Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-02-18
BEN BOYD.
History of the Most Expert CO.
neyman in the World.

"Do know any counterfeiters?
Well, used to know one," said Cap
tain Patrick Tyrrell, of the Government
Secrct-service. He smiled knowingly
at this confession. He took off his
glasses, folded his hands across his
stomach and leaned back in his chair.
"Who is hep Why, Ben Boyd, who
was sent down for ten years in 1875.
He is an Illinois man and lived in Full
ton when | arrested him. He was the
partner of old Nelse briggs, who was
taken at Centralia on the same day
Boyd was taken at Fulton. 1t was my
privilege to run down and locate both
of these men, and consider that their
conviction was body-blow to coun-
tcrfciting. Boyd had many aliases.
He was born in Cincinnati in 1884.
His brother was an engraver, and Ben
learned the art of him. He got into
bad company, however, and also COM
peted his education as 'coneyman'
when he met Nat Kinsey. Nat cut the
one hundred dollar greenback coun-
terfeit plate in 1864, bills from which
escaped detection by the best experts.
Ben engraved his first good counter
felt plate before he was of age. He
soon became the associate of all the
fine workers in his line, and was the
pet of all of them. He and Pete Nc
Cartney were arrested at NATION in
1865, and lodged in Jail in Springfield.
About this SINE woman named Allie
Alderman, a dealer of McCartney's,
was taken at Springfield. In her trav-
cling bag was found thirty thousand
dollars in representative money. Ben
Boyd managed to get out of this scrape,
and secured the release of Allie Acker-
man by giving up plate belonging to
Mccartney In the old-time workings
of the service counterfeiters were often
given their liberty by turning over their
plates, but this easy way of doing bust
ness has been abandoned. 1t did not
take them long to get new plates, and
they had to be looked after second
time at least. When we get them now
we try to take care of them.
"Well, Boyd married Alice Acker-
man, and they resided for some time in
Decatur. BY this time he and his pals
were doing a heavy business in the
queer His skill made him most serv-
iceable to the fraternity of 'coneymen'.
His work was perfect, and he was con-
sidered the best letterer on steel in the
world He was very wary, sagacious,
most fortunate in his seclusion and
the product of his plates was in circula-
ton for years. 1t finally became inn
peratively necessary to break up the
gang of which Boyd was the life. l
met Elmer Washburn, Chief of the
Secret Service, at the Palmer House,
on February 5, 1875. We talked the
matter over at length, and was put
to work on the case. When ] left the
Chief that night he told me that if l
was successful the backbone of coun-
terfeiting in this country would be
broken.
well, it would take me long time
to tell YOU the particulars of working
the case, but located Boyd in June,
1875, in Fulton. He had just moved
there from LaClare, la. 1t soon be-
came evident to me that he had begun
work. had a conference with Chief
Washburn, his assistant, James j.
Brooks, now chief, and Detective John
Mcdonald. We laid plan to capture
Boyd and briggs October 81,
At nine o'clock in the morning Of
that day we approached Boyd's house.
i was to lead by entering the front gate
and going around to the back door
Brooks was to follow at distance of
twenty feet, and Mcdonald, in the rear
about hundred feet, to bring up at
the front door. All this was carried
out with military precision. When
was short distance from the house a
man drove rapidly up to the door and
cried: Does B. T. Wilson live here?' !
imagined this to be signal to alarm
the inmates of the house, and hurried
on. In moment saw a man escape
from the house. From his appearance
i believed him to be Nat Kinsey, Boyd's
old instructor, but we didn't want him,
and let him go. / feared that any de.
lay on his account would defeat the
main capture.
Il entered the kitchen from the real
door and passed into the dining-room
Here Mrs. Boyd confronted me, and
although she had never seen me, and
had no reason to think that l was {
Government officer, she seized me by
the collar and tried to hold me. Itoos
hold of her wrist and threw her from
me, calling to Brooks TO take charge O
fair i