St. Paul daily globe., 1891-01-29
HANDLED 1T GInGERLY.
Uncle Sans Officials Tenderly
Omen a Box of Green Goods.

Uncle Sans Officials Tenderly
Open a Box of Green Goods.
1t is strange that in these enlightened
times men will permit themselves to
be taken in for considerable sum by
''bunco" men and alleged dealers in
the queer" However strange it may
appear yet, it is fact that business
man of means and supposed business
acumen, living in town near Mime
apOlIS, and not in st. Paul, as has been
reported, was take into the stune OF
several shundred dollars by alleged deal
ers in green goods" The name of this
gentleman is well known in business
circles, and because he is business
man and sincerely regrets the clrcum-
stances, his name is not mentioned IN
this article. The story, as he detailed
it, is substantially as follows: He went
to New York on business few days
ago, and while there fell in with man
who proposed to sell him quantity of
counterfeit paper money. He, through
curiosity, determined to investigate the
matter. He was taken to certain apart
ments, where he was shown large guam
titles of what he believes was actually
good money. There were three men Ill
these apartments, who handled the
money and allowed him to examine
it. 1t was finally agreed to sell
$4,000 of the alleged counterfeit money
for 5000. This latter sum was paid over
and the $4,000 was counted out and
placed in a box and nailed up securely,
and the box put in a Satchei and taken
to an express office and ordered sent to
the address of the aforesaid business
man at st. Paul. The man returned to
his home, and while en- route it daWned
upon him that he had gotten himself i'll
fearful fix. He felt that if he at
tempted to pass the supposed counter
felt money and was detected the peni-
tentiary would be hiSretreat in the near
future. His conscience also smOte him
to such an extent that he could neither
rest by day nor sleep at night. After
three days of agony he determined to
make clean breast of the matter and
clear his own skirts OF any purpose to.
circulate the supposed counterfeit
money. He accordingly went to United
States Commissioner Udell, of Mime
apolis, and laid the matter before him.
Commissioner Odell told him to give an
order to United States Marshal Dona-
hover upon the United States express
office of st. Paul, whence the vallSe was
sent, to deliver it to that official; the
order was given as suggested. Com
missioner Odell came over to st. Panl
last evening and, in company with Dep
uty United States Marshal Frank Dona-
hover, went to the United States eX-
press office in this city, where
the order was presented and the valise
turned over and taken to the marshal's
Office in the custom house, where about
a dozen persons including Marshal
Donahower, United States Commissioner
Odell, several deputy marshals and
GLOBE reporter, witnessed the opening
of the vaiise, which by the way is OF
timSy texture and has coating of black
paint or coloring that left black trail
when the snow, which had collected on
it while being carried to the marshaPs
Office, melted and ran off. Inside the
valise was strongly nailed wooden
box, packed i'll newspapers. This
box, when opened, revealed five
piles or bundles Of paper of
a greenish tint. On the top
of each bundle was crisp one-dollar
siver certificate. The satchel and the
box are said to be similar to the one
which the business man had seen his
goods packed in and ordered shipped to
his address. 1t is probable that the
money he saw packed in the yallse was
actually good money, but that instead
of being taken to an express office it
was taken to an Office In con-
troll of the "bunco men," who there
changed it for the one afterwards taken
to an actual express Office and shipped
to st. Paul. 1t was stated in the
marshall's Office. last evening that there
would probably be no prosecution of the
business man, as he had given up any
intention of wrong before he knew that
the valise did not actually contain, as
he supposed it would, counterfeit
money.