Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-05-20
A FAMOUS CASE.
Mr.. Brooks Breaks Up a Noted
Counterfeiter's Gang.


Recently, while in the United State
treasury building. l learned from MI
Brooks, the Chief of the Secret Servic
Department, for the first time the tru
history of a famous counterfeiting case
which attracted much attention all owe
the country, q few years ago. wa
fortunate in forming his Acquaintance
as Kansan, for he had been in Kansa
in 1856 with Jim Lanes crowd. an,
told me that he saw men taken OF tn
cars at Glasgow, Mo-, and hanged 70
no crime but that of being Northerner
Che being foreigner, escaped.) Thos
were days when men shot the way the,
voted on both sides. / said: ..Mr
Brooks, please tell me how you dis
covered one counterfeiter. that viii
better explain the Secret Service thai
any other talk about it, In the frs
place. how do you get the counter
feiters" He said: THE ladies who
count the money have charge of bu
one denomination; thus, the woman
who handles the 500 notes counts nc
other. Fast as they seem to run
through her fingers. If a single line is
detected, she can perceive 1t. Thus,
the money that is returned is the CHIEF
source. although bankers and brokers
also send them.
Zone time a 800 counterfeit note
came up. compared it with all the
engravers' samples which I have in my
books, and after much deliberation,
concluded it was the work of one Of
two men. both, Is l supposed, in New
York. l wrote our agent. telling him
to shadow Haskell and Brockaway,
the suspected individuals, in no way
connected with each other. After con-
siderable search he found Haskell work
ing at card engraver's in Philadel-
phia. He was followed closely for
some weeks, when he was taken sick
and went to his home, little village
in New York. but instead of getting
better he died. The counterfeit 800
bills continued every now and
then to appear. l wrote our agent.
Where is Brockawayp He must be
the man. had before discovered that
he sometimes passed under the name
of Spencer. was tall, slender, with
gray hair and long gray beard, all of
which our agent knew. After more
labor than l can tell you. we found
that wealthy gentleman, by the name
Of Spencer. had a yacht, and was of
on pleasure tour. Again we were
at sea as well as they, but at
last we found such vessel anchored at
, country place on Long Island. One
day tall. slender, gray-haired man,
with long, white beard came down
the beach, accompanied by beautiful
girl. they were followed By another ell
DERBY man and young girl.
The four boarded tine yacht and
started of. Our men took yacht,
and followed in the same direction;
their yacht came back, ours returned.
Mr.. and Mrs. Spencer, to all appear
ances, had fine residence in a Hat on
one Of the most fashionable streets in
New York. They lived quietly, never
went out. received no friends.
Several weeks after they were
joined by a tall, broad-shouldered,
iashing, fine-looking fellow from the
West; he called himself Foster Now
here is where experience comes in.
Dur agents report every night. As
loon as heard this description l
wrote our agents that the new arrival
vas James w. Doyle. from a little
own in Illinois. He married a woman
BY the name Of Foster. whose father
vas Q counterfsiter. Shadow him.
''The truth Is. ten or fifteen years
before. that chap had to leave Phila-
lelphia under circumstances which
0oked as II he was in the business
hen. In the Illinois town they found
he left . boy under the name of Eos
er. but most Of the mail that went into
{ was addressed to James W. Doyle
10 my guess was correct. He soon.
however, returned to New York.
These men were followed day and
light for Eve months before we saw
Jingle Suspicious thing. Doyle spent
much Of his time at the fat occupied
" the Brockaways. One day the men
anne out with . broken seal. some
hing like this" (here Mr.. Brooks
ook up q stamping machine. like
N ordinary noeArys seaD. .they took
N omaibas to 70 down town. and left
he broken se0 in the bus. At tAs
tore they obtained another on the con-
Econ that Il it suited. they Would buy
4 II not il would be returned next day.
Dur theory was that they broke the
Isal when they wese nearly through
With the job, and BY using the new one
zoe day wero able 10 fiIish.
They now began meeting fne-look-
ing man in Bsoodyn, VINO lived in
beautiful garden. The three came and
vent much together, but nothing gus
picious was seen. excePs that one day
hey stopped ~ . corner and all three
aIoseay inspected . small open package.
Which vas paeasd from hand 10 hand
Dur agent Aea concluded that the
Ioung man was going away. A. he
boQg6f . fine overcoSs. although j.
was yet summer. he also got a new
la&ckel. One day he purchased tcke;
|bf Chicago; be entered the sleeper;
no Of our men had adjoining berths.
+ 49, 70 NJ ~ The car =,
nv pises he 1wI S.re I'm avrsssd
K, Nm IN - Co., ~ hing
|, cnr.rnms.s emhes1er in order
o ~ - . Plee - which to seasch
- tgqR. UthAs proved Iii right
Ae oess nan wUuld hve stepped up
~ spo3oGiDd, ~ - 70 tie officer:
- q. - - 49, saaH xr,x o.,