The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1873-11-06
Great Haul of Counterfeiters.

Additiiiousl particulars of the raid up
on the counteffciters in Tennessee aud
North Carolina have been received. The
crusade was the most extended, strategic
and we'll directed ever organized, and re
suited in the arrest Of about sixty out.
laws, with quite a number yet to be heard
from The desperadoes, belong in the
main, TO the counterleiting fraternity,
who are banded together by fearful oaths
and deadly ties known only to themselves,
and they have spread broadcast their DO.
gus issues to such an extent as to vitiate
the genuine circulating medium nearly
one third, and in some instances to we'll
nigh bankrupt smaller merchants and
tradespeopie. After consultation by the
authorities at Washington, it was deter
mined to place the whole matter in the
hands of Colonel Whitley, Chief of the
| United States Secret Service Corps, by
whom. the assistance of Attorney Gen
eral Williams, plans were matured to Ell
trap aud capture the guilty parties.
Whitley selected from his corps nun
Der of the most ex experienced officers. The
secret service officers obtained the con
6deuce Of the counterieiters, aud they
communicated their doings to the district
attorney at Knoxville, Tenn, and Ash
vile, N. c. The officers became aware oI
the secret organization of counterfeiter:
into district aud separate gangs, all oi
them CO operating and working together
each gang umberng from five to eight
| rant lose Hatormi inpH unI
thoroughly armed.
Each gang were fully aware of the
movements of the others, and were ir
com muDication such as to enable them tC
summon aid at shot, notice. Becoming 9
com mmunicative the counterlciters told
where the illicit money was made. L
came direct from Ohio, and was 10 de
nominations Of fifty cents fractional cur
reucy, ten dollar national bank notes, ant
fifty dollar Unired States legal tenders o
the series Of 1869. 1t was transported
into Tennessee and North Carolina tht
same as any other commodity, by whole
sale jobbers and dealers, with regularity
aud precision, and supplied to customer
and friends in sums to suit, according t
the demands of trade. In addition t
the currency trade there was also exten
sive dealings in counterfeit dollars. which
were principally put off on travellers anc
emigrants going to Texas and the ia
West.
This money was manufactured 10 Ken
lucky, and the transactions at both end
in the money were enormous. The crimi
mails include men in every station in lit
lawyers, doctors, justices of the peace
post masters, United States Deputy Mar
shals, clerks Of courts and numerous mer
chants. Sufficient evidence as to the gull
Of the parties having been obtained t
justify action on the part Of the Govern
ment officers, warrants of arrest to tn
number Of ninety were issued by tn
United States District Attorneys in Eas
, Tennessee aud West North Carolina. Ez
peditions were organized of mounted me
r armed and equipped, and started Th
territory embraced an area of l25 mile
} long and 81 broad. The ground in Mort
; Carolina embraced an area of six hundre
: square miles. The programme was &C
mirably carried out. 1t is estimated ths
, about seventy five arrests in all will b
made.