Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-08-09
~ nt- I.nnta rIonnfarfaitera.

The telegraph has announced the cap
ture of the largest body Of counterfeiters
ever made in any country.
The following from the St. Lonis DEM
ocrat describes the parties: b. z .
TIE MEN ENGAGED IN THE BUSINESS.
Probably one or the most important Of
the gang is Louis Sleight, resident of St
Louis, who spends nearly al his-time at
Na1voo, who is not a "sh0reT - his mo-
ney, nor even manufacture IT, but
acts as adviser and agent. In appearance
he is intelligent, gentlemanly, proposes
sing, and Of superior ability. A second
member Of the gang is james Vezey, a
farmer, living some seven miles from St.
Louis, beyond the corral and race track
| Yezey IS manufacturer of the q qiteei-."
| a third member is John Frisby, who re-
sides in Nauvoo; he is a man of property
there, and also q msnutacturer and u
"shOUer." a fourth, and one of. the most
adroit, is the notorious Fred. Biebusch, al
ready convicted in this State for counter
feiting, and who was pardoned out Of the
Missouri State prison by the President =
On the very day after Beibusch Wts par
dOned Re sent out and made an arrange
ment with the engraver, who got him up
this ten dollar United States plate, new
issue, which we have already described
A fifth member of the concern is VIM.
Homer, one of the "shOvers,n and who re-
sides at No. 443 Broadway, St. Louis
Homer also acted as a business agent OF
the manufacturers. The following will
show as an example the method of carry
ing on their correspondence:
CORRESPONDENTS, PURCHASE. OF LUMBER,
tgs st0|1 Ero ETC. 5ifE
An agent not far in the country writes
for some more of the money and says &
FAlY FRIEND HOMER Our crops are
looking very well up here. We have sue
/ ceeded in drivlhag the - - 80 : :
e0pe 70 be IN st. Louis in few dslys, and
want to buy five thousand feet Of that
tweHty foot lumber. What will you sell it
to me fOr9 sss..s asHE -
Another one writes to him from the
country and says: -...- ~
sFRIEND HOMER: | have sold ali the
sheep and lambs which 1 purchased from
you the last time saw YOU in St Louis
| They sell well here, but the stock is be-
coming pretty well known. Cannot you
sell me some other kind of stock?H .-
Another one in Ohio writes that he is
keeping grocery, and says 81 made
well on the last trade which 1 made with
you, bnt l must have it in smaller vol
umes meaning that he wants some OF
fifty cent issue. I.9..
Many letters of similar kind were tA-
ken BY the detectives. sa3
A sixth member IS from NauVoO-John
Brown-who was arrested some months
since and taken to the old Capitol prison,
and after some time released, but has since
been rearIested Brown was one of the
" Siorers," and had followed it for years.
\ seventh member, now in the old Capt.
| tol prison, is Charles Hathaway, also a
"sIOUer' and manufacturer He figured
principally as a horse and mule buyer tor
the government. He and SeIght would
not unfrequently buy twenty thousand dol
lars worth in Il single week in Missouri,
and pass them over to the government, Of
course paying for them in their own money
and receiving in return for them money
from the government ..If.al
THE JOHNSTON FAMILY. .a...r T
In addition to the seven members and
agents above mentioned, the family known
to the detectives as the Johnston family
were also engaged in this business The
fimily live in Indianapolis. The father of
the family has served two terms in the
penitentiary for counterfeiting and has
been the most expert engraYer in the West.
At the present time he has only been out
of the penitentiary two months Mrs.
johnson is also engaged as one of the
"a Of fhn Ef1fs.h. Ii
probably al oyt eighteen years of age, is
very shrewd and sharp, and is close
shower. Thomas johnson is also an en-
graver, and, to do him justice, a very good
ono Bob Johnson IL ono Of the business
agents. These parties, engaged with those
before mentioned, formed the gang, with
the exception Of DIR. McCarty,alias Woods,
a dentist of indianapolis, who acted as
useful man among them, furnishing money
and assisting in printing and showing and
also as an agent, and dealer in trceHty- foot
lumber. The following is one of his pro-
ductions .a- %
A @June 18th, 1864
"DEAR HoNIEE: Would like to hear
from you as soon as convenient. l saw
Charley Hathaway and his friends last
night. told him that you had lost on
the last trade you made, and he was badly
disappointed when he heard that you did
not see me. If l can assist you let me
know it. I will have as much as you
want Of the t'oeHtyJoot lumber by Monday
next got up in good style. Let me know
how you are getting along. p. Me-.
The whole gang has been forwarded TO
Washington in double irons, where they
will undergo an examination, and be sub
jected to such punishment as the authori-
ties may see fit TO inhictupon them.