Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1884-11-20
JACK JOHN MULLINS.
THE KING COUNTERFEITER OF
KENTUCKY.

THE KING COUNTERFEITER OF
KENTUCKY.
Charcoal Etchings of the Famous Hail
Dollar Man, to Whom a Z. g Judge
Granted Pecuniary stCivil Rights, II
aPatent of Immunity and an Option
al Coanterfeiting Character, in the
Matter of Forging the Eagle Fifty
Cent Silver Of the Nations Legal
Coinage
BIZ EDWARD PAYsON HALL.
For the Sentinel.
It is related in the old tales of myth
ology, that Mercury, the god of thieves
stole ApslIo's oxen, but about the
same time invented the lutte. When
9 the sweet SQUAD OF the Instrument had
touched the ear of the god of harmony
:. IN. sas enraptured, and earessing the
m,yantor, ':.Truly," said he, This in
ven ion IS Sorth fifty oxen" Upon
this Mercury made him present 81
the lutte. and polio became trans
ported with joy, al the thsaght OF pos
sessing so inestimable - tseassre. In
order, however, to secure ~ e alInself
he requested Mercury to swear by the
river Styx never 10 steal the ser eetl J
sounding Lutte from its present poses
or. In return for his lutte Apollo gave
him the golden wand, which had the
power of settling all differences and
these two, now closely united, ascend
ed hand in hand to Olympus. 1t aOas
art that asove the band which united
them, and Jupiter rsoiccd IN the con-
cord.
When old Jack John Mullins, the
king counterfeiter of Eastern Ken
lucky, was summoned to appear be-
fore Judge Grimm, at the Spring term
of court for 1S45, at Louisville, he
put on bold front and marched into
court with his saddle-bags full of new
eagle halfdollars swinging jinglingly
and recklessly upon his brawny arm.
He went straight up to the judges
seat, and, without saying a word,
poured the whole wallet-load of money
shower-fashion right down in a gorge
Gus and glittering heap on the table
Immediately in front of that reverence
inspiring legal functionary. From the
twinkle of audacity in Mullins eye
and the suppressed but semi-visible
smile on Grimm's face, it was clearly
to be seen that this was the ancient
case of Apollo VS.. Mercury, in the
Olympus quarter sessions of Jupiter,
being deity modernized and re-enact-
ed in the persons of the United States
VI. j. J. Mullins, before Judge Gideon
Grimm, wearer of the ermins in the
4th district Of the Commonwealth of
Kentucky. The Judge silently and
OFFICIALLY drank to its fullest depths
the intoxicating draught of the deli
cious spectacle,-then taking up
handful of the shining pieces, he felt
them, he smelt them, he tested them
by ringing them one after another on
the table, he hugged them, he nursed
them, he caressed them, he fondled
them, and finally he laid them down
again, emitting at the same time
long, shrill whistle, (of the pioneer d.
alect and far-western Variety indica-
tive, when dramatically interpreted,
of the liveliest degree of astonishment
and Of the intensest admiration and
supreme satisfaction. Then he wiped
and put on most deliberately his gold
trimmed spectacles, Gas if about to ex-
anime the only authenticated copy of
Gains deed to the land of Nod, and
intently gazed with the riveted ex-
preston Of extreme curiosity upon old
Jack John Mullins for the space of
quarter of an hour, when he opened
,his mouth and spake:
."Mr. Mullins, did you make this
money yostrseys"
Old Jack John was short man,
but he stretched himself up to his full
height, and then tip-toed little, as he
proudly replied: "By Gracious, you
may bet your life, Judge, that l did
make itr'
"Well, all I've got to say in the
matter is, if you can make as good
money as this, just go back home and
make as much more Of 1t as you please
MIR. Clerk, enter a not pros! Defend
ant is discharged d-honorably discharg-
ed. There isn't title of evidence that
he is eounterfeiter. He is hereby IL
censed as manufacturer"
When I was quite a young man,
travelling. in Eastern Kentucky, /
crossed Elkhorn Creek, a tributary of
Big Sandy River. fourteen times in
one day, and that night / stopped at
the house of old Jack John Mullins
widow. I saw that was among a
wild set, but little thought i was tax
ing my rest in the whilome headquar-
ters of the most successful specie-coun-
terfeiting den our country ever pro-
duced. Mine was not very tranquil
slumber, you may well suppose, amid
strange, suspicious and solitary sur
roundings; and, as soon as day began
to peep, l got up, thinking I would
look around some while breakfast was
preparing.
l sauntered slowly for few hnn-
dred yards down long rscky hill in
the rear of the house, till came to
the bank Of the Elkhorn. Here, CROP
ing through the dense growth of lau-
rel, hazel and mountain fir, came
suddenly and unexpectedly upon the
ruins of what seemed to have been a
mill and forge Of some sort, certainly
not of the common grist, saw or IRON
working order; and, had not been
soon afterwards enlightened as to its
true character, I might have remained
in ignorance thereof till this day.
There was yet visible what was.left Of
. dam and race, two water-wheels at
tached to Ingenious grinding and
crushing fixtures, furnace choked up
with cinfiora of apt h 70, ,;ta 6 49, -