Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-02-03
JACOB OFT, PLATE-PRINTER
A Secret Service officers StOry-.-The
Man who made Thousands"
of COunterfeits.

The New York Times of a recent
date says:
Jacob OFT, the Autograph plate
printer, who is charged with having
printed the spurious bank notes for
the counterfeiters, Ulrich and Cole,
was arraigned for examination yester-
day before the United States Commits
sioner Deuel.. Assistant United States
Attorney Fiero conducted the case for
the government, and ex-Judgc Often
hoefer defended the prisoner. Captain
Curtis, Mr.. GilkinsOn and other secret
service officers were present during
the examination. NJ. G.. Bowers. a
detective in the secret service. testi-
fed that he made the prisoners ac-
quaintance November ID, 1873, at No.
9 Spring street, a drinking saloon, and
made it his business to have talks with
him on that and subsequent occasions;
Bowers gave an assumed name and
claimed to have been a yellow fever
refugee, which led to conversations
about the Southwest OFT said he had
worked in St Louis and Cincinnati at
his trade as 4 printer. On November
l6, while conversing, Bowers displayed
a$l00 and a $50 national bank note, and
OFT remarked that he could make such
notes, and had made them. Bowers
explained his possession of the money
by saying he had just been paid off.
They were national bank notes, but
he could not now remember what
banks they were issued from. Contin-
uiug his conversation with CIT, Bow.
ers said, If you can make them, we
can make a good deal of money to-
gether, and OFT replied that he had
made thousands of them. On the
10Th Of November they had another
talk about the matter, and they finally
arranged to go to Philadelphia togeth-
er. After p~artaking of a lunch at the
Revere House, in this city, OFT said
You saw in the newspapers about
there being so many counterfeit $50
bills in Germany, and so many emf
grants being swindled by them p
Bowers replied that he had c the
statements, and OFT rejoined " |
printed them all me and my brother
at Philadelphia, and we also made
some 50 pieces. One night we burned
up about 5000 pieces, as the man we
worked for supposed to be Colel be-
came scared, and came in and said the
detectives were after us, so we burned
them up to get rid of them" Or
also said that he had the plates of the
$50 and 50 bills, or could get them.
They went to Philadelphia a short
time since, and on the way there Bow
ers told OFT that if he would get the
plates they could make money easily,
and OFT agreed to get them. After
reaching Philadelphia they went out
one evening to Germantown junction.
near the pike, and on the way out OFT
said that Harry Cole was the man be
worked for, and hat Coles wife, EAie,
was the smartest woman he had ever
seen in this business. From the gen
eral drift Of conversation Bowers was
led to believe that the brother to
whom OFT referred was Ulrich. When
they hadgot out on the road OFT also
told Bowers that he had often had
some curious trouble with his (0tt's)
wife, growing out Of this business, be-
cause, whenever she wanted money to
buy things, and OFT said he hadn't
any to spare, she would dress herself
up and say t~hroateningly that she was
going into the city to give the
whole thing away TO the government
officers unless OFT gave her the zone
OFT said that Of course he had to give
her tho money. OFT finally pointed
out to Bowers a house which he said
belonged to the president Of the cen
tennial commission, and said that,