The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-04-14
Among the Counterfeiters,

Among the Counterfeiters,
Five or six years ago, when | was de;
tailed to look up the Rogers gang OF
counterfeiters, | had but one clue to
begin work on. One of the clerks in
the dead-letter office had saved and sent
to the chief the following letter:
PITTsBURG, May Sth---Friend Ned:
have get rid OF all the "queer" which
bcughf, and shall be in Parkersburg next week
for supply. have found and will bring
with me first-cass engraver. The postal
currency passes right along, but have had
some trouble with the l's and SIS. Look out
tor my ariiv:l. DICK.
We had for a whole year been trying
to find the headquarters of half-a-dozen
countcrfeiters who had banded together
under the control of man named Ed
ward Rogers, formerly employed rs a
banknote engraver by New York es-
tahlishment. He had flooded Cincin-
natl, Pittsburg and other cities with
counterfeit postal currency and national
banknotes, and, first and last, ten or q
dozen detectives had failed to find the
headquarters of the gang and break
them up. Several parties had been ar
rested for " showing" the counterfeits,
but they were saloon-keepers and show
men and men merely acting as agents to
get rid Of the money.
We argued among ourselves that
Rogers and four or five (perhaps more)
engravers and printers had headqu::r-
ters somewhere in Virginia, Ohio or
Pennsylvania, where they printed t!.rir
money, and that they employed q general
agent to take it from them and sell it
out to such unprincipled persons in
towns and cities as would enter into
the speculation. 1t would not help US
much to arrest those who at last passed
the stuff out, but we could only stop
the business by arresting the engravrrs
and printers with their tools and stock.
We had once sent u detective to Park
'ersburg, and had had them in OF her
cities where the money had been most
freely passed out, but they had not been
able to get clue to Rogers headqu.r-
tiers. The letter really amounted 10
nothing. "Dick" might have made a
previous arrangement TO meet "N'h"
n that city, but the fact that the Letter
had not been called for was a proof to
several Of the detectives who were luuk-
ing over the case with me, that Ro4crs
was not in that part OF the county.
Had he been, he would not have allowed
the letter to remain uncalled Tor.
No matter what my companions
thought, I had an idea of my own.
Among all the complaints coming in
from cities and towns, we had not re-
ceived single one from Parkersburg,
although towns twenty miles from there
were sending in complaints almost every
day. This made me believe that the
gang were located at or near Parkers-
burg, and refrained from uttering anv OF
their notes there in order not to a;lrm
the local authorities. At any rate. l
might as well 60 in that direction as any
other, as must start out blindfoldrd,
and let luck furnish me clue, or aban.
don the case in despair as others had
done.
I took the letter along with me. read
and re-read it so often that could re-
peat every word, and the cramped char
acters were before my eyes like photo
graph. 1t is no new theory that one
can judge something of the looks OF a
man, as well as OF his character. by
studying his chirography. | never see
line of writing, from man or woman,
without holding up an imaginary photo
graph of the writer, and I have cftcn
been quite correct. As l sat in my seat
on the train, made up my mind about
how Dick" would look, and was de-
termined that if ever run across an IN
dividual resembling my mental photo
graph, / would watch his movements
until satisfied that he was an honest
man.
arrived in Parkersburg in due time,
and registered myself at the hotel for q
weeks stay in the name of "John Fay,
Snowman, New jersey" had scarcely
finished writing the line when the in
quisitive landlord asked where my
show " was, and if intended visiting
Parkersburg with it.
replied that my circus establishment
was travelling in New England, and
that my health being poor I had made
up my mind to hunt and fish and do a
general loafing" business for two or
three weeks, choosing Parkersburg be.
cause I had some acquaintance back in
the country.
These explanations were entirely salts.
factory TO the landlord, and he at once
proceeded to make me at home.
To carry out my plans / purchased
rifle, ammunition and fishing tackle
and for the first four days was in the
woods and among the hills the greater
portion of the time. In truth did and
Vet do love ramble in the woods, and
l did not have to force myself to take
the long jaunts which I did. grew
tired, however, after the fourth day,anG
.,unged about the hotel nearly all day
c:)sely watching the guests and towns
people who came in. Toward evening
/ walked down to the landing, and aitel
heing gone half an hour came back.
was just about to enter the door wher
sumo one came out. Looking up saw
a familiar face-one that l had seen :
dozen times before, but I could not re
member where.
"How are ..you?" I excl Smed, hold
: ing out my hand. II rem ember you
face like book, but hang me if | cal
recall your name"
Il don't remember that ! ever saw
you before" replied the man, slowly
but accepting my hand and giving it {
hearty sqeeze.
What may I call your name?''
/ gave him my assumed name anC
stated my occupation, as I had given tt
the landlord; but after conversation
of ten or fifteen minutes he failed tt
make out that we ever had a previou!
acquaintance. He stated that he hac
travelled in the North good deal, ant
that i had perhaps met him severa
times at hotels. I would not give W
ip my own mind but that l had me
him many times, but, as the subject die
not seem although pleasant to him.