The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-07-09
Finding Spurious Dollars.

Along the Glenville dixie, writes o
Schenectady. n. Y, correspondent OF
the New York Times, is strip Of
ground from which the underbrusk
was burned away last spring. This
spot is black, except where few tuftE
of green enliven it. These tufts are
horseradish tops. Yesterday afternoon
W. Ii. Jackman, Joseph Ferguson, and
George Fight, young men employed in
the broom factory of Recorder Finn,
went to dig the roots. While they
were thus engaged Ferguson cried out:
''See what l have found!' His COM
panions ran to his side, and saw in the
ground a heap of glittering coins. The
treasure lay little below the surface
of the ground between two rocks near
the top of the embankment. The coins
were in a pile. but were not pro-
tected by any covering The young
men hastily picked them up and nerv-
ously rubbed off the dirt with which
they were incrusted. When the coins
We're counted it was found that there
were scventy-eight in all. All of them
were in the denomination OF u dollar OF
various mint ages. The discoveries OF
the hidden hoard wero exultant over
their find until JacRman, who had been
industriOusly polishing up one of the
coins, exclaimed, why, this is bad
dollar. 1t is lead" A closer examin-
alton of the pieces showed that they
were all counterfeits, excellently ex-
ecuted, but deficient in weight. The
designing was almost perfect and tha
milling was very regular.
One afternoon, some years ago,
while Charles 2. Sanders men were
har. L. Il.
man came strolling along the road,
and leaning upon the fence, called outs
''Do you want any help?" Any help
was desirable, and the stranger waz
hired for the day. That evening he
met Mr.. Sanders, who asked him what
wages he wanted. The man replied
that he didn't care for wages, but was
willing to work for his board, if Mr.
Sanders would agree to keep him dur
ing the winter. The man soon be-
came known as mysterious character.
He gave the name of George" to Mr.
Sanders, but refused TO give anv other
name, and always evaded any ques-
tions relative to his former life He
was a good workman but never asked
for an increase above the small pay
which Mr. Sanders gave him. There
were three persons to whom he seemed
to take fancy. One was ''One-eyed
Kate" and an old domestic. George
was in the habit of giving her 50 for
washing shirt for him. He tookypar-
ticular pleasure in teaching the labor
ers the art of manipulating cards dex-
terously. Among the men was an old
German, thick-headed and foggy-wit-
ted. George would invariably select
him for 4 partner at euchre, whist, or
any other game, for he seemed to be-
equally conversant with all, and with
this partner he would invite the best
card-playerS of Scotia to play against
them, and il is said that the stranger
and his partner were not beaten at q
single game. One night while playing,
one OF the opponents OF George and
the German became enra9ed at the
continued ill-luck, and flinging the
cards into the fire threw down a new
pack upon the table. 1t happened to
+ be Georges deal. Without a moments
hesitation he shutfled and dealt the
cards, and then, before a play had
been made, he told the three men
about the board the cards they had in
their hands. To Mr.. Sanders alone
was George in the least confidential.
Sometimes he would tell him he was a
gambler on Mississippi boats, and
again he would relate widely different
story. The strangest thing in regard
to the man was that he always seemed
to have plenty of money; which he
spent lavishly, although his wages
amounted to but a trifie. He was in
the habit of taking short trips to ''play
the bank" as he said. One day he
said to MIR. Sanders: Il am in want
of little money. Let me have the
fare to Saratoga and 80 cents and can
get some money" The next day he
returned with his pockets full of mon
ey, which, he said. John Morrissey had
paid him not to play faro any longer
because, as he said, he knew the deals
and could call every card. George
never went away for few days with
out returning with a big fat pocket
book. He would always say that he
had won the money at cards. After
working for Mr.. Sanders nearly two
years, one day George said he was
tired of working, and went away as
mysteriously as he came.
The discovery of the money has led
several persons who are conversant
with the facts to suspect that George
| was a counterfeiter. Where George
came from, where he went to, and
who he was are questions as much in
darkness as the history of the spurious
dollars found in the Scotia embank-
| ment.