The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1881-11-24

at GFeenville, lodged James Phelps in
Jail. There was nothing Oh the slate
torindicate II, but a reporter of the
Comm erciaE got wind of it, and sue
eeedcd in hunting down Major
Church. The Major told all he could
in as full manner as possible, and
this is the conversation that occurred
between him and the reporter.
docs Phelps beleng to the same
gang o which the two Willcoxes be-
long ~
'Itis currently believed that he IS
the leader of the gang. II is very ex-
iensive one, and it is most difficult to
find evidence enough to found an ar
rest on. As every body knows, BIuh-
leuberg county contains many ignor-
ant people, who are very easily i'm
posed upon.
''For some time this spurious coin
has been passing around among them
veIy freely, and l set 10 work with the
detectives to ferret out the gully par
ties. You can't ina CINE how hard it
was. Every body had the money, and
most of them could not be persuaded
that it was not good. 1 finally traced
a good deal Oft to these two Wiucoxes,
and they were arrested.
'ERumors had been around that
! Phelps was the leader of the gang in
that part OF the county, but just as soon
as he heard of the other men being ar
rested he left. traced him to Ohio
county, and finally caught him at the
mouth of a saW-mill furnace firing
up"
Did he offer resistance ~
Gle saw it wouldn't do,and he quiet
| " surrendered. He knew l had a
bead on him, and resistance would be
worse than foolish. No, lie came along
quietly enough"
"What does this gang (which you
speak do ?"
ooh, the most of them work al the
saw-mills in different occupations.
The men who are doug the showing
have the reputation of being as respec-
table young fellows as any in their sec
ton. They are all young men and OF
good families. Their work at the saw
mills is only an excuse to pass the
money. They sentit around OH all
sides, generally dealing with the most
ignorant class. 1t is only when these
people try to pass it again that th,
thing comes to light"
Where is all this coin manufacture
ed ?'
| Well, that I don't feel at liberty tC
say. We are on the track Of the
| makers, and we don't want anything
made public about it till we have
made them under arrest"
''What coins do they make p
The usual run is nickles, quarters
and dollars. I don't know what meta
is put in 1t. When shaken together
rattles very much like good money
OF course it is easily detected by per
son used TO handling money, bat these
people are not, and it is readily passed
off OH them"
GLOW much are these men paid fol
passing the coin ?"
'"Thsy usually receive halfof villa
they make. This is liberal offer,
most of them can make a good deal o.
money out of the business. The mos
surprising thing about it is that 81
many Young men of respectable fami
lies are in it. Phelps is of very COCO
! family; his father own large faru
in Missouri, and is Weil-tO-dO. Hi
energy and intelligence raised bin t,
the position of chief among the 'shO
vers.' He is quick, bright fellow
and has doubtless passed great dea
OF bad money!
The Major then showed the repOrte
some of the coins. They are made o
some kind of metal that looks some
thing like nickle and silver at q curse
~ glance, but OH close inspection the.
are readily detected as coumterfeils
1t is rumored that the coin is manu-
featured in this city or i'm Cincinnati
According to Maj. Church, it would
be veryeasy by this line of men to pas
: the money from county to county, an,
, almost defy detection. More impor
tant arrests may be looked for"