The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-04-06
THE MYSTERIOUS DUTcHMAN.


S
THE MYSTERIOUS DUTCHMAN.
Soon after the National currency be-
gan to be issued, and before the inven-
ton and adoption Of the peculiar quail
ty of bank-nOte paper, the manufacture
of which the Government has endeav-
Ored TO mOnOplize and control, a very
large quantity of spurious money, pur-
porting to be made by the new National
Banks, was thrown upon the public
Counterfeiting, UP to that time, had
furnished employment to a very large
number of persons, and the business
had in many cases been carried on with
but little risk of detection or punish
ment. False oaths. alibis, jury disagree
ments, and an endless diversity of legal
tricks, were ready to come to the rescue
of any scoundrel of that sort whom his
cOnfederates in crime believed to be
worth saving. Many of the most eX-
pert and dangerous counterfelters were
intimately connected with men of
wealth and apparent responsibility, and
sometimes they were those men them
selves.
After the currency came under the
immediate control of the general Gov
eminent, more efficient and thorough
measures were adopted for Graduating
that terrible evil. 1t was, however, too
firmly and deeply rooted to be easily
removed. Many of the old veterans in
that business had followed it until they
were apparently unable to turn their
attention to anything else. To fluid
these men, and bring them out from
their parlors and dens, was the only way
to stop their infamous work.
To the leading officers of the detective
force it had been well known for some
time that an " exchange Office as we
called it, was located in or near a small
inland city; one or more persons living
there being engaged in receiving, for
warding and distributing, if not also
making, counterfeit bills in large guam
titles; but no evidence that Justified
even suspicion as to who those per
sons were, had thus far been obtained.
eve have another Job for you, Mr..
RulisOn," was the announcement that
greeted and, in fact, delighted me, i'm
mcdiately after | closed my report of 9
successful raid upon a gang engaged il
that line of business. eco and find the
persons who run that distributing office
Pursue any course that seems best tC
you. Our information shows plainly
that the leader in the mischief lives
AAAOAts anu - wen tbNJ AtttlAAAtN NAAAA AAAs
business.
was soon in that little city, and fol-
the first two weeks was quietly =" swing
ing around the circle" but without let
ting any one know who l was or why
was there.
A dozen times or more within thai
fortnight | heard illusions to person
known as " the mysterious Dutchman, ,
and made n good many casual inquiries
in regard to that individual. Twice
within those two weeks | saw him. The
first time he was pointed out to me by
n man who had at that moment beer
endeavoring to describe him to me. He
was some distance from me, however
but the next day / observed him APP
preaching, and about to meet and pas
me. AS he did so he turned upon me
searching glance, which enabled mt
also to mark and measure him.
4" We have met, old fellow, and shall
be likely to meet again. l said, rs
watched his receding movements, anC
observed that when about thirty pace
from me he threw back a stealthy glanc,
that seemed to ask:
WHO are you, and what do you wan
of meP''
To the eye of any one but practiceC
detective that man would have passet
for quiet, honest old German " Herr, >
somewhat aged, and in feeble health
His hair and beard were long and white
and he carried a staff, on which he APP
peared to lean heavily. His clothe
were good, but apparently of foreign
make, and his whole appearance some
what careless and unfinished.
THAT man. said |, lis n bOgu
structure, made up for some special oc
casion.'
The information l was able to get il
answer to my inquiries in regard to tn
mysterious Dutchman was that he ha
been spending part of his time in tina
vicinity for the last two years, and wa
known as Colonel Won Schraeder. ii
was said to have fed from Germany i
consequence of political troubles, leay
ing his family there, and hence wa
alone in this country. His bushes
consisted in supplying peddlers an
small dealers with cheap jewelry c
every description, he being sort c
wholesale iobber in that line. Occa
sionally he had been known to offer NJ
ticles of that sort ut retail; but h
spoke English very imperfcctly, an
was not disposed to talk with stranger
on any subject, nor with his customer
any more than was required for tn
transaction of business.
At the express office I found the
knew the old gentleman very well, an
considered him worthy and responsible
person. He was in the habit of receiving
also sending out, G. o. D., considerabl
quantities of goods-jewelry, as the
understood and believed. He was
short, sort of general distributor {
that class of wares, most of which, ;
was supposed, were received from &c
many.
1 soon became satisfied that the oil
Dutchman, or whatever he might b,
was an active and veritable dealer
cheap jewelry, and that his frequeI
visits TO that place were not only Ostel
sibly but really connected with tn;
business But might he not, at til
same time, have another business, co,
cred by this and kept out of sight?
now made myself known to III