Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1865-12-02
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THE COINERs.
FROM TIE DIARY OF A DETECTIVE,

DuIIuS luc ytui VI AOP' WV w NoV ""N
flooded with counterfeit coin. 1t was
so we'll manufactured that it passed readi-
ly. The evil at last became so great that
the United States authorities requested
that skiiul detee,iyG might be sent to
ferret out the nest of coiners. l was fixed
upon to perform that duty.
had nothing to guide me. The TACT,
however, that Chicago was the city where
the counterfeit coin was most abundant,
led me to suspect that the mandatory
was somewhere within its limits. 1t was,
there fore, to the capital of the West that
| proceeded. ISspent five weeks in the
city without gaining the slightest clue to
the counterfeters.
began to grow dicouraged, and really
thought l should be obliged to return
home without having achieved any result.
One day received letter from my wife
requesting me to eend some money, as
size was Out Of funds. went to the bank
and aked for draft, AZ the same time
handing 4 sum OF money to pay for it, in
viii there were several half dollars The
clerk pushed three Of them back to me,
saying, "counterleit.'
What" said l, "you don't mean tc
tell me those half dollars are counterfeit
81 DO"
"Are you certain ~
"Perfcctly certain. They arc remark
ably executed, but are deficient in weight
See for yourself
And he placed one of them in the bal
ance against genuine half dollar, aAt
the latter brought up the former.
"This is the best counterfeit coin l eve
saw in my lilc,' l exclaimed, examining
them closely. "ls all the counterfeit
money in circulation here of the sam
character as this !
80 dear, no, - The clerk replied, cit i
rot neary so we'll doue. These are th
work Of the famous New York counter
feitcr, Ned Wlle,t. | know them we
for | havo handled great mauy in N
time. Here is some Of the money that
circulating here he added, taking hal
dollars from the drawer. "You sec thu
the milling is not so we'll done as Ne
Willeu's although this is pretty good too.
l Icomparcd the two and found that
was right, I supplied the place of Il
: three counterleiters with good coin, an
returned the former to my pocket.
few days after this [ received info
u nation which cauesed me 10 take a GU
noy to small village about thirty mil
p from Chicago l arrived ,hcre at mig
and took up my quarters at the only ta'
ern in the place. 1t was a wretch'
d dwelling, and kept by an old man and
Of woman, the surlcst couple, | think,
a has ever been my lot to meet. In answ
q, 10 whether | could have lodging there th
r. r, night / noticed the host gave a particul
n look at his wife, and after some whispe
ID lug, | was informed in the most ungri
g cious manner possible that could have
2d bed.
ed l have frequently in the course of n
ID, life been obliged to put up with wretch
Ist accommodations SO | did not allow L
ed cqunimi,y of temper to be destroyed
Of the miserable sleeping apartments il
Ist which / was ushered after had finish
elk, my rcpast.
,od The chamber was Of small size, a
,c, certainly well ventilated, for | could
the stars through the roof. The bed "
simply bag Of straw thrown into
. croner Of the room, without sheet or c.
ering of any kind. I'll ast fact, ho
i've ever, was not Of much consequence, as
'qG' M was summer and opprcssivcly hot.
EC, EC, / stood for more than an hour gaz
i, ,'.G out the opening whic. served for wi
lex. Sa dow. Before me was an immense pra
The limits of which | could not see.
, tavern in which had taken up my ab
appeared to be insulated from all oE
dwellings, and save the crOak of the tt
100 toad and the hum Of tho locust, no