The Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1869-1872, 1869-07-28
Counterseiters and $500. .ooo in spuriou.

Counterfeiters and $780, in Spurious
Currency Captured.
MIR. Merritt, an old citizen Of Elmira, was
! coming, about week since. from Omaha TO
cheyenne. He was sitting alone in the cars.
when young and apparently respectable
| gentleman, anxious, no doubt to relieve him
self and Mr.. Merritt Of part of the monutony
and dullncss of the journey, approached and
| engaged him III conversation. In the course
OF AN hour the strangers winning manner had
| completely gained Mr.. Merritt's good will.
! Ihelr conversation was Mt first commonplace
by-and-hy the unknown began the narrative
| Of his history. Ii was romantic decidedly
He had sprung from nothing to wealth. riches,
opulence. His domains were vast. and his
! rcenbacks-countless
| by the way, Mr.. Merritt. here is n station
where we will stop for dinner, and have no
less change than a tifty-dollar bill Can YOU
accommodate mef shall thank you ever so
much, said the stranger.
Certainly, sir: with pleasure" answered
! Mr. Merritt, taking out his well-flled purse
! ana counting ont $50 in genuine legal tender
/ notes of Uncle Sam. He handed the money
/ 10 the stranger, who i'll turn gave him n fiftv-
dollar bill, which Mr.. Merritt put in his
! pocktt-pook. II was counterfeit, and he knew
1t, but said nothing.
They dined at the unknowr's eypense A
pHncely dinner 1t vas, too. Mr.. Merritt
buried himself IN deep thought for some time
| lie taxed his brain to guess If he had ever
seen that face before. The voice. the manner
! everything about the man was so familiar to
! him. Mr.. Merritt had been n merchant be-
! tore he became farmer and while engaged
III the former business had come in contact
with MI sorts of people.
| lie Kept ON thinking, and after straininu
| MS memory nS much as he could, n rny of
sunshine shone on him. He looked sharply
at the gentleman, to satisfy themselves. Yes,
, u was he; hui the rogue WAS SO much altered
| that he could Just recognize him. and no
more. lie had u false moustachc and wore n
wig hu;, III spite of all these disguises, the
! uenrhcr"us little gray eyes BETRAYED him.
Ten years before he had tried to pass n ten
dollar counterfeit bill upon him, but he was
caught, arrested, tried, convicted. aud SEN
| fenced To Il short term of imprisonment. Ger
tam 1t was that he had not been reformed
! Mr. Merritt being man of means, has plenty
OF leisure on his hands. After due reflection.
he determined to follow this persistent coun-
tcTcltcr and ascertain everything concerning
| HIM and his gang, If he had one He was GER
tam that this business required manufactures
and great deal of capital. He became his
bosom friend. They We're inseparahle-two
brothers.
They Travelled in company from Omaha to
~. Louls; thence TO st. Joseph, Dubuque.
Pmlrle du ChiCu, etc. Between Madison and
Jancsville, the unknown told his secret TO Mr..
Merritt, and proposed that he should engage
Ill II. lie went ON TO enumerutc its success
and prosperity. displayed about SO 900 worth
oi the stuii, and concluded by saving that they
must get ont Mt Janesville because his "palsi'
and the house were near there Mr.. Merritt
had no objection To this arrangement: on the
contrary, he was rcjoiced at being enabled to
know his friends and engage in so lucrative n
business.
After they arrived at GAINESVILLE thov took n
lgl nYtl lTI,s into
before an elegant country mansion Two
gentlemen came to the door to meet them
ihey walked IN. They went up stairs What
did they see : Only ten artistic workmen
manufacturing counterfeit money with the
mpdity of lightning Dies, plates. en-
cravings and all the parnphcmalia necessary
10 enable them to carry on the business, were
scattered around III profusion. They re-
manned there over night. The next morning
they returned to GAINESVILLE, on route TO Mad
ison. While waiting for the approach of the
tram, Mr.. Merritt, mobscrvCd by his COM
panons, telegaphcd to the authorities at
Madison, informed them of his discovery. and
also that he and three of them would come by
the next train. The countcrfcitcrs suspectcd
nothing. When they arrived at Madison. MIR
NJ. pointed ont the countcrfciters to the Off.
GERS, who Immediately took them into custody,
What for +" asked the unknown.
ON this gentlcmon's charge, sir, for coun
toricltiDg.'
My God my God hxe You BETRAYED
us said one of them, addressing MIR
Merritt.
This is not the first time we have met
3 said MIR. Merritt. 1--WE saw each other ono,
, before nt Elmira, ton years ago. under somo
i what similar circumstances.
The wretch bowed his head and was carrie,
ID off Fifty thousand dollars of spurious
money was found in his possession. Mr.
Merritt after seeing the trio firmly secured
came back to Jnncsvillc in company with tn
oihcers; They surrounded the house and nr
rested tho inmates yesterday afternoon. The,
expect to make more arrests tonight. and
Is for this reason wo do not mention names
Justice might be dcfrauded if we did so.
Over $500, 900 worth of wcll.executed coun
forfeit bills were seized i'm the printing room,
Inc number of persons compromised is owe
one hundred, some of whom are people hith
erto looked upon as respectable. The nm
known has hccn induced to become State
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