The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-12-01
ARREST OF couNrERFE1rERs.
WHOLESALE DISCOVERY OF DIES. MATERIAL
AND SPURIOUS METAL.

II must for long time past have been evident
to any observant person in the city that there
have been in circulation an immense number of
counterfeit nckels, or five cent pieces The very
fact that the street railroad companies have been
obliged to offer large reward for the detection of
any one knowingly passing these coins in the car 9
is evidence of the extent to which the evil has
grown. When, therefore, on Tuesday last infor-
nation was given at the superintendent of po.
Ices Office of the Whereabouts of certain manu-
facturers Of these spurious coins, Capt Cain at
once detailed special officer Walsh, young but
efficient and shrewd officer, to investigate the
matter and If necessary apprehend the offenders.
Accordingly, having, during the intervening
period, made close observations at the point indi-
Gated by the informant, about seven O'CLOCK on
Sunday morning, special Walsh. accompanied by
special officers CsnoDge and Houlihan and by the
superintendent. approached q fruit st and In the
IRENE Market, kept by Antonio Gregora aud his
wife, sending one of their number in advance 20
purchase iruit. While he was doing SC officer
Walsh stepped up and, producing a search war
rant. informed Gregora that he had come TO search
his establishment. The astonished fruterer couId
only object in words. In his money drawer were
found three dollars and half in counterfeit five
cent pieces, and In aseparats compartment fifteen
Meanwhile, Gregora's wife had started of To-
ward their house, No. l6O Robertson street. d.
rectly opposite. The officers observing this move.
Special Canonge was dispatched In the came direc.
ton. and saw her enter her house, take ont from
trunk basket evidently filed with something
heavy and conceal ii quickly uuder the bed This
basket was afterwards found TO contain seventy
three dollars and thirty five cents in counterfeits
Thereupon Gregora and his wife were both ar
rested.
by this time acting Corporal Walsh, of the
IRENE precinct, had obtained information Of an
other place where was said still further and more
important discoveries might be made. The
officers forthwith went in the direction named.
their destination being the house of Mary Val
cour, near the corner of ST. Peter and Sc. Claude
sreets. kneskiss at tha door they were unable
10 Obtain admission. Thereupon Special Walsh
quietly entered the side alley way and looking ip
discovered the occupant, Mary Vslcour, engaged
in the very act of making the spurious coin. by
pouring the debased metal in a molten state into
dies or moulds, ingeniously made out Of a sub
stance closely resembling psraffins two blocks of
which ht closely together 10 form the die. On
the inner sides of these are neat Impressions of
The coin, and into the cavity formed by the two
the metal is poured through small opening from
the outside. The woman. when discovered, at
tempted to destroy the moulds, but the officers
quickly entered and arresting her searched the
premises. They found about thirty dollars in
nichels, nineteen mouds, and about FIVE hundred
pounds OF the metal used. all of which were taken
along with the prisoner as evidence.
Seserday morning the accused were brought
before Recorder Gsstinel, who transferred the
case to United States Commissioner Warren. Ar
The Office of the latter our reporter was shown
samples of the dies and CONS captured. The
,oin, when fresh from the mould, has rouxh and
aasliy cetectable appearance but others were
shown which had been rubbed or polished with
ome kind of oil, AID by the process had been
made to resemble closely the genuine coin. II
vas, however, rather suggestive to read upon
ZACH and sll-zbase, worthless pieces of alloy-ths
words: In God we trust"