Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-04-15

the five / had, and stated that if
wanted to supply myself he coalt
give me very liberal terms. |, o
course, was very eager to bargain
with him, and it was agreed that OF
the next night he should furnish me
with four thousand dollars at forty
cents on the dollar.
| worked every way could to find
where he was to procure it, but i,
was no use. He had not known me
long enough. He said it must be
sufficient for me that got the coun-
terfeits.
1t was my intention to dog his
steps to the headquarters. / had nv
gun already for going out, and did
not allow Burton ont of my sight for
several hours. At noon the weather
cleared up,and he borrowed the land
lords gun. / took mine and started
for the hill, believing he would have
TO pass me after all. / travelled about,
watching everything, had an eye on
the hill road, but did not catch sight
OF him. Returning to the hotel, /
found that he was absent, and, in
fact, he did not return until after
dark the next evening.
/ knew from what had passed that
| could not gain the mans confidence
for weeks or months, and might new
er induce him to guide me to the
headquarters. By arrssting him l
might make him turn informer. if
holding out the inducement of escape
to himself. / had everything arrang-
ed when he returned. / was In his
room and two constables with me,
and we had him handcuffad IN a mo.
ment. He had about ten thousand
dollars of the stuff with him, and
there was no lack of proof. He
"peached" on me and fairly raved
when established my identity with
him.
The. attempt to wiring anything
from him in regard to the others was
failure. He declared that he would
submit to torture before he would
betray those who furnished him with
money. I coaxed, threatened and
discussed, but he was firm; and af-
ter an hour vainly spent l gave up
the attempt. l would send him to
Washington, and then hope that &C.
cldent might assist me to find Roe-
ers' den. l was determined to find
it if had to call out every man in
Parkersburg.
Going out of the room to arrange
for sending Burton off l stumbled
against small dog at the door, and
/ remembered that the dog had come
in with the counterfeiter. 1t was
not his dog, and the thought struck
me that it might belong to some of
the gang, and had followed him from
the den. / at once tied the animal
up, determined to make him useful.
After sending Burton off by the 10
o'clock train, secured the services
OF eight men, including four consta-
bles, and, all we'll armed, we set out
to follow the dog. We had given
him fiogging before starting, "to
make him homesick," as one Of the
constables asserted, and he was held
from going too fast by a string
around his neck.
We had equipped ourselves with
lanterns, expecting jaunt of several
miles, and were, therefore. much put
out when the dog, after going two or
three blocks, led US down a back
street, and stopped before the door
OF a one.story building which had
the sign "Shoe Shop over the door.
The door was locked and there was
no evidence of life about the place.
We dragged the dog away, but no
sooner gave him the slack of the
string than be led US back.
The constables stated that a
stranger occupied the shop, and after
one more trial with the dog I CON.
sented that they should force open the
door. Closing it behind US, we
lighted one of the candles, and pas.
sed through partition door into
rear room. The room was empty
and one of the constables caught
sight Of and lifted up trap door.
The moment the door came up /
heard the clatter of printing press.
/ knew the SQUAD in an instant, and
realized that we were about to make
discovery.
Looking to our weapons, and leav.
ing the lanterns above, we descended
rough ladder, and were soon in
passage which one OF the men de.
clared to be an old ravine which had
been walled up and covered over
several years before. Cropping for
ward few yards, the clatter of the
press growing nearer all the time, we
at length bumped against the door.
Feeling around, / found the handle,
gave pull, and blaze of light was
let into the passage.
We saw the printing press, three
or four men, tables, papers, troughs,
and so forth, and we rushed into the
cellar on run. There was shout,
the counterteiters all ran, and in
moment all but two had escaped out
through door in the far end of the
room. The two were Rogers and
companion, known TO the craft as
"Shinplaster JIM"
We followed through the door
after two or three minutes taking one
of the lights, reached, and mounted
q pair of stairs, and found ourselves
on the first floor of an empty store
across the street from the shoe shop.
The counterfeifers had rented both
buildings, and we're using the cellar
of the store as their printing Office.
We found piles of counterfeit notes,
secured all the plates, dies, tools,
presses and paper, and the haul
broke up one of the worst gangs in
the country. Rogers and Barton
went to prison for twenty years each,
and "Jim" got off with q sentence of
ten.
But for the little dog, the rascals
were so well hidden that they might
haYe worked away for months with.
out detection.
The Cultivation of lutte,