The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1878-07-23

A Sketch Of the Most Noted Coun-
terfelter IN tho World.

Washington Post, July T.:
Visitors to the Secret Service Offc
Of the Treasury Department have in
variably had pointed out tn them the
picture Of Tom ballard. man who
has given the Secret Service officers
more trouble than all the rest of the
counterfeiters put together. His last
sentence was for thirty years in the
Albany Peni,entiary. and Thursday
last he made desperate effort to take
his own life. Billiards. career is an
extraordinary one. He is the eldest Of
four brothers. Thomas. John. Benjamin
and George Ballard. all counterfeiters.
who were born near Watkins Glen,
New York, theii father being an exr
convict. He learned to engrave and
became one Of the finest workmen in
the country. He executed unnumbered
counterfeit plates in the West. but his
first appearance in this city was ON the
night that Joshua d. Miner, the con-
tractor. was arrested. He hail been
suspected for some time bv the Secret
Service officers of counter!eiting, and
Harry Coles was induced to betray
him. On the night Of October %,
1871. Ballard handed package to
Minor in the boulsard. and was ar
rested. Minor was also captured. The
package contained cOunterfeits. BAL
lard confessed to Colonel Whitley that
he was the engraver. and surrendered
several printin. presses. plates. and an
iron tank full Of pulp used in imi,at-
ing the Government; fibre paper. He
escaped from the Ludlow stree, Jail on
November IL. 1871, with Billy Brown
Of Cincinnati. and James Quimbv.
If Philadelphia. also noted counter
feiters. On October 13. 1874, Detec-
tive Perkins arrested him in q lonely
mousse OF the outskirts of Buffalo. Bal
lard. who had Sis. 900 in counterfeit
money. was severely wounded before
he surrendered. On the evening Of
January is, 1873. he escaped from
the Albany penitentiary with four
Others. They cut through two floors
to the roof OF the Jail and lowered
themselves from the roof with sheets.
Ballard was re captured two DAYS later.
AMI on the 2lst OF January. 1875. he
was sentenced to thirty wears impri--
onment On the following day his wife
was found guilty and sentenced to FIVE
years imprisonment in Onondago coun-
tv Jail.
He wrote on MAY 18th last letter
to the Chief Of the Secret Service.
wherein he recommended the Use of
fibre paper in the manufacture Of Gov
eminent notes Ballard was shrew,l.
capable fellow. with but little educa-
ton, and his letter does him credit. for
whatever motive it was written. II
begins: ''Seeing Of late that the Gov
eminent had taken active steps in the
suppression Of crime, it induces me to
lay before YOU an improvement. trust.
ing that. by some suggestion of YOURS,
many NAV be saved from life of i'm
prisonment and misery" The letter
then goes ON to speak of the facility
with which the paper money, printed
on the ordinary white Taper. was coun-
terfeited, and the rapid increase of the
business. The plan he proposed. which
could only be accomplished by ma
chinery. was copiously illustrated by
diagrams, very nicely drawn. The
main idea was to run two colored lines
Of various shapes through the paper.
rendering it impossible to initiate it by
hand work. Ballard evidently thought
he would get his liberty. but no notice
was taken of his letter.