The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1865-11-23
ExTENsIvE CoUNTERFE1TING
Seizure Of $4,000 IN Spurious Postal
Cmrency.-Arrest ofthe Counterfeiter.
Ills Confession.

-HS CoWeSStCn.
r An important arrest was effected il
f Brooklyn last Tuesday, the particulars o
which have been suppressed up to the
present time. The Treasury Departmen
at Washington have long been aware tina
the business of counterfeiting greenback
!, and postal currency has been carried OF
to an alarming extent at different points
throughout the country, but their endea
vors to arrest the guilty parties have, will
a few exceptions, been attended with fail
ure or only partial success. One exceed
ingly skillful engraver of bogus posta
currency has been especially marked as
the most dangerous operator, inasmucf
as his execution was so perfect as fire
quently to deceive even the Government
officials and the boldness of the coun
terfeiter was almost as great as his skill
The man in question is an English en-
graver by the name of Charles j. Rob
erts The best Government detectives
have been on his track for six months
without succeeding in finding him, until
last Tuesday, when his arrest was effec
ted in Brooklyn by Messrs. r. r Lowell
and A. j. Otto, detectives in the service
of the Treasury Department, with the
assistance of MIR. McWatcrs of the Twen.
ty-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, and which, in an iudirec,
manner, led to his arrest, were capies ol
the latest issue of SO cent postal currency
They are of steel, and the impression
from them is so beautiful and perfect, as
to be entirely undistinguishahle from
that of the genuine plates. Upon this
counterfeit, the criminal artist had exer-
ted his skill with the most elaborate pa
tience and precision, intending to make
1t In every sense perfect resemblance,
which would even escape the suspicion
OF the Government detectives.
But, though an engraver, Roberts was
not printer. His plate was perfection
but unaided, or assisted only by mediocre
printers; he could not produce an impres
rion equally perfect. He, therefore, left
Philadelphia short time ago to seek the
services of a Brooklyn printer whom he
understood to have been in the counter
fciting business, and who was we'll known
to be mechanic of extraordinary skill
Unluckily for the English operator, this
printer was in the service of the Govern
ment 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, accordingly surprised Roberts
in his Brooklyn residence on Tuesday
morning last at $50 The counterfeiter
made desperate resistance, swearing
that he would die sooner than be taken but
the detective were too many for him
He was Knocked down, disarmed, and
lodged in the Raymond's Jail.
The arrest was kept profound secret,
to give the detectives time to effect the
seizure Of the plates, tools, and counter
felt money, already manufactured at Phil
delphia, which they were unable to do
prior to the arrest. They also knew Of
$40, ,000in the fraudulent currency, which
the manufacturer had brought with him
to Brooklyn, and which they hoped to
procure. After lodging their prisoner in
confinement, they Immediately set out for
Philadelphia, found the mill, and seized
Its contents, comprising the plates, tools,
presses, $4,000 worth of the fraudulent
currency, all in so cent postage stamps
Some of it was in an unfinished state, but
the detectives declare that completed is
sues would have deceived them instantly.
that they would never have doubted their
genuineness. But they were outwitted
by the prisoner, so far as the counterfeits
in Brooklyn were concerned. During the
absence of his captors, Roberts managed
to have the following letter conveyed to
his mistress and confederate:
Brooklyn, Nov.-,1S65,
Mary Please go at once when you re-
ceive this, and tell Louisa to come and
see me at once. Tell her to clean things
away. am at Raymond-st Jail, Please
90 some roundabout way, and take care
Nobody follows you. Tell Louise to keep
cool. | am all right and oblige yours
Charles S. Roberts.
Mrs. Lloyd, corner North First-st, and
rhrd-st., Brooklyn, 4. ID.
This note was conveyed to the above
address by the brother Of the Sheriff who
lad the prisoner in charge, whence it
cached Louisa" who, of course, "clean
ID things away" much to the dsappoint-
nent Of the detectives, when they called I
or the purpose of making the seizure
The guilty brother of the Sheriff has He'd,
md has thus far effected his escape.
The detectives are now in pursuit of
confederate of Roberts, and they are
ute confident of soon capturing him ,,
'lnce his Incarceration. Roberts has con
essed everything He says that the plate
which has been seized was intended for
is final and greatest effort. If the de,
ectIVeS had onlv hold of for ooo.Lo +