The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-11-24
BREAKING UP A GANG OF
COUNTERFEITERS.
Exchange.

Exchange.
The amount of counterfeit money
in circulation at the close of the war
was something appalling. Counter
.feiting began with the first greenback
and shinplaster issued, and though the
government officials broke up many
gangs during the war, five new ones
started in where an old one was dis
persed. 1t was a safer business than
ever before and more profitable than
it will ever be again, unless we have
another war Much of the stuff was
worked off through soldiers, and it
was only the very prudent citizen at
home who stopped to scan and criti-
else his money.
In the spring of 1864, $50, 900 worth
diana regiment in the field, and
scarcely any attempt was made by the
recipients-%thirty or forty in number
to conceal the fact. At the same
time citizen who was at the front to
sell postage stamps and stationery to
the boys was quietly selling counter
felt one-dollar bills for fifty-fiv cents
each. One brigade, as l had positive
knowledge, purchased $4,000 worth
of the "goods" inside of three days.
The soldiers purchased this money
on the same principle that respecta-
BILE, law-abiding citizen smuggles a
suit of clothes across the border. 1t
was not considered crime in any
sense, and many, instances came to my
knowledge where commissioned off,
GERS were as deep in the mire as pri-
vate soldiers. Indeed, a paymaster was
said to have paid out several thousand
dollars worth of counterfeits to the
troops in the regular way. A secret
service detective finally appeared in
camp, and / was detailed to assist him
in securing clues and pointers. Such
was our luck that l was discharged
from the service in field and taken into
the bureau at Washington.
AS soldier and Zone of the boys"
l had but little trouble in ascertaining
where the counterfeit money came
from. 1t was made In several northern
states, but the most perfect bills came
from Mitchell county, Indiana. got
hold Of bill which read that perfect
counterfeit one and two. dollar bills,
warranted to pass anywhere as genu-
inc, could be had at sixty cents on the
dollar by addressing 81. E. M, Shoals,
Mitchell county, Indiana" wrote
to this address from our camp in
Shenandoah, and inside of week
received twenty one dollar bills. They
were fully up to the guarantee. l
could have passed every one of them
on the sutler. When l therefore re-
ported in Washington for duty, / was
all ready to move on the enemy.
was green in the detective business, of
course, but as there happened to be q
rush of business just then l was or
dered off to Indiana on my own hook,
and that almost without instructions.
first visited Madison and New
Albany, but not counterfeit was
afoat and not person could be found
who knew of anything wrong at
Shoals. / then proceeded to the town
direct, giving out that I was looking
for location to start big cooperage
business.
! had made up my mind that the
postmaster had something TO do with
the business, but changed 1t as soon
as l saw him. He was an old man,
simple minded and honest from top to
bottom. AS he was the owner of q
piece of land which had thoughts of
buying, / was In his company more or
less, inside and outside the office. He
had never, 90 far a. he knew, been
stuck with counterfeit, and none of
the business men in the place had any
trouble. This satisfied me that nv
pointers were only skin deep. While
the gang used the Shoals post. Office
their headquarters might be long
distance away.
My lay was to keep my eyes open
for ~. e. NJ" and whole week went
by before made discovery. Twas
at the Office every time the mail came
in, but no one inquired for those ini-
tials. Correspondents were not told
to address In care Of any box, but |
Was satisfied the letters were placed in
one. BY persistent observation I got
to zee most of the mail taken out, and
ons day l saw the post master throw
seven letters aside e. be sorted the
mail These were afterward placed
with - many more, tied up In . pack
age, and isft under the shelf Of the