Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1872-02-29
THE COINERS.

d0TEo EROA InE OAAh1 OE a
During the year 1S47 the West was
flooded with counterfeit coin. 1t was so
well manufactured that it passed read
lily. The evil at last became SO great
that the United States authorities re-
s.quested that skillful detective might
he used to ferret out the nest of coiners.
was fixed upon to perform that duty.
i 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
mandatory was somewhere within its
limits. 1t was, therefore, to the capital
of the West that I proceeded. 1 spent
five weeks in the city without gaining
the slightest clue to the counterfeiters.
1 began to grow discouraged, and
really thought l should be obliged to
retuA home without having achieved
any result. One day l received letter
from my wife, requesting that l should
send her some money, as she was out of
funds I went to the bank and asked
for d draft, at the same time handing a
sum of money to pay for it, in which
were several half dollars. The clerk
pushed three of them back to me, say
ing, " Counterfeitr'
VWhat I" said l, you don't mean to
. tell me those half dollars are counter
feit2" SO
p ." do.n
"Are you certain2''
"Perfectly certain. They are remark
ably well executed, but deficient in
weight. See for yourself"
And he placed one of them in the
balance against genuine half dollar,
and the latter brought up the former.
g This is the best counterfeit coin
ever saw in my Hfe," exclaimed, exam
lining them closely. ais all the coun-
terfeit money in circulation here of the
same character as this?'
ooh dear no." the clerk replied, sit
rs not nearly so we'll done. These are
the work of the famous New York
.counterfeiter. Ned Willett. 1 know
them well, for L have handled great
!. the money that is circulating here" he
added, taking some half dollars from
the drawer. !" You see that the milling
is not so well done as Ned Willett's, al.
though this is pretty good too"
compared the two and found that
he was right. l supplied the place Of
the counterfeits with good coin, and re-
turned the former to my pocket.
A few days after this received infor.
nation which caused me to make g
journey to small village about thirty
niles from Chicago. / arrived there al
night, and took up my quarters at the
,Wretched dwelling, and kept by an ole
man and woman, the surliest couple,
think, it was ever my lot to meet. II
answer as to whether 1 could have
lodging there that night noticed tina
the host gave particular look at hi
wife, and after some whispering, 1 wa
informed in the most ungracious man
ner possible could have bed.
1 have frequently in the course of m.
life been obliged to put up with wretch
ed accommodations, SO did not alloy
my equanimity of temper to be de
stroyed by the miserable sleeping apar
ments into which was ushered after
had finished my repast.
The chamber was of small size, an
certainly we'll ventilated, for l coul
see the stars through the roof. The be
was simply bag of straw thrown in on
corner of the room, without sheet {
covering of any kind. This last fac
however, was not of much consequent
as it was summer and oppressivel
hot. -r
1 stood more than an hour gazing OF
of the opening which served for a vii
dow. Before me was an immense pra
rie, the limits of which could not Sc,
The tavern in which l had taken up N
abode appeared to be isolated from a
other dwellings; and, save the croak
the tree-toad and the hum of the locus
not a sound reached my ear. It was
beautiful moonlight night, so brigl
that I could read the smallest print.
At last I began to grow weary, ar
throwing myself on my pallet W
soon asleep. How long slept kno
not, bnt 1 was awakened by du
sound, which resembled some one han
mering in the distance. L suppose
was the popularity of the sound whi'
awoke me, for it was not loud, but co
veyed to me the idea of some one stri
ing iron with muffled hammer. 1 ro
from my bed and went to the windo
The moon was now in the western
rizon, by which fact 1 knew it must
near morning. The sound 1 have befc
referred to reached me more distinct
than when in the back part of t
chamber, 1t appeared to come frt