National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1869-07-30
A Den of CounterfeiterS.

po,h 'io'oNtitu anu p'ohSh "p ~
We take the following
account of the capture from an ex-
change:
Mr.. Merritt, an old citizen of I'll,
mira. n. Y, was coming, about a
week since, from Cheyenne to Oma-
ha. He was sitting alone in the
cars, when a young and apparently
respectable gentleman, anxious, no
doubt, to relieve himself and Mr..
Merritt of part of the monotony and
dullness of the journey approached,
and engaged him III conversations.
In the course of an hour the stran-
GERS winning manner had complete
~ gained Mr. Merritt's good will.
Their conversation was at first |
commonplace. Soon the unknown
began the narration OF his history.
1t was romantic, decidedly. He
! had sprung from nothing to wealth,
riches, opulence. His domains were
vast, his GreenbackS-countless.
by the way, Mr.. Merritt. here is
ii station where we will stop for din
ner, and | have no less change than
a fifty dollar bill Can you accom-
mOdate me with change shall
thank YOU ever so much said the
stranger.
Certainly, sir, with pleasure,
answered Mr.. Merritt, taking out
his we'll filled purse and counting
out fifty dollars in Uncle Sans le-
cal tender notes. lie handed the
money to the stranger who in turn
handed him Il fifty dollar bill which
Mr.. Merritt put in his pocket book.
1t was counterfeit, and he knew it
} but said nothing.
They dined at the unknown's
expense. 1t was princely dinner,
too. Merritt buried himself in
deep thought for some time. He
taxed his brain to guess If he had
ever seen that face before. The
voice, the manner, everything about
the man WAS 50 familiar to him.
MIR. Merritt had been Il merchant
before he became farmer, and
while engaged in the former bust.
, ness he had come in contact with
all sorts of people.
u He kept on thinking, and after
!, straining his memory all he could,
u a ray of sunshine shone on him.
: He looked sharply at the stranger
l. to satisfy himself. Yes, it was he
= but the rogue was so much altered
Z that he could just recognize hin
Il and no more. He had II false nous
I tache, and wore a wig; but, il
5 spite of all these DISCUSSES, the
: trcacherous little gray eyes betrayed
" him. Ten years before he had trlc'
t. to pass IA so counterfeit bill upol
II him, but he was arrested and sen
Z fenced to. short imprisonment
. Certain it was that he had not bee
u reformed. Mr.. Merritt beinga ma
:" of means, has plenty OF leisure
After due reflection, he determine
. to follow this persistent counter
+. friter, and ascertain everything cor
!, cerning him and his gang, if he ha
!" one. He was certain that this bus
II ness required manufactures and
!" great deal of capital, ile became
y his bosom friend. They were insel
" arabic two brothers.
~ They Travelled i'll company frol
~ Omaha 20 ST. Louis, thence to )
l'' Joseph, Dubuque, Prairie lu Chicl
!" &c. Between Madison and james
II. villa III. unknown told his seer,
'ir Mn. ,'j ,,,n,oeod ia.
re w. u" 'La,II ana,an :, r. Tia wo,
" -, ,,,.,a,.ntn 49,. ',,ooass an
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s., Wv "' . -. u,,, tI,n,' ,nn,t oot nut
hc I,nn.vilic hnc,n,n his .nals, m
ed cha hnnsn, w.rn moan ,,oro N
nd Ninr,.;., hal no o,,;no,inrs iii. a
nd ,,naanant. an ia cnn,r,r,. mo ~.
cir rn;nioaJ ~ ho;na on,IlnJ T., l,nn
nd L,, nr;ouJs and cnoaon in so liner.
NJ ,iy. hn.;nc.s =
its ,,a., mi, .. ,........;,
he N''e' ivy ",'N'" ~ '""'N> :. :,
ITS 'heN 'ooN q :, S''oll "'' rye l'' '' It
cd o,,nn, nnnr,r, n,,n.inn T,,n uo
IRE ,inm.n came f. t,r Jnor f. me
1T ,hom They w,llnd in. They wr
- TN stairs. What did they see! On
ten artistic wolkmrn manufacture
* counterfeit money with the rapid
&C.. of lightning. Dies, plates, eng
of wings, and all the paraphcrnalla /
,ss. ccssary to enable them to carry
nth the business were scattered aroul