Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-06-04
CAUGHTTWO OF A KIND
A BAD PAIR PASSING BOGUS
MONEY.

Double Life Led BY Two Heads OF ne
lIgious DenominatIons- God ana
Native Land-That IL Rsy. Mr.. vanciIs
Excuse, But II Dossn't Go with Captain
Porter.
II was remarkable story that Capt.
Porter, of the Secret Service, told a Chi
cago reporter. The Captain had just
returned from Springfield, Ill, where he
had taken TO be locked up the Rev.
George Vancil, Baptist preacher. who
was arrested near Dnquoln. Ill, for
passing spurious money
The fact that makes the case more
than ordinarily interesting Is that Van
ell is the second minister arrested in
that locality for similar crimes within
seven days. The first instance was the
arrest Of the Rev. aJerry" Holmes for
making the bogus money. and now come
he details Of the second offenders cap
are.
"vancil is greatly inferior TO Holmes,"
said Capt Porter. ale has not the
shrewdness nor the bodily health that
Holmes has, and IL was therefore an easy
matter for Holmes to impose upon Van
ell and make dupe OF him. Vancils
reputation as a liar Is much more wide
spread than his fame as q good man.
The arrest was made upon information
given us by the Rev. Fishback, pastor of
the Christian Church at Duquoin. This
divine heard VanclI's voluntary cunres-
sion, which was very complete, and was
marked by expressions OF repentance
and humility Vancil told me his story
as we were returning upon the train.
@'Jerry Holmes was one OF the worst.
characters In Duquoin,' he said. Every
one summed him, as they thought he was
too far gone to redeem. ! tried TO con-
vert him. One night we rode over a.
long, dark road together. We talked
about religion, aud after long argu-
ment he declared himself converted, and
fell upon his knees in the muddy road
and prayed A short time thereafter no
was appointed minister and licensed to-
preach the gospel. A short time later 1
walked to church one morning with
Holmes, and he said he had some coun-
terfeit money which he wanted me to
dispose OF. was very indignant and
threatened to give him up to the author
tiles He talked me out of that idea,
and finally l took the money upon his
promising to cease his evil ways. When
he handed me two bad dollars, i thought
would have stronger hold upon him
with the money in my possession.
t--'"T have a. wife and. eight children,
and they must be fed. My salary is not
large enough to support them well, and
when my little girl wanted some little
thing l passed the bad money and got
the trinket for her
"Holmes went away from Duouoin,
and it is alleged that Vancil wrote to
him, telling him he had passed it. When
Holmes returned to Duquoin he brought
back sackful of the bad dollars, and
helped Vancil hide them Holmes gave
Vancil nine more of the dollars, and the
latter passed three of them at little
circus that came into the town. Several
days thereafter Nanci entered the ex-
press Office to receive package upon
which 25 cents was due. The express
agent, r. G.. Wheat!ey, happened to be
reading of Holmes arrest He spoke Of
ii TO Vancil, and the latter confessed
that he had been equally guilty in the
sight of the world, but he knew that the
Lord would forgive him. for he had done
q so as TO find ont about the entire gang
and tell upon them"
Wheatley Immediately called over the
Rev. Mr.. Fishback, who was told the
story of Vancirs disgrace. The Chris
;ian divine imm adately telegraphed to
apt Porter, and the latter, accom-
panied by Deputy United States Marshal
Bacon, visited Vancils residence, sew
eral miles from Duquoin. The erring
divine was found wrapped in the arms
Of Morpheus. Upon their explaining
their mission Vanci fell upon his knees
In prayer before the hard-hearted ones
who would take him from his home.
Vancirs protestations and pleadng5
we're so loud that the eight children APP
peared upon the scene badly frightened.
After Vancil saw that his words were
having no apparent effect he ceased his
Importunings and kissed his weeping
wife and frightened little ones and
started off with his captors, saying:
"Well, they may starve, but the law will
De avenged, and of course the law
doesn't care what happens to those we
leave behind u.s."
"Vancil still insists that he is inno-
cent" said Captain Porter, after his re-
turn from the field of his operations, ~but
the facts are dead against him. The
money he passed was well made and
could not be detected by any one but an
expert Vancil is a very pious man,
and every move he made he said was in
the interest of the Lord"
According to Captain Porter Vancl is
a very ignorant man, and hardly knows
enough to pick strawberries. He is
forty-eight years of age and has
eight children. He lived on farm
close to Farmer Adkins, whose wife
Is Vancil's sister The prisoner was
taken before United States Commissioner
William Reed, at Springfield. and in de-
fault Of $500 bail went to jail.
Rev. Jerry Holmes, who made the
coin and who was captured q week ago,
held religious services in jail last Sun
day and had all his fellow-prisoners
shouting for glory.
Vancil was at one time Methodist
minister, IL is said but left that denom-
NATION under sUme surf or n cloud, and
afterward Joined the Baptists.