Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-19
SPOILT THEIR GAME.
A Southside Man Caught Attempting
to Pass Counterfeit Bills
MADE BY RAISING THEIR VALUE.
Two Brothers Supposed to have Victimized
Many Merchants.
TO BE TURNED OVER TO q. s. OFFICIALS

For several weeks peculiar form OF
counterfeiting has been carried on in sys-
tematic manner on the Southside. Last
night it was brought to a sudden halt by
the police arresting Archibald and Robert
Mcdowell, the former being caught in the
act of attempting to pass 81 bill that had
been raised to a ten. E arly in the evening
Archibald went into the wholesale liquor
establishment of Victor Dosch on Carson,
above South Twenty-second street, and
bought small bill of goods, rendering in
payment therefor $40 note.
Mrs. Dosch, who had waited on the Gus
toner, noticed that the large figure '1o'' in
the upper right-hand corner bore glossy
appearance, and she showed it to her hus-
band. Mr.. Dosch examined the bill closely
and satisfied himself that it was two dollar
bill, and so informed Mcdowell. The latter
protested, however, that the money was all
right, when Mr.. Dosch called Officer Bryant
to arbitrate the matter. The officer recog-
nized Mcdowell as man whose description
the police had been given with instructions
to arrest him. Mcdowell was locked up.
STORY OF THE PRISONER.
When confronted by Captain Stewart,
from the Pennsylvania Railroad Company,
and had gotten it cashed in saloon out in
Lawrenceville, where the counterfeit bill
had come from. He had just come from
Uniontown on Sunday, and was boarding
with his brother, Robert, at the head of
South Tweuty-second street. He had not
worked, he said, Tor some weeks.
As soon as Mcdowell was taken to the
station house, Captain Stewart said he
knew he HAD the man who has been victim
izing the merchants oD the South
side for nearly two months. The
plan was a very simple one. Five
and ten dollar internal revenue stamps
were used to raise silver bills of 81 and 80
denominations. The older the bill the
easier the work was done and the harder it
was to detect the counterfeit. An acid was
used to remove all small letters and figures
from the face OF the bill that would be
liable to excite suspicion as to the genuine
ness of the money.
Captain Stewart has in his possession four
80 bills that were "raised" to S10's, and a
who were taken in" BY the scheme
Diehl, the saloon keeper; John G. Marsh,
the dairyman, and George Levy, the
clothier. About four weeks ago an attempt
was made to pass. one of the bills at the
German Savings Bank, but Cashier Erny
had had an experience with Brosi that has
since kept him on his guard. Captain
Stewart got a number of the bills and even
succeeded in getting the name and de-
scrlption of the man who was passing the
money, but was utterly unable to locate him.
Instructions were given to the police to ar
rest the first man answering the description,
and business men and merchants were eau
toned to be careful.
GAVE HIS BROTHER AWAY.
Archibald caused the arrest of his
brother himself. As soon as he said he
boarded with Robert, Special Officers Corri-
gan aud Richards were sent to the house at
the head of South Twenty-second street,
where the house was searched. Robert sur
missed something was wrong and when he
thought the officers attention was in an
other direction he picked up a large en-
velope from a secreted place and threw it
into the yard. Officer Richards went out
and got the envelope, which contained a
large number of the ''5" and "10'' revenue
stamps. Another lot was found between
the leaves of family bible. Robert was
locked up, and Captain Stewart says he
thinks the two men were equal participants
in the scheme.
The two men had Just prepared to move to
Uniontown, and part of their goods are now
in a Pittsburg, Virginia and Charleston
freight car. They intended to go to-day.
Robert worked at the Oliver Iron and Steel
Works, and Archibald was employed as a
wiper at the Thirty-third street oundhouse
The former is married and has family.
Captain Stewart said last night the prison
ers would be turned over to the United
States officials. but the police get nothing
for making the arrest. He has lot OF bad
coin in his possession now and may have an
other case before long.