The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-06-15

There are further sensational davel-
opments in regard to the forged Gov
ernment bonds. A Washington spe-
cial of the 9th inst. says: ID. - IS
The story in brief is that about May
1st Samuel Felker, who is known here
as very successful detective, gave a
hint that he could surrender All origi.
nal transfer plate of the $1,000 6 per
cent. bonds of the issue of 1851, if the
case of Doyle,the pending in the Uni
ted States court here, could he contin-
ued.
Mr.. Felker went with the plate
which he had possession of to Wash
ington, and in company with e. b.
Farwell aud John Chew. who had
examined it with experts, and they
tried to secure an interview for Felker
with FOIger, who, however, at first
refused to treat with Foiger. AS re-
suit, Felker threatened to take the
plate to Tilden, Hewitt, Randall and
others. Under FarwelPs representa-
tiOns, however, the detective waited a
few days, and Felker, hose views had
changed during that time on account
of some startling facts that had come
TO his knowledge, received Feiker, who
ment from Mayor Harrison, Sheriff
Mann, Senator Logan, and others, that
gave him status at once with the
Secretary. The Secretary desired to
have experts of the bureau of engrav-
ing examine the plate, but Felker OBJ
jected to that gang" as he called
them, they being under suspicion and
having given false testimony already
in the case in Chicago. Geo. Jones,
President of the Columbia Bank, for
forty years an engraver, then exam
ined it and pronounced it genuine
work. Mr.. Lamb made the same state
ment. The secret service officers mean
time declared the plate counterfeit.
The experts told Folger that only
one man in Washington could say
whether the geometry lathe work was
genuine, and he WAS Geo. Tichenor,
who does all that class of work. He
examined it with his glass and tools,
and after much hesitation, knowing
the importance of his decision, declar-
ed the work genuine; that no human
hand could have done it in lifetime;
no hand engraver could have done it.
The officials Of the bureau of engrav-
ing didn't know whether they had the
originals from which these Impressions
were taken, but subsequently said
three vignettes and dies were destroyed
in 1869 and 1870 in presence of COM
mittee. A report was found setting
forth that fact, but the names of the
signers were torn off-an extraordina-
ry, unexplained circumstance. The
bank note company of New York,
which did the work had government
receipt dated Oct, 1864, showing that
hnr 70 l. 1aI Il = L..
government. 1t was between Oct,
1854 and 1870 that the lead matrices or
impressions must have been made, and
Secretary Folger has now an acknowl-
edgment from the bureau of engraving
that they had these dies during that
period. The entire statement of Brock
way and Felker is that the plates were
purchased from an accomplice inside
the bureau, who is not named.
1t is said that Breckway declared
positively that there was an under
standing between the counterfeiters
and the officers of the bureau. The
reports made to FOlger that very much |
more than the twenty $4,000 bonds |
found on Doyle had been uttered that /
the three found at Peoria were part
of 100000 circulated at Pueblo, Col
oradO. The statement that $22, 900 900 !
were issued is adhered to, but the Sec
retary believes that the twenty $4 900
and the So, 200 at Peoria We're all that |
were issued. .. a.
1t is believed that the Secretary has
now very many secret agents in the |
bureau of engraving and printing, and
will try to avoid publicity in the mat
ter. Some of the persons charged with /
are dead some have been |
in ha
vice.
The Secretary has advised the sus-
pension of Doyle's sentencein Chicago. !