The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-08-17
A spurlOas Coin Gystery In Illinois.

nthe nelghborlng village OF Hender'
son, Illinois, some eight miles north o.
Galesburg, the SUN Of s3.lS7 10 bogus
4aarter and half dollars were discover.
ed last Wednesday. A carpenter named
Nelson Campbell and Il. r. Jones, L
plasterer, were engaged In making re-
pairs on an old house that had formerly
been used as tavern, when Henderson
was an important town. In the COURSE
ot their work they had OCCASION 10 pull
down the ceiling In the garret, where
they found resting on The ratters
large. oblon9 box, which was securely
fastened by lock OF peculiar construc'
ton. With some difficulty they got the
box down and broke the lock. Theil
surprise may, perhaps, be imagined
when they SAW spread before them such
heap OF glltterinR cotu. They con.
graduated each other on their good
fortune. aud agreed TO divide the treas
Gre equally, As there certainly could
he no other clHimAnt-the house having
been untnhablted for years. III order
however, to make assurance dOubly
sure, Mr.. Campbell oalIe to this city
yesterday with several specimens oI
the specie, and submitted the same to the
inspection OF B. F. Dodson, the cashier ol
the Third National Bank. After submit
ting the coin TO various tests, they
were pronounced spurious and worth
less. Upon the fact being made known
to Campbell, be acted as II he was In
consolable, and seemed TO think he was
specially wronged and cheated by hav.
Ing the coin passed on him In this man
ner. Iu the Summer Of 1858, during
the o. memorable campaign between
Lincoln and Douglass, the house was
leused by an elderly and respectable
looking stranger, who represented him
selt az from New York, and that he was
widower with four snnR~ In due
timO the sons arrived, all young meg
between 20 and 80 years OF age. Nc
woman was ever seen Ar0nnd the
house, aud no one was ever admitted
The Ave men lived a life Of utter seclu'
sion, and though this gave rise 10 con-
siderable talk and suspicion In the
neighborhood, yet no one could give
any tangible cause for his thinking III
OF the strangers, except that lights
were seen through chinks and creVlcet
NJ all hours of the night. The mer
appeared quiet and decent; they paid
promptly and literally for whatever
they purchased, and although some
what repellant, they were coOlly cour'
teous to all. We have no romancl
to tell-only a plain unvaruished
tale-aud 1t only remains for nj
to say that the little community
one morning, were somewhat surprised
to learn that the I've men had suddenly
vanished, and have never been seen o
heard OF In this region from that day
until the present time. The finding o
the bogus coin gave rise to a suspicion
that amounts 10 almost 4 certainty, tbA
the five mysterious strangers were ,
gang OF cOunterielters. It 10 vel
known that at that time the who'll
West was Inundated with counterfeit
silver coin, and II Is probable that theSt
men had established the heAdquarter
Tor Northern Illinois In Henderson. 1
Is surmised that their hasty exit wa
probably caused by the detective po
lice, urged on by large rewards and tht
extent OF the counterfelting operations
were unusually active aud alert, AnC
had got upon their track. De that as
may, there flight was as sudden Al
mysterious, and serves as solution 0
the mystery OF the counterfeit coin
The bogus pieces are well calculated Il
deceive even an expert, and show tha
the oounterleIters had attained extraor
dinary skill In their nefarious art
Jones and Campbell acknowledges
themselves badly sold In indulglng ii
rs high hopes as they did when they
lrst found the supposed treasure.-
GaLeS6Hr9 Free Press. H1f.'....