National Republican., 1883-07-17
THE MAN ON THE AVENUE. ,
amnll Tnlk Ahont nicn nnd Menanrea.

! bEhihsJ eAlfhulblOll, mas u nlSlOIy' NUS Wcti
known in this city, and those who have on
joyod the misfortune of his acquaintance re-
gard his threats against the government
secret service as the vain "bluiiing' of des-
peratc man. A treasury official, who knows
Pbolan from the ground up, gave tho follow
ing sketch of the gentleman last evening:
He is o bright, sharp fellow. who was en-
ployed for years by A. S. Pratt & Son, of this
city, and the Dye Counterfeit Publication
Office Of Philadelphia, TO canvass for their
counterfeit deteotor publications. Ho was %
very successful canvasser, but his crooked
ness brought him into disrepute, and he built
himself up reputation as m unprincipled
knavc, after while. When working for
Pratt Il Son, he made up list Of their sub
scrihers which he sold to Dye, going into tho
lattcr's employ ~ the same time by and
by ho served Dyo the same trick, taking
himself and long list of Dyes Subscribers
back 10 the Pratts. believe he repeated the
operation with the Washington firm, but
am not certain on that point. In the pur-
suit Of his business he carried with him
quantity of queer" money TO show the neces-
sity Of having the publication he represented.
lie would go into bank and make his talk,
aitor witch he would get hold ofall the coun-
terfeit notes that might have been taken in
over the counters, on the plea that he wanted
them for samples. In this way he accumu-
lated large amount of bogus currency, and
when in liquor no was wont TO boast of his
skill in passing it, He was an inveterate
gambler, aud it is said was in the
habit of playing in large sums of
nj Ga
rooms, saloons, and places of that sort. A
couple of years ago he went to California, and
on his return fell in with party of gam
blers whom he tried to fleece by working Off
his quecr cash on them, but they broke him,
winning not only his bad money, but his
good money as well, leaving him without a
cent 500 miles from his base of supplies.
"At length the secret service got onto him.
| and he was arrested in Boston for passing
worthless 800 bill, using his wife as tho tool.
| On the trial the wife swore that her husband
knew nothing of her attempt to pass the bill /;
that she had taken it from his pocket sup
posing 1t to bo genuine, and passed it in good
| faith On this statement he was acquitted,
but was soon afterward arrested for shov-
ing $50 note After his arrest he
! went to New York, where he lived with his
| son, daughter, aud mistress-his wife having
died in tho mcantime-but before his trial
jumped to Canada, leaving his bondsman in
the hole. Although pretending to DO anxious
to return to Boston and stand trial, he has
fought the eXtradition proceedings with all
| the vigor he could muster. lie isn't bit
anxious to como back, and when he comes
back he will not "cxpose" the secret service.
| He may concoct some lie about the secret
| service, but it will not hold water.
His yarn, if he has any, may be seized
upon by the gang of sore heads and ex-par-
don brokers, who have been belaboring
Brooks and his bureau, as an excuse for fur
thor mud Singing, but that will be all. With
u corrupt chief Mt tho head of the bureau
pardon brokers might clear 100000 year
helping crooked people out of prison, but as
the bureaucis managed they have no show,
and that Is what they arc kicking about
Phelan is a remarkably bright fellow, and il
is barely possible he may invent a story Of
some sort to got even with the secret service
| @@a
| 'What is going on under the surface" wa.
the question addressed by the Avenue Mar
to one of the gentlemen who might come un.
der the sorohead description given by the
treasury official in tho conversation. abov,
quoted.
won't you give it away if l tell you?"
"Of course not. l am employed at d
princely salary to get hold of news and say
nothing about it,"
"Well, then, if you won't give it away ]
will tell you in confidence that parties are al
work on one of the best bond plates ever cut
The secret service fellows must do something
pretty soon you know to square themselves
Now, mind you, l do not know anything
about that plate, but matters have been very
quiet in that line for long while, and a son
saton is due. do not know where light
ming is going to strike, but that will doveloI
in due course of timo.'
This very valuable information, which wal
communicated with many u knowing winl
and shrug, is u fair sample of the talk tina
has been indulgcd in by several citizens OF
the outside, who do not seem to be pleased
with the way tho secret service and engrav
ing business of the government is run. The,
delight in charging the secret service bun IA,
officials with manufacturing criminal
to keep themselves in place, ant
gigantic conspiraoos among the employees o
the government engaged in the manuGactur
of money, bonds, and stamps, aided an
abetted by the secret service people. 1t i
noticed, however, that they nre careful not I
specify and particuariSe.
g@g
1t IL an old story but good enough to bea
repeating:
About the first newspaper work Stanle
Huntey, the Spoopendyke" of the Brook
lyn Eagle, did was on tho New York Tyi5,m
when Greeley was its editor. His Made
assignment was to report II convention {
eminent aGriculturalists 1t struck th
newly heged reporter that the delegates di
not know what they were talking about, an
he alluded to them frequently in the cour.
of his report as u parcel of old women an
; idiots, who hadn't tho remotest idea of prac
cal agriculture. AS he sat at his desk roundip
out his report and filling in fow adjective
, Indicative of his disapproval of tho proceed
ings of the day and the mon who partic
> patod, he noticed a man at the other end {
the room shooting copy through tube int
the composing room. When no was done, I'll
S man who had boen feeding the tube was OF
c Of his seat, and the innocent lIuntey fire
{ his own matter to the foreman without sui
t mitting it to the man at tho tube, who, as
; afterward learned, was the city editor. I'll
= next day he was summoned before Horac
y ,.,ho onnno o1 ont ot, hi tyith a atrao,