The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-28
HETHINKS HE WASAF00L
FARMER PERKINS SEES THE PAPER
HE BOUGHT FOR COUNTERFEITS.

Commissioner from Lancaster, S. C.,
Says He Purchased the Green
Goods" for a Friend-He Admitted
He Would Have Passed Them Upon
His Neighbors.
From the Netc York World
1t would require several volumes of
figures TO record all the signs uttered in the
past thrty-six hours by Asbury
Hamilton Perkins, of Lancaster coun-
ty, South Carolina the latest victim
of the green goods sharps.
All night long Tuesday he sat in a cell in
Inspector Byrnes marble palace, on Null
berry street, his long legs gathered in
bunch beneath him, his rounded shoulders
high up near his respondent head, and
chewed the cud of bitter reflection, and the
longer he chewed the more bitter grew the
moIsel Although not n man Of bright aud
brilliant intellect-indeed, there IS rather a
remarkable growth of moss on Farmer
Perkins understanding-he had sense
enough TO see that he had lost his character
in a sudden and complete manner, and the
shadow of coming events hung very black
before him.
Until the iron door Of police cell changed
upon him it had never occurred TO Farmer
Perkins that he was engaged in very rep
rehenSiule business. Like most of the VIC
tlmzed partners Of the green goods, men,
he IS eminently respectable at his home
He has some money and has stood high IN
the estimation of his EeIghhorS. He said
yesterday, in trying to "vlndlcate' himself,
that he is a man of family and a church
member. That he is trus ed by the men Of
his own county Is shown by the fact that he
has been a Township Commissioner fOr sew
eral years, and it was because of his well
known truStwOrthinesS that he was
specially selected in December to bring
North $4,000 of the Lancaster county
bonds to deposit with the State
Loan and Deposit Company, of Boston.
Yet when the chance came, as he thought,
to get counterfeit goods, which he intended
to work off among his friends and fellow
tOwusmen, he jumped at it with eagerness.
He was very angry indeed when Detective
Sergts. McCloskey and Mulholland, of In
spector Byrnes' staff hauled him up just IS
he was getting away with his precious load,
and it was only when Inspector Byrnes
opened the packages of supposed green
backs and he found that he had bought $50
and four wads of beautiful light green book
paper for $500, that he turned his wrath
against the honest merchant who had sold
them and him at the same time
by gosh!n he SAID, pulling his red nous
tache with trembling fingers, II reckon this
fellow is a right smart scOundrel Looks as
if be was trying to cheat me, doesn't it! |
don't believe he ever was in Charleston at
alin
Inspector Byrnes was not through laugh
ing at the fellows greenness yesterday.
He was perfect cake he said, pictur-
esquely. For man who was willing to
be a handler of counterfeit money he was
the biggest fool ever saw After the In
spector had secured a confession from the
farmer. he asked HIM pont-blank if he
actually intended to work off crooked bills
on his ncighuorS.
why, yes" said the Township Commits
siOner. The bills | saw were SO good that
l did not think the people down there would
have any trouble n getting rid of them. [
wouldn't make trouble for any Of them for
the world"
As a result Of his nights cogitation,
Farmer Perkins came to the astute conc.u-
sion that he had been too frank with IN
spector Byrnes, and he thought he saw a
way to reconstruct his shattered reputation.
1t was to claim that he had not bought the
green goods" for himself, but for a Eend,
who had offered him a commission, and
that he had not intended to pass the goods
himself. The honest farmer looked ON tins
as very happy Thought, and when he
smo0thed down his long hair to go to court
his spirits were not so wholly bankrupt as
they had been. Little Counsellor Hummel,
whom he prisoner Rogers had made haste
to re- ain, rubbed his hands together and
laughed with glee when he learned of the
change Of story. For if the complaining
witness will only lie enough, he will greatly
help honest Merchant Rogers to escape con-
victiOn.
When Farmer Perkins reached the Tombs
Police Court under convoy of Detective
Sergeant AlcCloskey, his greenness stuck
out on him like quilts upon the fretful por-
cupine He did not seem to fully realize
hi, dsgraceful position, but the fact that
he had been thoroughly duped had reached
the very core of his understanding. The
detective found Perkins yellow bag and
showed Mr. Hummel the neat but decep-
tive bundles of paper, and Perkins uttered
fervent sigh and muttered, Jerusalem!
What a fool [ wasr' This exclamation was
heard 10y the prisoner, Rogers, who stood
lust back of him, and he laughed aloud.
All the humor of the situation he appre-
ciated to the full. After some delay Per
kins affidavit was taken, charging Rogers
with larceny, and briefly detailing the man
ner in which he had bought waste paper
for counterfeit money. Detective McCloS-
key was anxious to hurry him away after
the examination had been put down for
this morning, but Perkins insisted on max
ing a statement for the press.
Il want To be vindicated,' he said 81
have been placed i'll false position and
do not wish my friends at home to think
me the rascal that / am not am man
of family and church member, and that
is why desire vindication. | served on
the staff of Gen. 'Jeb Stuart as courier,
and as God is my witness, did not want to
purchase green goods for myself, but for a
friend
Who is the friend!' asked the reporter.
Farmer Perkins hestated a moment and
then said. virtuously: "Well, l don't care
to give his name. He used to live in Ian
caster, but he has now gone to Alabama to
live. The way learned about the business
was this: ! had been in Boston ana came
here, and thought | would stop over day
and see New York. On some street down
town | met this man Rogers, and he talked
TO me SO slick that | really thought knew
him. He said he was from Charleston and
pretended 70 know me well. He said he had
some samples OF pants he wanted to show
me- 50 | went with him to No ISL Mott
street. He showed me several samples and
then switched off to green goods | began
to get scared, but he told me that big
officials at Washington We're making
millions every year printing and selling
them from the government plates ana
he showed me some bills and, by gosh,
they looked as good as the real article To
support his story he handed me a Slip from
newspaper which spoke OF a case of a man
being arrested Tor selling counterfeit notes
aud told how a government clerk had come
an fVf,Y,r 'gaght nd In,ln =