The Evening post. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1888-1889, 1888-12-01
IN GREAT LUCK,
by a Secret Service Detective

ton of ''shinplaster" currency had been
counterfeited and circulated, and every
issue of greenbacks, from dollar bill
to the twenty, had been reproduced by
the queer" men. Counterfeiting -four
ished as never before nor since. Any
thing that looked like money would 60,
especially in the country towns.
The gang which was working the 81
and 81 plates was located ut Sandusky,
but we did not get this pointer until they
had tloated out good many thousand
dollars. The case was assigned to me,
and proceeded to Sandusky in the guise
of an army contractor. l had no details
whatever, but by keeping my eyes open
and picking up a note here and there |
satisfied myself that our information was
correct. Then i selected the most popu-
Lar drug store in the place, told the pro-
prietor my business, and arranged to
make capture. Men Showing the
queer" will call at n drug store sooner
than any other place of business, be-
cause they can purchase from such va
riety, apd can carry the purchase away in
the pocket. This druggist had been
bitten several times and was anxious to
help nab some one. ! felt that it was
only question of time when some of
the spurious would be offered again, and
l was right. On the fifth day after / took
up my station in the store a respectable
looking. middle-aged man rushed in,
holding his hand TO his cheek and ex-
claimed:
For Heavens sake give me something
for the toothache ] am almost crazyW
The clerk hurried to put up something,
the stranger danced around and groaned
aud moaned and when he received the
bottle he handed out $40 bill and said;
"Quick-l've got to catch the trainp'
The clerk glanced at the bill and began
TO make change, but stopped to take u
second look OF it. | started forward, but
before | had taken five steps the man was
off like flash. pursued, but he lodged
me in the crowd. / went back and looked
at the bill, and 10! it was counterfeit,
but one so nearly like the genuine as to
deceive almost any one except cashier.
For the next three days | did some tall
hustling, and the result was to drive the
gang out of Sandusky without having
the luck to arrest anybody. There were
four of them, and they had job office
which turned out work for the public.
The fellows had put out at least $4,000
in the West, having several plates of diff
Ierent denominations, and the worst
Of it was they got off with the plates.
Almost purely by accident j learned
that one of the gang had brother living
near Rocky River, a few miles out of
Cleveland and it was possible he might
go into hiding there for time. AS this
was the only trail l had determined to
look the ground over. Going up to
Cleveland, got horse and buggy for
country drive and started for Rocky
II .I,r, Il 80 al -,
when l saw heavy thunderstorm com
ing up and had to look for shelter. l
had tn drive couple of miles to find it.
1t was an old barn on the lower end of
farm. 1t was in tumble-down
condition, but there was a shed
under which | could put the horse.
was only two minutes ahead of a
storm which ragged for an hour and q
half found corner of the barn which
did not leak, and for the first half hour
/ scarcely glanced around me- When |
did come to size up the interior, about
the first thing / saw was paper package
resting on a beam running across the
barn. 1t could not have been seen from
any other position in the barn, and l
may say it was the queer sound given
out by the drops of water as they fell on
the paper which caused me to look up.
i had the package down after a dirty
climb, and as / opened it out fell the
plates of the counterfeits used at San
dusky-every one of them. There were
plates for 81, SO, S. and $40 bill, and
for ten, twenty-five and flfty.cent shin
pasters, and the ink from the last inn
preston had not been entirely cleared
off. While was swelling with the i'm
portance of my discovery the storm
passed over, and while engaged in doing
up the package a buggy stopped at the
gap in the highway fence and one of the
two men in it jumped down and came
running into the barn. He did not see
me at first. but started to climb up after
the package on the beam. knew then
that he was one of the gang and
/ grabbed him. He was stout
fellow, and we had a savage tusse
for it, but finally got the irons on his
wrists and made him prisoner. AS soon
as / seized him he shouted to warn his
companion, and before our struggle ended
the man was mile away The one /
caught was Sam Dixon, queer man.
of note, and known to us better under the
alias of "Sly Sam" He wac the chap
who counterfeited the Brazilian currency
and got rid of $4,000 worth before any
row was raised. He kept close mouth,
and would not peach on any of the gang.
Even when he got his sentence, which
was for twelve years, he calmly re-
marked:
"Well, business will go on at the old
stand just the same"