West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1886-02-12
BEN BOYD.
History Of the Mos Expert "Co.
neyman" in the World

"Do ! know any comtcrfeitcrsp
Well, ] used 60 know one" said Can
tain Patrick Tyrrcll OF the Government
Secrct-scNice. He smiled KNOWINGLY
at this confession He took of his
. glasses, folded his hands across his
stomach and leaned bucl, I'm his chair.
" Who is he2 Why, Ben Bovd. who
was sent down for ten wear, in 1874
lie Is an Illinois man and lived i'm Full
ton when arrested him. He was the
partner Of old Nclse Drigg,. who was
taken ot Centralia on the same day
Boyd was taken nc Fulton Il wa. my
privilege TO run down and locate both
oi these men, and [ consider that their
conviction was a body-blow TO coun-
tcriciung Boyd had many aliases.
lie was born in Cincinnati in 1884.
ills brother was au cngraycr. and BEN
| learned the art OF him. lie got into
! Dau company, however, and also COM
| pieled ms education as 'cUucymun'
when he met Nat kinsey. Nat cut ll!e
ono hundred dollar grecubacl cOun-
tcrielt plate IN S6i. bills from " hich
escaped detection by the best experts.
sen engraved his first good counter
icit plate before he was of age. He
soon became the associate OF all tho
fine workers i'm his line, and was tbe
pet OF all OF them Hc and Pete Nc
Cartncy were arrested ri Alattoon i'm
1860, and lodged IN Jail in Springfield.
About this time a woman named Allie
Ackerman, dealer OF McCarnev's.
was taken at Springfield. IN her trav-
cling bag was found thirty thousand
dollars IN representative money Zen
Boyd managed TO get out of this scrupe,
and secured the release Of Allie Ackcr-
man by giving up plate belonging to
Mccartney. In the old-time workings
or the service counterfcitcrs were often
given their liberty by turning over their
plates, but this easy way of doing busi-
ness has been abandoned II did not
take them long TO get new plates, and
they had to be looked after q second
time at least. When we get them now
we try TO take care of them
'Well, Boyd married Alice Ackcr-
man, and they resided for some time i'm
Decatur. By this time ho and his pals
were doing a heavy business in the
queer. His skill made him most sory-
iceablc 10 the fraternity OF 'conevmcn'.
10 WI ~ ~ JtiltNlt anu llt WIS fOil-
-idered the best lctterCr on steel i'm the
world. He was very wary, ,agaciOus.
most fortunate in his seclusiOu and
the product Of his plates was in circula-
ton for wears II finally became inn
peratively necessary 90 break up the
gang of which BOYD was the life. I
met Elmer Washburn, Chief Of the
Secret Service, at the Palmer House,
on February 3, 1875 We talked the
matter over at length. and / was put
to work on the case When I left the
Chief that night he told me that If
was successful the backbone OF coun-
terfeiting in this country would be
broken
We'll IL would take me "a long time
20 tell you the particulars OF working
the case, but ! located Boyd i'm June.
1915, in Fulton. He had Just moved
there from LaClare, Ia. r. soon be-
came evident TO me that ho had begun
work ] had conference with Chief
Washburu, his assistant, James J.
Brooks, now chief, and Detective John
Mcdonald. We laid plan 20 capture
Boyd and briggs October n
AZ nine O'Clock 10 the morning Of
that day we approached BOyd's house.
I was % lead by entering the front gate
and going around 10 the back door
Brooks was 90 follow at q distance OF
twenty feet, and Mcdonald, in the rear
about o hundred feet, 10 bring up at
the front door. All this was carried
out With military precision When I
was q short distance from the house %
man drove rapidly up 70 the door and
cried Does r. r. Wilson live here?'
imagined this 90 be a signal to alarm
thr inmates Of the house. and ! hurried
ON. I'm "a moment / saw n man escape
from the house. From his appearance
/ believed him tob be Nat Kinsoy Bovd's
old instructor, but we didn't want him.
and LET him 90. / feared that any de-
lay OH his account would defeat the
main capture.
II entered the kitchen from the rear
door and passed into the dininQ-roOm
Here Mrs Boyd confronted me. and
although she had never seen me. and
had no reason TO think that ! was q
Government officer. che seized me by
tho collar and tried 90 hold me. Itook
hold of her wrist and threw her from
me calling 90 Brooks to take charge OF
hor Hnrrving 20 the stairs ! met