The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-10-06
HOW THEY WERE CAPTURED
Orange County Counterfeiters Picked Tn
Here and There by Active officials.
An Early. Mornings Ride Among the Hills
with the Expectation Of Meeting Determined
Resistance by Violators Of the law.

1he country around Paoli, Orange coun-
ty, is wild and NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. patches
of underbrush and clumps of wildwood find
scanty nourishment on the surface of the
hills, and the rude ravines and shelving
rocks with which the landscape abounds.
make this section of the State a very de-
sirable locality for offenders against the
Law. as affording safe shelter and hiding from
detection and arrest. 1t was before
daylight. on Friday, when officials, headed
by Sheriff Pierce, of Paola. started out to
capture a gang of counterfeiters who, for
the past two years. had been manufact-
uring and forwarding to agents, in differ
ent States. considerable sums of spurious
coin.
Besides Sheriff Pierce, the party con-
sisted of Deputy Sheriffs Baggerley. John
i. Prov. VIM. McVey. +. /. Tlnsley, Sharlis
Hurley, Henry Webster and Deputy United
States Marshall Mounts. Each was heavily
armed, for it was believed that in effectine
the arrest some fighting would have
tn be done. as more than one
of the couterfeiters was known
to be q desperate and tough character.
Shortly after 4 o'clock. two hacks, each
containing four officials. started for the
first destination, a small ~dwellinr-house
of Henry Crow, thirteen miles distant over
the rude n broken country roads. Crow
was regarded as the leader of the gang.
who not only supplied the tools and me-
chanical skill, but also the intelligence.
He was thought to be the man who disposed
of most of the spurious coins after they
had been made. He had Just risen from
bed, aud the action of the officials had been
SO suddeu and unexpected that no
4 MN NJ e
and he quietly submitted to the inevitable
and was taken to Jail.
Seven miles nearer Paoli. on the same
road. In q small farmhouse at the head of
a ravine, lived Joseph Low. and 1T was to
capture him that the hacks were being
rapidly driven about 2 o'clock. Low
was, however. on the alert, and, observing
the officers coming in his direction. he ran
into the barn-yard, and attempted to es-
cape over thefence. At the muZzle of a re-
the hacks. The farmhouse of Robert Will
Jams was next visited, and here il was that
the first opposition was met with. Deputy
Marshal Mounts, after Williams was arrest
ed. left him In charge of one of the officials.
Williams. through an excuse. entered the
house, and seized q revolver from a bureau
drawer, and threatened that he would
blow out the brains of the first man who
who knew Williams. managed after q time
to pacify him, and he submitted to being
placed in the conveyance and taken to the
Jail.
Thomas Williams, the son of the former
was arrested. but as the officers were pro-
ceeding along the roadway, he was seen
coming toward the house with horses and
wagon. Deputy Marshal Mounts stepping
from one of the hacks, told him that he was
wanted on a warrant, and without q word
William dismounted from the wagon. un-
hitched the horses and jumping upon the
back of one of them, made a quick movement
to ride off. The official saw the action and
laid his hand on the bride, at the same
time drawing his revolver. covering his
man, who, when he saw that escape was
impossible. and cursing his captors, suffered
himself to be placed In one of the hacks.
Samuel y: Lindleyi William x Lind
Waltz were also arrested without any dif6-
Guilty, and by 3 o'clock in the afternoon the
eight men were safely lodged in Jail
The history Of the gang and the methods
e es1ateS By g sh s 9 rl Pierce Ge ' Ssste s9Issr0 .. Tss
first intimation.n he said. II received of
the making of counterfeit money in tha
vicinity of Paoh was that a spurious half
dollar bad been passed by Henry Crow at a
chase large quantities of. plaster of Paris
at a drug store, and also zinc,
block tin; and lead. at different
u6 COulu uOl pOcclDl} ICQulIt III III III his
business. which was that of a tinker. He
was also in the habit of receiving. by ex-
press. quantities of the same metals from
Indianapolis. / communicated with Major
ing some samples of the money which
the 18th of August last. detective
Henry Webster was sent to Paol, and, In
der the name of j. 8. Hamilton. commenced
to hui MP evidence wherewith 10 prose-
pufa and arvQcf fhQ nffondQrc I'm npa mana
sion a package containing sixty-three spuri-
Gus dollars was sent through the American
express. addressed to- @. Sui
linger. Pierce City: Mo. and in
words was intercepted: Goods received
all right; will write you full particulars in
a few days. Everything o. X. Yours.
Geo. Sun-" The evidence kept on ac-
to implicate at least fifteen of
we'll known and hitherto. in the
persons. Robert Williams, a farmer and
one of the prisoners. is e~ighty-four years of
two brothers. Samuel N. and VIM. X. Lind
ley, are sons of Quaker parents. Their
father was in the late war u one of the
boys is a pensioner. They have hith-
s wtrs ,o ose1 uo od GO so0 strai TsBstas,on S and
pie. Thomas Williams. son Of Robert
Williams, is o farmer, and is in very CON-
Portable circumstances. George Lee and
Joseph Law are also farmers, n had
been looked upon as respectable. hard
working people. Henry Crow. the
leader of the gang, has only resided
in Paoli about three years, and originally
hailed from Kansas.
ION searching the houses of the prison.
ers no money in any considerable amount
was discovered. Quarters, half-dollars and
nickels. to the sum of So, were seized,
and. in looking through WILL
iams's blacksmith-shop. a quantity of
ar timony was discovered. George Lee.
after his arrest. turned informer. and made
q full confession. Following his directions.
the officers succeeded in unearthing aquan-
tlty of counterfeiting tools aud apparatus
secreted in the ground near his house. the
spot being indicated by a nail driven in the
fence incl0sing the premises. Joseph Low
also confessed thati in hishouse, hidden away
In the stove-plpe and ceiling, would be
found som molds and counterfeitlng tools
The prisoners were brought here yester-
day morning and given a preliminary hear
ing before Commits sioner Van Buren,. All
pleaded not guilty to the charge. and the
brothers. Lindley and George Lee. waived
examination, and their bonds were fixed
IN the sum of $1,000 each. Thomas Will
Jams was discharged, as there was not suf-
fcient evidence against him. Crow. the
leader of the gang. was held in the sum or
5000. The bond OF Joseph Low was fixed
at 1900; Charles Waltz was held in default
of $1,000 bond, and Robert Williams. on ac-
count of old age. was allowed 10 sign his
own bond in the Sum of Al on