The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-09-27
THE COUNTERFEITERS.
How Patty Lockwood Discovered
q Bogus Money Mill.

q Bogus Money Mill.
few miles from tho Connecticut
river, boundary line between lower New
Hampshire and Vermont, may still be
seen tho scattered romans Of tiny
colonial settlement. There is legend
which tells of Il school-master, who
reaching tho little hamlet, footsoro and
weary, after an unavailing search for a
place in which to open his school, OK
claimed Eureka! have found it," as
he saw before him brick school-house,
newly built and tcacherlcss. Since
then tho small settlement, which had q
school-house before it had name, has
boon known as Eureky, and bricks
from tho original school-house, in
proof of this christening, arc carefully
preserved. One juno day in Rcvolu-
tionary times Il middlc-aged man plod-
ded along the Crown Point road, which
ran through Eurclky on its stony way
across tho Green mountains to Bcnning-
ton, tho chief high road from the New
England coast to the State Of New
York. He was short and sturdy, and
carried under one arm an iron box, Sc
cured by paddock. AS numbering
ox-team or whistling wood chopper
passed him, on their way homo from a
long days work, he pulled his hat we'll
down about his face the better to hide
his bcetling brow and deep-set eyes.
Coming at length to a narrow bypath no
struck off to tho loft of the Crown Point
road, and, reaching broadfaccd, we'll
built house he looked sharply about,
and finding that he was unobserved,
tapped upon the window pane.
"uello! McAndrew, is that you?"
called subducd voice from within.
"BlaclS river" answered McAndrew,
giving u private countersign, and the
door was opened.
Although the rumble of thunder was
In tho air, huge fire blazcd in tho
mammoth fireplace of the room which
McAndrew entered, and it was evident
from the appearance of the two unkempt
men present that they were engagcd.in
some ncfarious occupation. Thor voices
wcrc lowered, and they moved noise
lcssly in their stocking foct from the
Fireplace to tho table, filling coin
molds with melted metal.
"lIow much did you uso of it at
Charlestown?" asked ono of the mon,
lifting McAndrow's box and shaking it
gently.
"a little is left" answered Mean
drew. "But tomorrow will be our day,
for Stark goes through here on his way
to Bennington, and We will treat his
soldiers to their fill with our illegal
tender"
For few hours all three worked like
honC vna1tinrr vi
their bogus coin. Then they dropped
1T, still warm, into McAndrew's box, and
placed it, for safe keeping, in cave
dug in tho bank just back of tho house.
This accomplished to their satisfac-
ton, they returned to the house, threw
wide the outside door in order to cool
the rooms below, while they went up
stairs to examine tho treasure hidden
there. Pushing back a secret panel in
the wall, they stepped into a small,
closely-boardcd room, and opening a
wooden box looked in.
"Thoso pesly rats have been at work
again." exclaimed ono of the men, talk
ing out handful of nibbled money.
"Let mo see it," said McAndrew, and
cleaning among the bits, he collected
quantity of counterfeit scrip, which he
distributed equally among them.
Remember, lads" he said, mo paper
goes for less than three York shillinrs:
there's deal of work in making this"
and he gathered up, and fondly looked
at his share.
This paper currency was shorter and
narrower than the ''greenbacll" of to-
day, and had upon it's face a picture of
an Indian, guiding his frail canoe down
q reckless stream, illustrating the mot
to, Pass me along" printed below it.
Many of tho good people of Euroky
were not as ignorant rs they seemed Of
the counterfeiters' plant" in their
midst, but in those troublesome times it
was deemed the better part of valor to
leave them undisturbcd.
Patty Lockwood, the hardy daughter
OF pioneer race in which the women
were as fearless as tho men, had been
watching long past midnight with a
sick ncighbor (neighbors wcre then
far apart, and regardless OF flashing
clouds and heavy thunder had already
gone half mile on her return homo
when the storm broke into frenzy of
wind and rain. Before her was tho
countcrfciters' house. The door was
still open, throwing an alluring stream
OF light far into the storr,-beaten path
way, and Patty stepped inside for shell
tor without any hesitation.
The countcrfciters. still unstairs. had