The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1866-08-16
The SOinsrS.
a STORY OF \ DETECTIVE.


flooded with a counterfeit coin. 1t was so
we'll manufactured that it passed readily.
The evil at last became so great that the
United States authorities requested that
skillful detective might be sent TO ferret
out the nest Of coiners. | was fixed upon
tc perform that duty.
l had nothing to guide me. The fact.
however, that Chicago was the city where
the counterfeit coin was most abundant,
led me to suspect that the manufactory
was somewhere within its limits. 1t was,
therefore, to the capital Of the West that
| proceeded. | spent five weeks il the
city without gaining the slightest clue to
the couuteTteIteTS.
L began to grow discouraged, and really
thought | should be obliged to return
home without having achieved any result.
One day received a letter from my wife
requesting me 10 send some money, as she
was out of funds | went 10 the bank and
asked for draft, at the same time hand
ing d sum of money to pay for it, in which
there were several half dollars. The
clerk pushed three OF them back to me,
saying, "CounteIfeit."
"What ~ said /, ''you don't mean to
tell me those half dollars are counterfeit?"
Il do"
"Are you certain 2"
''Perfectly certain. They are remark
ably executed. but are deficient in weight
See for yourself"
Aud he placed one Of them in the bal
ance against a genuine half dollar, and
the latter brought up the former.
This is the best counterfeit coin l
ever saw in my life," ] exclaimed, exam
ining them closely. SIS all the counter
felt money in circulation here of the same
character as this ?"
90 dear, no. the clerk replied, "it is
not nearly so we'll done These are the
work of the famous New York counter
feiter, Ned Wilett | know them well,
for l have handled a great many in my
time. Here is some of the money that is
circulating here" he added, taking some
hale dollars from drawer. "You see
that the milling is not so we'll done as
Ned Wiilett's, although this is pretty good,
too."
l compared the two and found that he
was right. | supplied tho place Of the
three couaterfeits with good coin, and
returned the former to my pocket
\ few days after this | received infor-
nation which caused me to take journey
to small village about thirty miles from
Chicago. | arrived there at night aud
took up my quarters at the only tavern
IN .he place. 1t was a wretched dwelling,
and kept by an old mau and woman, the
surliest couple, l think, 1t has eyer been
my lot to meet In answer as to whether
| could have a lodging there that night [
noticed the host gave particular LOOK at
his wife, and after some whispering, L was
informed in the most ungracious manner
possible that could have bed.
l have frequently In the course of my
life been Obliged to put up with wretched
accommodations, so did not allow my
equanimity of temper to be destroyed by
the miserable sleeping apartments into
which | was ushered after l had finished
my rePast.
The chamber was of small size, and
certainly we'll ventilated, for | could see
the stars through the roof. The bed was
simply a bag of straw thrown into one
corner of the room, without sheet or COW
ering of any kind This last fact, howev-
er, was not of much consequence, as 1t
was summer aud oppressively hot.
I stood for more than an hour gazing
out of the opening which served for
window. Before mo was an immense
prairie, the limits of which l could not
see. The tavern in which [ had taken
up my abode appeared to be isolated from
all other dwellings, and save the croak OF
the tree-toad and the hum of the locus',
not sound reached my ear, 1t was
beautiful moonlight night, SO bright that
I could see to read the smallest print,