Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-28
.CON|ACKERS CAUGHT
Ex-Chief of the Secret Service
John S. Bell Tells the Story
Of the Capture
OF THE briggs FAMILY.
Nervy Work That Led Up to the Ex-
citing Scene at Dayton, 0.
CARD-PLAYING IN A SHADY DEN.
Notorious Jim Guyon's Workmanship is
all That Saved Him.
pITTSRURG llENT n,DWYER,S WORK
CARD-PLAYING IN A SHADY DEN,
Notorious Jim Guyon's Workmanship is
ALI That Saved Him.
PITTSBURG AGENT 0DWYERs WORK
WRITTEN FOR THE p1spArcu.I

81
true and most interesting story OF how en-
trapped them and why failed to secure
conviction. First of all let me be little
reminiscent.
About 20 years ago Jim Guyon had pal
named Jack Drury, who was an expert
eounterfelter and terror to the United
States Secret Service officials. By some
hook or crook the Department of the Treas
ury learned that Drury had most excellent
plate of the Webster-head ten-dollar bill,
and had "struck off, about $50, 900 of these
bills. By hard work $40, 600 worth Of the
bills were captured by the Secret Service
officials, and Drury was caught one night
sleeping in a hotel at Lexington. KY.
thrown into prison, and later convicted and
sentenced to 20 years penal servitude. The
other $50, 900 was not found until less than a
year ago, and it Is upon the recovery Of this
sum that I will build my true tale.
A FLOOD OF WEBSTER BILLS.
It was known at the time that Jim Guyon,
pal of Drury's, was suspected of having
the plates and the money, but as no trace
was found Of Guyon, the latter came to be
looked upon as a sort of q myth who had
no existence except in the minds Of sensa-
tional writers and sensation loving detect
ives. At Louisville the story was given
out and was actually given credence by
many persons who should have known bet
ter, that the plates and the money had been
thrown into the Ohio river. For years this
story was relied upon as true by the Secret
Service Department, owing to the fact that
none OF the Webster-head counterfeits had
been found in circulation throughout the
country.
When took the Office of Chief of the
Secret Service was lulled into false securi-
ty by the stories of my predecessors, and I
myself came to regard Jim Guyon as myth
and the story Of the destruction of the plates
and bills as true in every particular. About
a year ago I received from a national
bank of Cincinnati Webster-head
ten-dollsr bill which discovered
to be counterfeit. immedi-
ately forwarded the bill to Agent Donnella
at Cincinnati, instructing him to go to work
upon the case Immediately and trace the
bill to its original source. Hardly had I
mailed my instructions to Mr.. DoInella
when was flooded with reports of Webster
passed all over Ohio and Indiana.
A CROOKED LAwYER's WORK.
Immediately I began to hunt up old
records and the story OF the destruction Of
the plates and bills came to my mind, and I
resolved that either the plates or the missing
$50, 600 in green goods were yet in existence.
1 instructed Major Abbott, of Cleveland,
one of the oldest and most experienced men
il, ho ooruina IN oceiSt AUent nnnnplla IN
the case. Fortune favored us. Our agent
at Indianapolis was visited one day by~a
lawyer, a man whose reputation was not of
the soundest character, yet withal q man
who might serve our purpose well.
He told our agent that he could If he
were paid we'll give us information which
would lead to the conviction of the manu-
facturers of and dealers in counterfeit
money. He asked an exorbitant price. how
ever, for this information, and resolved to
go West to see if it were possible to treat
with the man on reasonable terms. When
I arrived at indianapolis 1 met this man,
and together with Agents Donnella, Abbott,
O'Dwyer, Hall and Enright, held con-
sultation as to the best methods to be
adopted in securing our man and money.
The lawyer told us at this conference he
would ask $500 for his information. / bar
gained with him fully an hour. and finally
succeeded in getting him to accept SO per
day and his expenses for the work to be per-
formed by him.
TRAPPING OLD MAN DRIGGs.
He then told us that he had been vieited
by a man named briggs; of Dayton, O.,
whom he said had quite large amount of
counterfeit money on his person. briggs
said it was the easiest work in the world to
| pass the money, and as If to prove this fact,
walked into saloon with the lawyer, and
| throwing $40 bill down on the counter,
| asked for the drinks. The drinks were
served, and briggs received So 80 change.
"You see how easy it is DONE" laughed
| old man briggs. "Whst want you to do
| is to get me good man to handle this stuff.
He has got to be very careful, and must be
| a student of human nature"
The lawyer promised to secure such a
man. He then went to Agent Enright and,
realizing that he might make little money,
I had told him of the offer which had been
made him. As have said, Enright i'm
mediately communicated with me. The
next thing to do was to entrap old man
briggs, and Agents Donnella, Abbott,
| O'Dwyer aud myself went at once to Day
ton. Donnella in the guse of a wealthy
gambler, playing in hard luck; Abbott as a
real estate speculator, O'Dwyer as a stock
gambling lawyer of Hartford, Conn. Dom
nella was introduced to briggs by the law
yer and he managed to secure $3.50 worth of
the stuff for $685. which he said at the time
was all the money he possessed.
STORY OF THE briggs COUPLE.
Before 60 any farther let me tell you
something about the former history of the
Driggses. Nelson briggs at the present
time is feeble old man Of 65 years, but as
shrewd an old scoundrel as ever dealt with
a coniacker. About 15 years ago old man
briggs married a girl named Gertie Foster,
who was then in her 18th year, while he at
that time was about 30 years of age. This
couple, SO widely different in years, were
about on par, SO tar as morality and hon.
esty were concerned, for soon after their
marriage Gertie was caught passing several
counterfeit $40 bills in disreputable resort
in indianapolis, and she in her confession
implicated old man briggs. Both were
sentenced to ten years each in Joliet, which
they served minus the time allowed for good
| behavior.
The two then went after their release to
Dayton, o., where briggs opened up dis
reputable resort which soon met with the
disfsvor Of the local police. and came to be
| looked upon as q resort for coniackers and
thieves. The place was peculiarly situated
one and suitable for the dark work of con-
spirators of every description. Old man
briggs, finding that the place was eternally
under surveillance, decided to move out on
the road leading to the Soldiers Home about
| two miles from town. Here he ran gam
bling resort for disreputable characters who
Law in wait for the old soldiers On tAeir.is-