Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-01-11

Arrestof NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. fs2s,-
900 i'm Bogus Mopey-Curious strategy
Of Detectives.
From the Pittsburgh Chronicle, Dec. %.
One of the most important arrests Of coun-
terfeiters which has been made in this State,
was effected in Erie on Monday through the
efforts of detectives Cooley and Whitney, Of
Erie. The arrest embraces five Of the gang
who were located in New York, and the
seizure Of $4,000 in counterfeit Treasury
notes. For some months past this gang has
been doing thriving business, and through
their efforts the entire oil regions have been
literally flooded with counterfeit money
Detectives Cooley and Whitney determined
to discover the whereabouts of the gang, and
IL possible, break tup by capturing the par
ties and their stock of money. After con-
siderable trouble the officers ascertained that
the gang had their headquarters near Bufta-
10. and at once placed themselves Sin connec-
ton with it, in police parlance. One OF the
officers addressed a note by mail 70 the
achief" proposing 10 purchase considera-
Bile quantity Of the trash for the purpose Of
Showing" It in the oil region. After some
negotiations the terms Of sale we're settled,
and the "chief7 agreed to deliver the money
by express at Erie. Either from fear of de-
lection, or Of the failure of the promised re-
mit.ance for the Stuff the "chief," whose
name is j. w. Sowles, concluded TO send the
money by Thos. Hale, one Of the gang.
In due time Hale reached Erie, and i'm
mediateIy upon his arrival he was taken into
custody by the detectives and lodged in jail
before he had time TO destroy any of the evil
dences of his guilt or to communicate with
his friends. The detectives then addressed
a letter to Sowles, purporting TO be written
by Hale, informing him that he Hale had
been taken suddenly i'll, and had been una
bic to deliver the money. The letter also
referred TO the impossibility of secreting the
money, and urged upon Sowles the necessity
Of his immediate presence in Erie to make
the delivery Of the money in person. This
letter had the desired effect, as Sowles started
for Erie on the first train after its receipt.
The train on which the "chief" had taken
passage had met with an accident and a
number Of persons were injured. He, how
ever, escaped unhurt, and arrived IN Erie
after several hours detention. OF course he
was Immediately arrested and conveyed to
| Jail to keep Hale company. DIR H4a
The letter rtise having proved so success
| full, the detectives determined to resort to 1t
again. They accordingly took advantage OF
the accident TO the train above referred to,
and proceeded at once TO Buffalo. On their
arrival there they addressed letter to the
three remaining members of the gang, pur-
porting to have been written by Sowles, in
which they were informed that the chief"
had had his leg broken by the accident to
the train, and that he was lying at hotel
unable to be moved. In addition to this
information, the letter demanded the imme-
diate preselice of the three, their prompt re-
ply to the summons being necessary TO pre-
vent exposure. The following day the de-
tectives had the satisfaction of meeting their
men at the hotel named, and in a short time
afterward the eounterfeiters were safely
lodged in the Jail at Buffalo.
The skill and energy displayed by Messrs.
Cooley and Whitney in their operation re-
feet the highest credit upon them. The
result of their operations was the arrest OF
Sowles and Hale and three Others, whose
names we did not ascertain, and the seizure
| of $4,000 in counterfeit money. Messrs.
| Cooley and Whitney arrived in this city
from Erie last evening, with Sowles and
Hale in charge. These prisoners were COM
mitted 10 the county Jail, and will be tried
at the next term of the United States Court
in this city. The other members of the
gang will be tried at Buffalo, New York.