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

cramped chirography l gave start.
4 which made me almost lose nv lamp.
and the face of the man had shaken
hands with looked at me from the
page as distinctly as photograph.
In moments time / had made up
my mind that Burton" was "Dick. 5
"Burton's" face was the face which
had painted when reading the let.
ter, and while the landlord was mix.
ing q might cap" | slipped out
"Dick's' letter, compared the Chiro-
graphy with "Burton's" and found
that the same hand had held the pens
$50, you've got a New Yorker
stopping here, have you?" l inquired
of the landlord, pointing to Buttons
name on the register.
eyes, he signs himself that way
this time" replied the host. II guess
ne must be a travelling agent, for he
never had the location twice alike"
lie then turned back over period
OF seven months, and showed me
bnrton's name in SIX different places.
Sometimes he was Burton Of New
Orleans, then of Boston, then of
Omaha, but never twice of the same
place.
II don't know what he does come
for" returned the landlord to nv
query. she always puts up here.
stays about three days, and always
goes away on boat or train during
the night, generally about midnight.
No matter what the weather is when
ne is here, he borrows my gun, goes
Oft to the hills, and is gone from one
to two days, and is always in hur-
~ to be Oft out of town as soon as he
gets back. He is an odd chap and
l shouldn't wonder if he was a bit
crazy"
went to bed to study over the
case. | need not say that I differed
from the landlord as to Burton's &c.
centricity. l was certain the fellow
came to Parkersburg to supply him.
self with counterfeit money, and that
his "going hunting" was blind to
cover his going to some den in the
bills where the gang were al work.
! laid out and rejected dozen diff.
ferent plans to trip Burton and Sc
cure the arrest of the gang l felt
that l must get into his confidence
and get him to trust me, or l might
never get into the living place of the
gang, who were sharp, keen fellows.
as was shown by the manner in
which they had conducted their bus
mess. | might wait until the man
had gone off and secured his supply
of stuff, and then arrest him with
proofs enough to convict him. but
this would not be catching Rogers.
rolled and tossed about for two
hours. and then l suddenly got the
idea. | would turn "shover" myself.
| had with me about two hundred
dollars of counterfeit currency, all
well executed. The notes had been
sent to the chief at one time aud an
other, and were handed me the day
| left Washington. | mapped out a
programme, felt certain that l could
follow it, and then turned over and
went to sleep.
When | woke NJ in the morning,
it was raining heavily, with no pros
poets of its clearing away before
noon. ! believed that Burton would
not start out in such weather, and he
did not. After breakfast he sat
down to cigar and newspaper, and
one could not see that he had care
how long the storm lasted.
Holding in my fingers five dollar
note which | knew to have come
from plate of Rogers engraving, l |
drew a chair up to Burton, sat down,
and remarked
"You ought to be good Judge of
money. Tell me what you think of
that"
He took the bill, glanced from it to
me, turned it over several times, and
then replied that it was as good as
wheat. | hoped for just such an an
swer, and knew that l was on the
right track.
swell, the bill might deceive even
an expert" / replied, giving him q
wink, "for it is one Of the best coun-
terfeits ! ever saw. If / had $780,
600 of IT ! could get rid of every bill
without detection"
"But would you turn criminal and
rob honest men in that way ?" inquir-
ed the man, his voice betraying con.
siderable anxiety.
"Why not?r / returned. "The
world owes every mama living. IF
you buy of merchant he cheats you
if you stop for day at hotel the
landlord overcharges you. It's q |
game of cheat and plumber all the
way down, and if any one is smart
enough to cheat back / admire in.
stead of condemn him."
"That is rather dangerous philoso.
ply" replied Burton, laughing good
naturally. "You don't mean to tell
me that you carry counterfeit money
with you? ?"
"See here, my FRIEND" said I,low.
ering my voice to whlsper,"I mean
just this-make money the best way
you can"
Taking the bill in my hand,
walked up to the landlord, asked him
to give me small bills in exchange,re-
ceived them and then walked back
to Burton. He looked at me fxedly
moment or two, aud then inquired
if meant what | had done.
"Certainly," | replied. "He will
cheat me when | settle up, and why
shouldn't cheat him back I am
going out on the street now to make
some purchases, and / shall not pay
ont dollar of good money"
The man got up, walked about
moment, and then asked me up to
his room. Arriving there, he in
quired how much of that kind of
money / had, and ] showed BIN my
stock. He examined every note
very carefully, and then asked how
came by them. I told him that they
were furnished me by a Boston man,
and that / had got rid of two or three
4