The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1878-08-03
A SKETCH OF THE MOST NOTED
COUNTERFEITERI IN THE WORLD.
Washington Post. ]

Visitors to the Secret service Office of
the Treasury Department have invariably
had pointed out to them the picture OF
Tom Ballard, man who has given the
Secret Service officers more trouble than
all the rest OF the countsrfeiters put to-
gether. His last sentence was for thirty
years III the Albany Penitentiary, and
Thursday last he made desperate at
tempt to take his own life. Ballard's g
career il an extraordinary one. He is
the Oldest OF four brothers, Thomas.
John. Benjamin and George Ballard, all
counterfeiters, who were born near Wat
kins Glen, New York, their father being
an ex-convict He learned to engrave
and became one of the finest workmen
in the country. He executed unnumber-
ed counterfeit plates in the West, but
his first appearance in this city was on
the night that Joshua d. Minor, the con-
tractor, was arrested. He had been sus-
pscted for some time by the Secret Ser
vice officers OF oountsrfeiting. and Harry
Coles was induced to betray him On
the night Of October 25th, 1871, Ballard
handed q package to Minor in the Boule-
ward, and was arrested. Minor was also
captured. The package contained coun-
terfeits. Ballard confessed to Col. Whit
ley that he was the engraver, and sur
rendered several printing presses, plates,
an iron tank full of pulp used in imita-
ting @he Government fiber paper. He
escaped from Ludlow Street Jail on
November the 18th. 1871, with Billy
Brown. of Cincinnati, and Jas. Quimby,
OF Philsdelphia, also noted counterfeit
ers. On October the 18th, 1874, Detec-
tive Perkins arrested him in lonely
house on the outskirts OF Buffalo. Bal
lard who had $115,0 900 in counterfeit
money, was severly wounded before he
surrendered. On the evening of Janu-
sry the 18th. 1876, he escaped from the
Albany Penitsntisry with four others
They cut through two floors to the roof
OF the Jail aud lowered themselves from
the roof with sheets. Ballard was recap
tured two days later, and on the 21st OF
January, 1875. he was sentenced to thirty
years. imprisonment. On the following
day his wife was found guilty and sem
tencsd to five years Imprisonment in
Onondago County Jail.
He wrote on May 18th last letter to
the chief of the Secret Service, wherein
be recommended the use of fiber paper
10 the manufacture OF Government notes.
Ballard was shrewd, capable fellow.
with but little education, and his letter
does him credit. for whatever motive i,
was written. 1t begins: "Seeipg of late
that the Government has taken active
steps in the suppression OF crime, it in.
duces me to lay before you an impro We.
ment, trusting that by some suggest ion
OF yours many may be saved from life
OF imprisonment and misery" The
letter then goes on to speak of the facility
with which the paper money. printed or
ordinary white paper, was counterfeited
and the rapid increase of the business
The plan he proposed, which could only
be accomplished by machinery, was cop
iously illustrated by diagrams, very
nicely drawn. The main idea was 4
run two colorsd lines OF various shape
through the paper, rendering il impos
sible to initiate 1t by hand work. Ballart
evidently thought that he would get hi
liberty, but no notice was taken Of hi
letter