Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-01-03

queer" will call at drug store sooner
than any other place of business, because
they purchase from such variety and carry
the purchase away in the pocket. This
druggist had been bitten several time;
| and was anxious to help nab some one
felt that 1t was only question of time
when some of the spurious would be of
fered again, and l was right. On the
| fifth day after took up my station in
the store respectable looking, middle
aged man rushed in, holding his hand to
his cheek and exclaimed.
For Heavens sake give me something
| for :he tootbdche! l am almost crazyr
The clerk hurried to put up som ething
the stranger danced around and groaned
and moaned, and when he received the
bottle he handed out SO bill and said
"Quick-Tve got TO catch train!"
The clerk glanced al the bill and began
to make change, but stopped to take d
second look at it. I started forward, but
before / had taken five teps the man was
off like fash. l pursued but ne lodged
me in the crowd. / went back and looked
at the bill, and 10! it was a counterfeit,
but one so nearly like the genuine as TO
deceive almost any one except cashier.
For the next three days | did some tall
hustIing, 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 putout at least $4,000
in the West, having several plates of DIFF
ferent denominations, aud the worst of it
was they got off with the plates.
Almost purely by accident l 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 had / determiL ed to
look the ground over. Going up to
Cleveland. got horse and buggy for
a country drive and started for Rocky
River. | was only well clear of the city
when I saw heavy thunderstorm coming
up and had to look for shelter. / had to
drive couple of miles 10 find it. 1t was
an old barn on the lower end of a farm.
1t was in a tumble-do condition, but
there was a shed under which l could put
the horse. [ was only two minutes ahead
OF storm which ragged for and hour and
which did not leak, and for the first half
hour l scarcely glanced around me-.
When did come to size up the interior,
about the first thing saw was a paper
package resting on a beam running
across tire barn. It could not have been
seen from any other position IN the barn.
and [ may say it was the queer sound
given out by the drops of water as they
fall > ha xyhf ah IN
up.
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, 81, SIS and a $40 bill, and
for 10, % aud so cent shinplasters, and
the ink from the last Impressions had
not been entirely cleaned OFF. While
was swelling with the importance 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 st first, but
started to climb up after the package on
the beam. | knew then that he was one
of the gang, and l grabbed him. He was
a stout fellow, and we ad savage tussle
for it, but [ finally got tie irons on his
wrists and made him prisoner. As soon
rs / seized him he shouted to warn his
companion, and before our struggle ended
the man was mile away. The one L
caught was Sam Dixon, "queer man"
of note, and known to us better under
the alias of ''Sly Sam" He was 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 ~ years, he calmly remarked:
swell, business will go on at the old
stand Just the same"