The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-06-08
A DETECTIVES RUsE.
An ADVENTURE IN A coNERs' Den.

detective might be sent 70 ferret out the nest
Of coinsrs- 1 was fxed upon TO perform the
duty.
had nothing TO guide me. The fact, how
ever, that Chicago was the city whero the
counterfeit coin was most abundant, led me
10 suspect that the mandatory might be
somewhere within is limits. 1t was, there
fore, TO the capital OF the West that ! first
proceeded. / spent five weeks in that beau
nf4 CITY. but without gaining tho slightest
clue OF the counterfeiters.
1 begnn to grow discouraged, and really
tboueht 1 should be obliged to return homb
without having achieved any result One day
I received a letter from my wife requesting
that l would send her homo some money, A.
sne was on. Of funds. weut into q bank
and ash, d for q draft, al the ame time hand
ing a sum Of money to- pay for II, in which
there were several half dollars, The clerk
pushed three Of tho half dollars back to me.
Counterfeit. $ said he.
what. !" raid I. do you mean to tell me
those half dollars arc counterfeit r.
II do"
Perfectly certain. They are remarkably
well executed, but they are deficient inweight.
Sc for yourself.'.
And he placed one Of thcm in the scale
against n genuine half dollar on the other
side. The latter weighed down the former.
That Ia the best executed counterfeit coin
l ever saw in my life" I exclaimed, examin-
ing them very closely. SIS all the counterfeit
money in circulation here Of the same char
acter a. his 2"
20, dear. no." replied the clerk, ''it IL moi
nearly 20 well done. These nrs tho work Of
Ned Wilctt. the famous New York counter-
feiter. I know them well, for I have handled
q great deal Of it In my time. Here Is SOME
OF the money that IL in circulation here" he
added. taking several half dollars from q
drawer. you see the milling is not nearly
as perfect as Ned willett's, although It u
pretty well done, too"
compared the two together, and found
that he was right. %1suppiied the place Of the
three counterfeit half dollars with good coin,
and returned tho former to my pocket agntn-
A few days after this / received infofmas
ton which caused me 70 take o journey 70 p
village situated about thirty miles from
Chicago l arrived there at night IND took
up my quarters at the only tavern In tho
place. II was n vretchedd dwelling, and kept
by an old manIand woman, the ~surllest couple
] think II has ever been my lot to meet "a
answer to my inquiry rs to whether I could
lave lodging there for the night, ! noticed
Tat the host gave n peculiar look at hiswtf6,
aud after some whispering / was informed "a
thu most ungracio1s manner possible that !
could have a bed.s
I have frequently in the course OF my life
been obliged to pat up with wretched accom-.
mediation, so did not allow my equanimity
Il temper TO be destroyed by tho miserable
faro set befors me, and the still more miser-
able slesping apartment Into which I was
ushercd after l had concluded my repast.
b m was small in stze, And was
certainly well ventilated, for / could soc the
stars pespipg through the roof. The bed was
sfrrnlv n k~r ~ AZ a slro,wtx fp&a - ,1wAeS
Of the room without sheets or covering Of
any kind. This last TACT, however, was not
Of much consequence, as II was Summer
time. AID ,ppt ss!v. " hot.
stood Tor lu.,.> than an hour gazing out
q the opening which served for u window,
Before me was spread an Immense prairie
the limits Of which I could not see. The
tavern In which I had taken up my abode
appeared to be isolstcd from all other dwell.
tpgs, and save the eroak of thetrce frog and
The hum Of the locust not a sound rcached
my ears, 1t was u beautiful moonlight night
and % bright that l could see TO read The
smallest print.
At last I began to grow weary, and throw
ing myself on ny pale. I vas soon plunged
into q deep slunber. How long 1 slep3 I
know not, but l was awakened by a dull
sound which rcsembied some one hammeripa
In the distance. / suppose IL was the pecujE
arity OF the sound which awoke me, for Il
was BY no mrans loud, but conveyed 10 me-
the idea of so-e enc striking iron WITH 4
muined hammer, l rose up from my bed
and vent TO the window the moon was low
IN the western horizon, by which fact ] knew
u must be near morning. Tn sound I hate
before rsferrcdto reached me more distincM
than vixen In tine beck art OF 80 chambsx
IL appeared TO come iroru some outhousSS
whiohv ere..aiiu,iel about one hundred yards
from the house,
Nov, AM naturally Of an inquiring mind
and this sound, occurring as l. didNin tks
middle of the night in such q rcmote. out-cf.
the-vay placc. piqued my curiozty, and ! fat
an irresistshic dcsirc to go out and discover
the caus, Of It. This desire, As tho sound
continued. grew upon me with such intensity
hat resolved to crafty II any prioa
! pu, on my boots, ths only article q attire
i had discarded, and cautiously ope1ina tk4
door OF my chamber, noiselessy dcsceudsd
ths ricketty staircase. A few steps hrouah{
me into the lower apartment, which FOUND
,niirely d serted. I crspt ouieNy Ia Mk
deor. snd christening 1t wlthoutmakfH ia
sfghtsst noise. was soon In tho mconIrhE
Not . soul was visible, but Inc sound an
Continued. and grew much morn ai.tinct ssf
approached the place from whence n ma
oeedsd AZ last l found myself before q long.
kaftAkl hIt CIUNfCeI OF which Il
could perceive a lurid glare Issuing. I stoon-
ed do n and peered through the ksyhole, ana
to my sytrclne surprise I saw haS-a-doren
strong looking men with their coats OF nnd
Alesves turned up performing a variety q
strange occupations Some we're WORKING A
. forge, othsn were experimenting tho casA.
Ing Of moalds. and sons were sncsrpdf In ia
process Of milling coin. In q moment tbs
whole truth Lurst upon me. Here waa th6
gang OF eounterfeitsrs I was in ssorch Of. end
Tho landlord and his wife evidently belonoed
% the sanio band, for In one corner i per.
employed-tbs mappo,ishipa OF
half dollar ieces just turned from the
n,id. whlls The woman vas packing the
,oin Into rolls.
/ had seen enough, and was about to 10
! felt q heavy hand placed on my shouldA
md turning my b. nd round, to my horrpr:
louud myself in thu grasp Of q mopkfn1e
'eorndrsi as eyer escaped the RaIlowBl
what are you doing here, my eDod
Ienos:~ as exclaimed in . gruf voics. nvinr |
Taking . stroll by moonlight" I rvrI3sd.
nasasoifng to retain my presence Of Nina
wei perhaps. youIn Just take ! s6rcu al
neze, vm yous-rsturned The ruftan. uuuAina
p ne door and dragging me In aftor IN
~ - inmates OF the barn Immediately
oppsd Sork, and rushed toward % whsn
why. what's this r. they an excI.imsd.
"A iozfer ! found peeping outzide." said
hs man vhp'hnd captured me-.
'.He'e . trays1er f1a3 cana 70 The tavern To-
iGbe and asksd for IodkineH,,ths last tina I
,. hm - sas safs IN bed nd the ind-
- - yidb.ssvto aesunsr 4 q apere