five, thirty or fifty cents, as the case
may be; 90 that the grocer who does good
business at fair profit. 6uds this to be an
easy mode Of adding to bis gains, and that,
too, without exposing him to those pains and
penalties which are attendant upon every
other species Of crime. g..
1t may be, and is, I believe, argued that
no one is injured by the passing Of this
coin, for it j., after all, but Increasing the
circulating medium. And there is certainly
some force 10 this remark, although the ar
gumeDt is untensble upon the broad ground
Of right and justice, even supposing that the
copper from which it is manufactured, was
honestly obtained. which is very unlikely 10
be the case. Ii is also said that it would
cost 80 much to prosecute the fellows, that, as
o measure of policy, itis better to leave them
molested-tbe wisdom Of which, confess,
is rather too deep for me to fathom. Be the
case whatever it may, however, the cent-coin-
ers Of New York have pursued the business
for years, and week after week large amount
of this illegitimate coin is cold and circulated
in this city, and sent in great quantities to
other parts Of the Union.
1t requires practised eye to distinguish
these cents from those issued by the United
States mints. There is particular mark,
however, which was known to the old police
In my time, as we'll as the localities in which
they were made; and e1-Chief Matsell
could now go any night, aud coVertly witness
the operation.
There are probably few persons who have
ever given the subject of this particular spe-
cies OF Coming q thought, or suspect for one
moment that they may be unconsciousy aid.
ing in nefarious business. My attention
was directed to it many years since, during
my repertorisl career, by one Of the mem.
bers of the police department, who picked
out from some cents v hich had in my hand
those that were made without the sanction Of
the government. and explained how and by
whom they were made, and the means by
which tbey were circulated. i was natural
" surprised to learn that the practice was
winked ct; but the officer remarked-"Ob!
we keep our eyes upon the fellows. Of course,
and if Ne caught them making any other de-
scription of coin should be down upon them
in a twinkling." He further informed me
that he half suspected an old foIlew, and was
going that evening to reconooitre, and lnVt
ted me to accompany him. I'VE needn't 60
till abou. midnight" he said, "for they don't
90 to work until honest folks are abed." We
accordingly started from Centre street about
eleven clock, and passed through some Of the
fftbiest and worst places on the east side OF
the city. The exact locality to which he con-
dacted never ascertaiDed; but it was some
where away up oc the East River, beyond
Turks Island" 1t was awlully dark, |
remember, and as we turned into narrow
street--or rather @ wide alley-we had to
feel our way along by keeping our hands on
the front of the houses. The officer, however
having been there frequently, was tolerably
acquainted with the place, and We proceed
ed for some distance, when be suddenly whis-
pered, Hold on" and came to dead halt.
Don't move or speak" be said, until
come back" and / suppose be went on, for
/ could not see my hand before my face.
For a few minutes all was quite still,
although could hear faint murmur OF
voices and sht fling Of feet, as though some
parties we're at work within q short dis
lance of where / stood. My situation was
not an agreeable one by any means, be-
cause. should anything happen to the ottl-
Ger, I certainly could not make my escape;
and if these coiners were desperate men
anxious to escape detection, our lives would
not have been worth much. must con-
fsss that my feelings were not OF the most
pleasant description; but they were soon re-
iieved by the return Of the officer, who In
timated that it was all right. He then
directed me to take of my boots and carry
them. and be very careful how stepped
an admonition which certainly did not dis
regard. Taking my hand he led me few
steps, until amidst the utter darknessl could
distinguish bright light shining through tho
crack of door, which evidently belonged to
a cellar. was told to decend softly and
place my eye TO that crack; and having done
70, tho whole interior Of the cellar was re,
yealed. Two men we're there. surrounded
with all the apparatus for colnioog; and a
more picturesque sight can scarcely be In
aginGd, a., with shirt sleeves turned up, ex-
posing their brown and muscular arms, they
stood with their persons lighted up by the
FIRE which burned brightly in the furnace,
throwing the back part Of the place into deep
shadow. There Was something exciting
and irresistibly attractive in the scene; aud
Ivos q, ,anned m in the contem plation Of