New-York daily tribune., 1865-11-20
EXTENSIVE OoUNTERFEITNc.
Seizure Of $4,000 in Spurious Postal
Currency.
ARREST OF THE COUNTERFEITER,
H / s CON Z s s ION.

An important arrest was effected in Brooklyn
last Tuesday the particulars Of which have been sup
pressed up to the present time. The Treasury Depart
ment at Washington have long been aware that the
business Of counterfeiting greenbacks and postal
currency has been carried TO alarming extent st
different points throughout the country, but thar en-
deavors to arrest the guilty parties have With few
exceptions, been attended with failure or only partial
success. One exceedingly sklf0l eneraver Of bogus
postal currency has been especially marked as the mos,
dangerous OPERATOR inasmnch as 6s execution was 50
perfect as frequently TO deceive the Government
officials and the boldness of the cornterfeiter
almost as great as his skill. The in question is
English engraver by the name OF Charles j. Roberts,
The best Government detectives have been his track
for six months, without succeeding in finding him.
until last Tuesday when bis arrest was effected in
Brooklyn by Messrs. r. X LEVEL and A. j. Otto. de-
tectyes In the service Of the Treasury Department
with the assistance Of Mr. McWaters OF the Twenty
Sixth Metropolitan Precinct. .
The operations OF Roberts have been mainly confined
TO Philadelphia, in the suburbs OF which city his
money mill was situated. The last counterfeit
plates which he made ana which. IN an indrect man
ner led 10 his arrest we're copies o ne iates' issse
so cent postal currency. They OF steel: and the
impression from them is beautiful and peffect as 10
be entirely undstingusbabe from that OF the genuine
plates Upon this counterfeit the csmlnai ai,tt nan
exerted his skill with the most elaborate patience ano
precision intending to axe II 10 every sense psjecr
rcsem blancc which would even escape the Suspicion OF
tue Government detectives.
III.
His plate perfection but unaided or assisted only
by mediocre printers he could not produce an impress
sion equally perfect He therefore. len Philadelphia
short time ago seek the services OF Brooklyn printer
whom lie understood to have been IN the eounterieirg
business and who well known to he mechanic Of
extraordinary skill. UDuekiy Tor the English opera
tor this printer was in the service OF the Government
detectives who were. therefore, promptly informed OF
the whereabouts of the game for which they had so long
! been in pursuit.
Messrs Lowell and Otto with other detectives, ae.
cord ngly surprised Roberts In bis Brookyn residence
on Tuesday morning last at $3.50. The c0unterei.er
made desperate resistance, swearing thst he would
die sooner than be taken but the detectives too
many tor him. lie was knocked down. disarmed, and
speedily lodged in the Raymond-st jail
The arrest was kept profound secret 70 gi7e The
detectives time effect the seizure Of The plates tools
and counterfeit money already manufactured at Phila
dephls which they unable 10 do prior to tie ar
rest They also knew OF $1,000 IN the fraudulent eur
reBcy. which the manufacturer had brought with bin
TO Brooklyn. and which they hoped 10 procare. After
lodgn their prisoner in conne menf they immediately
set out for Philadelphia found the MIL and seized Us
contents comprising the plates tools presses, sJ0cO
worth Of the fraudulent currency All n 80 cent postage
stamps Some OF II was In an unfinished state but the
detectives declare that the completed issues would have
deceived them instantly. that they would never have
doubted their genuneness. But they were o1tNitted
by the prisoner. far the couutercts In Brooklyn
were concerned. During the obsence Of his captors
Roberts managed 10 have the following letter conveyed
| to his mistress aud confederate:
| BHOoKLYS Nov -, 1865
Many. Please 70 at once when you receive this and ,ei
Louisa and At It aes 10 dean tang.
dvrp ! am q, Raymondst. Jail Please 20 round
about way and take nobody follows you. Tel Louisa 10
keep cool am al right Do this right away please TO-
ui,5. ,nd ohl.se your, CFARLEs J. RoBEKrf.
Sir. Lloyd corner North Flr,t., and Tbrdst, brooklyn,
| Z. ID.
This note conveyed To tie above address by tho
brott of tnc Sheriff who had the pyis Ter In charge
sDcs il reached Louisa" Who. VI "cesB bed
fhings awsy, much 90 shs Of detect
iyes when they called fer the parpose 0 making te
sssnre The guilty brother of the Sheriff has Ied aea
has thus far effected his escape.
The detectives In pursuit Of confederate or
Roberts and they quite confident OF soon Capturing
him. Since bis incarceration. Roberts has confessed
everything. He saws that the plate which has been
seized was intended FOR his final aud greatest effort
II the detectives he'd only held OF FOR another week. be
would have made slO0000 an been il Europe enjoying
IT, We understand that Ro0eTt's rev eountereits to
the extent Of so 600 are already ahoat.
Oyerton, the c0unterfeiter Of 2j-ccnt stamps. who
was arrested some age, pleaded guilty on FRIDAY
last Rol Will also probably be speedily convicted
and he IL not fortunate as 10 lave " wife and
nine children, there is likelihood of mis- receiving
the hasty pardon which was recently granted 10 An
tonic Rosa q similar criminal