The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1872-05-30
THE COINERS.
Notes from the Diary Of Il Detective.


came so great that the United States
authorities requested that skillful
detective might ferret out the nest Of
coiners. I was fixed upon to per-
form that duty
had nothing to guide me. The
fact, however, that Chicago was the
city where counterfeit coin was most
abundant, led me to suspect that the
manufactory was somewhere within
its limits. 1t was, therefore, to the
capitol of the West that I proceeded.
spent five weeks in the city without
gaining the slightest clue to the
counterfeiters. I began to grow dis
couragcd, and really thought l
should be obliged to return without
having achieved any result. One
day Ireceived q letter from my wife,
requesting that should send her
some money, as she was out OF funds.
/ wout to the bank and asked for
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,
saving "countorleit."
What" said I, "you don't mean
to tell me those half dollars are coun-
terfeit?"
'T do
care you certain?"
"PerEectly certain. They are re-
markably well executed, but deficient
in weight. See foryourself."
And he placed one OF them into <,
tie balance against genuine hall
dollar, and tho latter brought up the
former.
"This is the best counterfeit coin
I ever saw in my life," / exclaimed,
examining them closely. "ls all the
counterfeit money in circulation here
of the same character as this?"
90 dear, no?" the clerk replied, Ut
is not nearly so we'll done. These
are the work OF the famous New
York counterfeiter, Ned Willett,
know them vel, for I have handed
a great many Of them in my time
Here is some of the money that l
: circulating here" he added, takln'
, some half dollars from the drawer
, "You see that the milling is not s.
, well done as Ned Willett S, althouS
, this is good too"
, | compared the two and found h
was right. supplied the place Q
tic co1nterfeits With good coin, AM
returned the former to my pocket:
A few days after this | received IN
formation which caused me to max
q Journey to small village abou
thirty miles from Chicago. larrlye
o there at night, and took up my qual
+ tors at the only tavern in the place
k It was a wretched dwelling, and KEEP
}, bv an old man end woman, the sui
n lest couple, l think, it was ever m N
o lot to meet. In answer as to whetl
er I could have alodging there th'
r NIGHT I noticed that the host gave
u peculiar look at his wife, and ate
,r some whispering, I was informed
Il ,he most ungracious manner poss
TX bic, could have a bed.
:" | have frequently, in the course
&c my life, been obliged to put up wit
wretched accommodations, 50 dl
IS not allow my equanimity OF temp
20 20 TO be destroyed by the miserab
as sleeping apartment into which w
Ne ushered after l had finished my
nc past. :.
i'd The chamber was of small sil
if and certainly well ventilated, Tor
could sec the stars through the ro'
vs. The bed was simply a bag OF str'
of thrown in one corner OF the roo'
to m without sheet or covering OF al
~, kind. This last fact, however, W
nr not of much consequence, as 1t W
NJ summersand oppressively hot. =.
40 T stood more than an hour gazl
,r- out of the opening which served I
q window. Before me was an i
II. mense prairie, the limits of whici
~, W. could not see. The tavern IN viii
,,s ,c,. T had taken up my abode appear
lJs ~, to be 50 isolated from all other DIV
'IS 'o, lings, and, save the croak of the tr
W. W. toad and the hum of the locust, l
o; %; a sound reached my ear. 1t was
H, HI beautiful moonlight night, so brl!
!t" !ea that | could read the smallest pr
llo' At last l began to grow wea
and throwing myself on my pale
ion was soon asleep. How long sic
5on 7 know not, but l was awakened
so a dull sound which resembiea so
ing "ne bammering in the distance.
INK \! suppose sun it was the peculiarly OF
n IS So sonpd that awoke me, for it was
'mo loud, but conveyed to me the lde
up some one striking iron with a amui
gle W hammer. Iroso from my pea
ic'- went to the window. The moon
now in the western horizon, by WI
,sis- 7 knew it must be near morn
cep, The sound l have before relerre
,s to reached me more distinctly +
the when in the back part OF the ch
, to her. 1t appeared to come from
tn a outhouses which was situated q
that AIRED wards from the house.
had Now, 1 am naturally OF an IN
good ring mind and tine sound o, occur Al
as i did in the middle OF the m m
,f,ico pioued my curiosity, and l iel
q ,i,,iI iIrrepressible desire to go y, out
't.n 'doat discover the cause oft. Inc &c !
'"oS ~ %" rs the sound continued, grew
al,; % M me with such intensity that l re
am ths ed, I'd to crafty it at any price.
d;"T w" I put on my boots, the on,y a.
u'o "ud Of attire | had discarded, cau1l'
~ ',"T ! op ned The door of my chamber 81
,Sout :" : pppisiessly NO descended the RI RI
'Oo"' staircase. A few steps brouSn