Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-06-20
KING OF COUNTERFEITERS.
An Old Scoundrel Who Would Rather
Make Bad Money Than Find Good.

Cd Pete Mccartney, the chief of
American counterfeiters, who was
released from an Indiana prison after
serving q term of eleven years, has
again succum bed to the ruling passion
and has been arrested at New Orleans
on the charge of raising small bills to
big denominations.
Pete. who may well be awarded the
title of the king of Counterfeiters,'
was an all-around operator of highest
proficiency. To begin with, he was
an expert engraver and could make
any plate equal to the original Then
he was as thoroughly practical
printer as there was in the country.
This made him his own engraver and
printer. AS a manipulation of the stuff
that is, to put it in circulation-he
had no superior and few equals in the
country. He was nervy and full of
resources, which never failed him but
once, ami that was when he was set
tied at Michigan City in November
1876
Before that date he had been ar
rested times innumerable, but always
escaped conviction. 1t was Il favorite
method with him 10 buy his way out
of jails. station houses and the custody
of officials, and it is altogether prob
able that he has successfully cor
rupted more officials than any other
man in the United States. He was al
ways supplied with plenty of money.
and never failed to make the most ef-
fective use of it upon the slightest
opening.
When he couldn't buy his way out
of prison he turned his ingenuity IN
the direction of making his escape,
and succeeded time after time.
When Mccartney was impris ened at
Michigan City, upon hint accidently
dropped by him. the secret-service of
ticers proceeded to his home and tore
up the floor of his chicken house, and
there found between $400 900 and
| $500, 900 of counterfeit bonds and
notes of a most ingenious description.
For the use of Heath's Detector the
Government permitted the publishers
to print plates therein from the
genuine plates with mutilation marks
upon them, these marks being heavy
dark lines across the face. Mccartney
bought up these detectors and, cutting
out these plates, split them by some
| process and pasted them on bond or
bank-note paper according to re-
! quirement, and then subjected them to
great pressure. The result was
genuine bonds and bills so far as plate
and printing were concerned, with
only the CANCEL alton marks on them
in the shape of black lines. Taking q
genuine bill or bond he cut out small
strips just large enough to cover the
lines, which he pasted over them, and
they were again subjected to pressure
and the bond or bill was all ready ex-
cept the signatures, which he could
put in.
These counterfeits were of as dam
gerous character as were ever made,
and the whole bundle would have been
put afioat but for his conviction fifteen
years ago.
Mccartney was known as an expert
counterfeiter third of a century ago,
and previous to the war put afioat vast
| quantities of counterfeit State bank
notes and State bonds When the war
came the National banks and new
| greenback notes opened a new field
for him, and he worked it vigorously
and successfully. H counterfeited
almost everv bond and note put out
by the Government and his operations
reached far into the millions.
He operated sometimes by himself
and some times in connection with
Others. At one time he was in part
nership with Miles o lie, who needs no
introd uction. The termination of that
partnership was peculiar. abrupt, and
made Ogle the mortal foe of Nc
CARNEY, and he hunted the country
over with a gun for the purpose of
shooting him
1t seems that they had lot of the
very finest plates. and had printed
vast quantity of Doodle, which was hid
away awaiting a favorable opportuni-
| ty to put it afoet
| one night Mccartney resurrecGed
the stuff and the plates and ran away
with them, leaving Ogle in the lurch
and pretty nearly broke. This put
Miles in fury and he hunted for Pete
every where, and would undoubtedly
have shot him on sight But Mozart
ney was as successful in eluding Ogfe
as between the officers of the law.
In addition to his acknowledged and
universally recognized proficiency as
counterfeiter, he was as sleek
craftsman as the best of them, and
! there is no doubt but that he had a
hand in many of the big burglaries
and bank robberies of the last quarter
of a century-if not as an actual par
ticipanf, as the brains and leader of