Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1872-06-20
The Coiners.
Notes from the Diary of a Detec-
tive.

!. DUlluR btlO OOol LUZ tiN- "CE'
was flooded with counterfeit coin
1t was so we'll manufactured that
it passed readily. The evit III
last became so great that the u
nited States authorities requested
that skillful detective might fer
ret out the nest of coiners. ! was
fixed upon to perform that duty
/ bad nothing to guide me.
The fact, however, that Chicago
was the city where counterfeit coir
was most abundant, led me to sus
pect that the mandatory was
somewhere within It's limits. Il
was, therefore, to the capitol OF
the West that proceeded. Ispeni
five weeks in the city without
gaining the slightest clue to the
eounterfeiters. | began to grow
discouraged, and really thought
| should be obliged to return with.
out having achieved any result.
One day l received a letter from
my wife, requesting that | should
send her some money, as she was
out of funds. | went to the bank
and asked for a 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, saying
Counterfeit"
What" said |, "you don't
mean to tell me these half dollars
are counterfeit" -a @
Il do"
care you certain?"
"Perfectly certain. They are
remarkably we'll executed, but de-
ticient in weight. See for your
self"
And he placed one of them into
the balance against a genuine half
dollar, and the latter brought up
the former. a.
"This is the best counterfeit
coin | ever saw in my life," / ex-
claimed, examining them closely.
lis all the counterfeit money in
circulation here of the same char
acter as this?'
90 dear, no." the clerk replied,
sit is not nearly so we'll done.
These are the work Of tie famous
New York counterfeiter, Ned
Willet. | know them well, for |
have handled a great many of
them in my time. Here is some
of 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, although
this is good toe" a#
| compared the two and found
he was right. | supplied the
place of the counterfeits with
good coin, and returned the iorm-
er to my pocket.
A few days after this | received
| information which caused me to
make a journey to a small village
about thirty miles from Chicago.
arrived there at night, and took
up my quarters at the only tavern
in the place. 1t was wretched
dwelling, and kept by an old man
and woman, the surliest couple,
think, it was ever my lot to meet.
La answer as to whether l could
have lodging there that night |
noticed that-rhc host gave Pc
culiar look at his wife, and after
some whispering, | was informed,
/ in the most ungracious manner
possible, could have a bed.
have frequently, 10 the course
of ms life, been obliged to put up
with wretched accommodations,
so did not allow my equanimity
of temper to be destroyed by the
miserable sleeping apartment into
which | was ushered after | had
finished my repast.
The chamber was of small size,
and certainly well ventilated, for
| | could see the stars through the
roof. The bed was simply a bag
of straw thrown In one corner aot
the room, without sheet or cover
ing of any kind. This last fact,
however, was not of much conse.
quence, as it was summer and op-
pressively hot. -..e
Istood more than an hour gaz-
ing out Of the opening which served
for a window. Before me was an
Immense prairie, the limits of
which / could not see. The tav-
ern in which | had taken up my
abode app cared to be isolated
from all other dwellings, and, save
the croak of the tree.toad, and
the hum of the locust, not sound
reached my ear. lt,was a beauti.
full moonlight night, SO bright that
/ | could read the smallest print.