The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-09-21
A SHOWER OF COIN.
The Gale Exposes a Counterfeiter's
Den.
Spurious Coin Hidden in a Roof.

Yesterday morning, the officers at the
United States Assistant Treasury, at the Mint,
were visited by three old negro women, who
apparently had not long since left the "ields
of cotton way down in the sandy bottom. y
They were evidently not overburdened with
this worlds goods, and their well worn gar
ments excluded the possibility of their being
Miss Flora McFlimseys. They hesitatingly
walked up to the counter and inquired
whether they could get greenbacks for silver
at "tbis here place." at the same time one
them pouring out from an old bandana head
kerchief, some hundred pieces of what ap-
peared to be halves and quarters of United
States coin.
The clerk examined them and eyed furtive]y
the women, at the same time asking where the
pieces came from. A number of clerks
gathered around and, after some inspection,
the whole lot was pronounced most danger
GUS and neatly made counterfeits. They all
bore date of 1868, and were remarkably close
limitations of the genuine coin. The suspi-
cions of Assistant Treasurer B. F. Flanders
were aroused, and accordingly messenger
was at once dispatched for United States Dis
trict Attorney, J. S. Beckwith. Mr.. Beckwith
arrived in few minutes, and put the negro
women through q thorough investigation.
The following, they say, is the manner in
which they came by the spurious coin
They live in little one. story shanty on ST.
Peter street, back of Rampant, and have lived
there for some months. When the gale of
Thursday night started the shingle roof of
their house shook considerably and opened,
letting in the rain, for there was no ceiling to
the rooms. As the wind increased the build
ing shook more, when presently a ringing
sound was heard upon the floor, followed by
another and then another. In their search
for the cause the darkies we're delighted to
find that glittering half dollars were scattered
on the floor.
Puff after puff of wind followed, and the
old building fairly trembled before its force,
but the harder the storm ragged outside the
heavier became the shower of half dollars in.
Scrambling over the floor after what they
thought was an evidence of Divine bounty,
and breathless with excitement they waited,
not unlike the rest of humanity, for more.
When the storm lulled their rain of coin
ceased and scraping up their treasure trove
they found they had about seventy-fve dol
lars. Some one had told them that the same
thing had occurred in the same house before
and that the money had been redeemed at
the mint, hence their visit to that building.
Mr.. Beckwith was satisfied that the woman
had been telling a true story, else why should
they have carried the coin where it would be
surely inspected and its worthlessness dis
covered, when they had the chance of dis
posing of it otherwise. However, a Deputy
Marshal was sent to inspect the premises and
search about the old single roof for more
1t has been known for long time here
that the neighborhood of ST. Peters street
has al ways been the hiding place for Scicilian
counterfeiters 1t was here several were
caught not long since counterfeiting nickels,
and for years it has been the disbursing depot
for their bands. The probability is that this
shanty was at one time occupied by them,
and that either on account of hasty flight or
with the intention of revisiting the place, they
left their stock behind
The shingles are the long, old-fashioned
kind, and are so laid that between the parts
where they lap there is ample room to hide
quite quantity of metal or coins. Possibly
trace may be left of the counterfeiters and
some trail found by which they can be traced.
Anyway the Deputy Marshals are going to
thoroughly investigate the affair and sift the
matter to the bottom.