Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-10-08
A Detectives Ruse.
AN ADVENTURE IN A co1NERs' DEN.

| might De sent 10 IerreC out Ine neSI OF
coiners l was fixed upon to perform
the duty.
| 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 might be somewhere with
in its limits. 1t was, therefore, to the
capitol of the West that l first proceed
ed. I spent five weeks in that beauti-
full city, but without gaining the slight
est clue of the counterfeiters.
l began to grow discouraged, and
really thought ] should be obliged to
return home without having achieved
any result. One day l received let
Ter from my wife requesting that would
send her home some money, as she was
out of funds l went into bank and
asked for draft, at the same time
handing him sum of money to pay for
1T, in which there were several half dol
lars. The clerk pushed three of the
half dollars back to me.
Counterfeit said he.
"What I" said 1, "do you mean to
tell me those half dollars are counter
felt ?"
"I do"
care you certain %
Perfectly certain. They are remark
able we'll executed, but they arc def
cient in weight. See for yourself" :"
And he placed one of thom in the
scale against a genuine half dollar on
the other side. The latter weighed
down the former.
"That is the best executed counter
felt coin l ever saw in my life," l ex-
claimed, examining them very closely.
'Is all the counterfeit money in circu-
lation here of the same caracter as
this ?"
40, dear, no." replied the clerk, sit
is not nearly SO we'll done. These are
the work of Ned Willett, the famous
New York counterfeter. | know them
well, for l have handled great deal of
it in my time Here is some of the
money that is in circulation here" he
added, taking several half dollars from
drawer "You see the milling is not
nearly as perfect as Ned Willett's al
though it is pretty we'll done, tOo."
l compared the two together, and
found that he was right. ] supplied
the place of the three counterfeit half
dollars with good coin. and returned
the former to my pocket again.
A few days after this l received in
formation which caused me to take q
journey to village situated about thir.
ty miles from Chicago. l arrived there
at night and took up my quarters at the
only tavern in the place. 1t was 9
wretched dwelling, and kept by an ole
man and woman, the surliest couple
think it has ever been my lot to meet
: In answer to my inquiry as to whether
l could have lodging there for the night
l noticed that the host gave a peculiar
7 look at his wife, and after some whis
pering l was informed in the most un
! gracious manner possible that 1 coulC
have bed.
have frequently in the course o
e my life been obliged to put up witt
f wretched accommodation, so l did no
allow my equanimity of temper to b
o destroyed by the miserable fare set be
: fore me, and the still more miserabl
sleeping apartment into which 1 wa
:, ushered after l had concluded my re
: past.
o The chamber was small IN size, an
was certainly well ventilated, for
= could see the stars peeping through tn
= roof. The bed was simply a bag {
straw thrown into one corner of th
: room, without sheets or covering of an
l. kind. This last fact, however, was nc
le of much consequence, as it was Summt
time, and oppressively hot.
y stood for more than an hour gain
:, - out of the opening which served for
" window. Before me was spread an in
n mense prairie. the limits of which
CT could not see. The tavern in which
ne had taken up my abode appeared to
isolated from all other dwellings, al
Us save the croak of the tree frog and Il
y. hum of the locust not sound reach,
y my ears. 1t was beautiful moonlig
night, and so bright that could see
. read the smallest print.
at At last 1 began to grow weary, al
a throwing myself on my pallet W
soon plunged into deep slumbt
m How long l slept knew not, but l W
N awakened by dull sound which resel
i've bled some one hammering in the d
no tance. l suppose it was the PECULIAR
of the sound which awoke me, for it "
'ne ~ by no means loud, but conveyed to
I'd the idea of some one striking iron wi
om a mufhed hammer. | rose up from /
bed and went to the window; the me
the was low in the western horizon, by VIII
D a fact knew it must be near morni
kei The sound | have before referred
/ is ,:..:, -,