News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-08-26
Queer Charley's Wife.
THE STORY AS TOLD BY SECRET SER
VICE DETECTIVE.

One of the most successful counter
feiters in this country up to the Spring
of 1864, when he was nabbed and placed
behind the bars for long time, was a
former employee of the Bureau of En-
craving and Printing named Charles
Atsell. While still an employee of the
Bureau he married a girl named Will
liams, of Providence, R. l. She had
been brought up to regard herself as an
heiress, educated abroad and was one
of the proudest young ladies in the land.
In 1862 her possessions were swept
away by fire and embezzlement, and in
December of that year she married At
sell. The match, l believe, grew out of
some romantic accident. People who
knew her best doubted if she had any
love in her heart. Her pride did not
90 with her money. Notwithstanding
the fact that she had married man
earning a moderate salary, she came to
Washington with her nose high in the
air, and her arrogant manner and style
of dress was generally remarked. 1t
was, indeed, her extravaganza which
led her husband into crime.
Twice in the Spring of 1868 sums of
money were lost in Atsel's department,
and while he was both times the obi ect
of suspicion there were no proofs to
convict him. One sum amounted to
S175, and the other to $500. After the
last affair he resigned his position, and
las afterward learned, allied himself
with a gang of counterfeiters who had
their headquarters in New York. Two
or three treasury notes were put out by
them which circulated extensively, and
for months the whole Secret Service
force was working in vain to turn up
the criminals. Atsell was not suspected
as being counterfeiter He left Wash
inGt6ss Nav York, and through the
lTfd,Iss 81, relatives, 1t was said, secured
certain profitable army contracts. He
could have been found any day had we
wanted him.
Along in June, 1864, having at length
satisfied ourselves that the gang was To-
Gated in New York, the circle began
to narrow down. One night stranger
from Missouri was arrested in a drunk
en- condition, and on his person found
two or three letters duplicating him as
a shower of the queer and furnishing
straight clews to work the gang. AIDED
by local detec ives, we raided resi-
dence on Twenty second street and cap
tured Atsell, a man named Coffin,
shower named Green, and the entire out
fit of press, tools and plates.
We made the raid about three o'clock
in the afternoon, and Mrs. Atsell was
driving in Central Park. l was left to
await her return and take her into Gus
tody. She returned about five o'clock,
dressed in the richest attire and as AFRO
CANT as queen. | broke the news as
gently as possible, but she was not a
bit agitated. Without the least sign of
embarrassment she replied to me:
every well, sir. You will allow me
to change my attire2'
Certainly"
She passed up stairs and followed.
She entered her bedroom, locked the
door, and | sat down to await her reap
pearance. At the end of twenty min
utes | raped on the door. No answer.
| waited five minutes and raped again.
AS she did not respond l felt it my du-
ty to make move, and after one more
effort to induce her to open the door L
burst it open. She was lying on a
lounge, dead for the last quarter OF an
hour, having, as doctor afterward tes-
tilted, imbibed some swift poison. She
was not too proud to be counterfeit
ers wife, but too proud to be tried as a
counterfeiter's accomplice. When l
carried the news to her husband he was
for a moment stunned, then he rallied,
and carelessly said
"Well, she'd have died in prison in
side of month. She is better off,"