The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1878-01-01
Selfet Stoyv.
Adventure in a Coiner's Den.

5DuTiuS tHc year 1910 tuo w GOV was
Hooded with counterfeit coin. 1t was so
well manufactured that II passed readily
The evil at last became so great that the
United States authorities requested that
. skillful detective. be sent 10 ferret out
the nest OF coiners. was fixed upon
to perform the duty. l had nothing to
guide me The fact, however, that Chi.
cago was the city where the counterfeit
coin was most abundant, led me to sus-
Sect that the mandatory might he
Somewhere within its limits It was
therefore to the capital of the west that
first proceeded. spent five weeks in
the beautiful city, but without getting
the slightest clue to the counterfeiters.
I began to grow discouraged, and real
ly thought I should be obliged to return
home without having achieved any re-
suit One day received letter from
my wife requesting that I would send her
home some money, as she was out Of
funds 1 went into a bank and asked
for. draft, at the same time handing g
sum OF money to pay for it, in which
there were several half dollars. The
clerk pushed three of the half-dollars
back to me.
s,Counterteit," he said.
"What," said I. "do you mean to tell
me those half dollars are counterfeit ?"
81 do"
"Are you certain 7" .-...r'.--..
"Perfectly certain. They are remark
ably well executed, but they are deficient
in weight. See for yourself"
And he placed one Of them in the scale
against genuine half dollar on the 9th.
er side. The latter weighed down the
Former.
"That is the best executed counterfeit,
coin I ever saw in my life," / exclaimed
examining them closely. sis all the
counterfeit money in circulation here Of
the same character as this 2"
80, dear no." replied the clerk, sit is
not nearly so well done. These are the
-wofk of Ned Willett. the famous New
York counterfeiter. / know them well
for have handled great deal Of 1t in
my time. Here is some of the money
that is in circulation here" he added, ta-
king several half dollars from drawer.
ssYou see the milling is not nearly as per-
feet as Ned Willett's, although it is pref.
ty well done, too"
Z I compared the two together, and
found that he was right I supplied the
place of the. three counterfeit half-dol
lars with good coin, and returned the
former to my pocket again.
: a few days after this / received infor
nation which caused me 10 take jour
neYlo. q village situate about thirty miles
rom Chicago Iarfived there at night
and took up my quarters at the only tav
ern in the place 1t was wretched
place, and kept by an old man and wo
man, the surliest couple | think 1t ha
ever been my lot to meet. In answer tt
my inquiry as to whether I could hav,
lodging there for the night, noticed
that the host gave peculiar look at hi
wife, and, after some whispering, wa!
informed in the most.ungracious manne
possible that could have bed
/ have frequently in the course Of m.
life been obliged to put up with wretchet
accommodations, 80 l did not allow my
equanimity of temper to. be destroyed
by the miserable fare set before me, ant
the still more miserable sleeping apart
ment into which I was ushered after
had concluded my repast. s
The chamber was small in size, bu
certainly well ventilated, for could se'
the stars peeping through the roof. TIL
bed was simply bag of straw throw
into one corner of the Groom withou
sheets or covering Of any kind. Thi
last fact, however, was not Of much con
sequence, as it was summer time and op
pressively hot.
,Istood for more than an hour gazins
out Of the opening which served for
window. Before me was spread an i'm
mense prairie,the limits of which / ooul,
not see. The tavern in which / had to
ken up my abode appeared to be isols
tied from all other dwellings,, and say
the croak of the tree frog and the hun
| OF the locust not sound reached NJ
ears It was beautiful moonlight night
land so bright that I could see to reat
the smallest print,
At last l began to grow weary, ant
Throwing myself on my pallet ! was 500
plunged into deep slumber. How lon
IL slept know not, but / was swakene
lby dull sound which resefH5lsd som
lone hammering in the distance sur
lpose it was the peeulisrity of the soun
which awoke me, for it was by no mean
floud, but conveyed to me the idea O
some one striking iron with muffie
hammer. I rose up from my bed an
f@ent to the window; the moon was fo'
III the western horizon, by which fact
knew 1t must be near morning. Th
sound I have referred to reached m
more distinctly than when in the bac
part of the chamber. 1t appeared I
come from some outhouses which wer
situated about one hundred yards frol
the house.
Now am naturally of an inquirin
turn of mind, and this sound, occurrin
as it did in the middle of the night i
lsuch remote, out-of the. way, plac
piqued my curiosity, and ] felt an irr,
sistible desire to 60 out and discover Ii
cause of it. The desire, as the soun
Icontinued, grew upon me with such il
tensity that resolved to crafty it at ar
price.
4 / put on my boots, the only article
attire / had discarded, and cautious
opening the door Of my chamber nois
lessly descended the riekety staircase /.
A few steps brought me into the low
apartment, which / found entirely
serted. ! crept quietly to che door, al
unfastening it without making the sligt
est noise, was soon in the moonlight.
Not a soul was visible, bnt the sour
still continued. and grew much more di
tinct as l approached the place fro
whence it proceeded At last / four
myself before a long. low buildin
; through the crevices of which I cou
tpefcei7e a furid glare issuing. l stoopt
down and peered through the keyhol
and to my extreme surprise, saw ha
!. a dozen strong looking men with the
coats of and sleeves turned up perform
ing a variety Of strange occupations.-
~