The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-10-06
RACE WITH UNCLE SAM
Ballard, a Notorious Coun-
terfsiter, Dying Of Consumption
In Poughkeepsie.
lis Work Was So Good the Gov
eminent Gould Not Dis
tinguish.
|s%mArkablc History Of IN Intelligent
Man who Was . Crook for tho
Fun OF 1t.

"Ths King of Coniaksrs." IL slowly dy-
hg Of consumption, says the New York
[orning journal. He may not live more
,an a few days. He is residing there I'M
Dr. an assumed name, and although he has
nosen ths place Of his birth TO end his
ays in, he has spent no many years of his
10 in prison that he ID utterly forgotten
y his fellow townsmen.
This "king'' Is Thomas q. Ballard. and
. has given ths detectives of New York
ity and the officers Of the United States
bcrst service more trouble than all tho
her counterfaiters put together, not even
kospting the notorious Brookway.
Ballard was born in P~oughkeepsis in
B54. and was one Of five brothers who all
htsted ths queer" business. His first
ltor WAS an Engliahman named Lavelle.
nder him Ballard studied engraving,
dentistry and paper making, and became
b proficient in each that he could hare
Esde a dozsn fortunes had he been minded
follow q legitimate business, but he was
born crook, and would rather defy the
v than cat.
The king began his operations during
be war, and for a long time ran q race with
DO United States treasury in initiating the
hrrancy. Tho work he did was altogether
the fractional notes that preceded the re-
lmption of specie payment, and his opera
ons were not suspected until a fro in the
Id Ferry Point house, which still stands at
hs foot of Jackson street. revealed them.
he blaze did not amount to anything, but
mattress was thrown from an upper
indow and urst open. To the surprise of
he fireruen it was stuffed with 50-cent
otes.
A further search OF the house revealed
be fact that it was used by the counter
bitess as a storage place for their goods,
hey having rented a room there rs mat
'ess manufacturers. .Lavells was never ar
estsd and has never been heard of since,
bad at that time no one suspected Ballard,
no was a mere boy. The most of the
CITES were turned over to the United States
~ficials, but for a few days the denizens of
ne "Hock'' revelled in them. "
These counterfeits were 80 good that
hey deceived United States Treasurer Spin
CT. and at first he would not believe that
hey wore bad, but the plates captured
1hslplatgs bora a vignetts OF justice, and at
he suggestion of General Spinner, his own
see WAS placed over his wonderful
autograph, bat it did 40 good, for Ballard
nade 4 new set of plates with Spinner's
ioture ON them and went on with his race
18th the treasury.
After this Ballard branched out into
errer schemes. With the aid of Charles
!. Hinman, who owned a carriage factory
n Iwenty-second street, near Broadway,
nd Michael Miner, a prominent politician
nd contractor, a. copartnership WAS formed
Fhiah they called the "Coniaokers." Both
Ballard snd Miner were associated with
Tsre regarded as u firm of the highest re-
pe%ctab1lity. This was just what Ballard
Rantsd. The carriage business was q cloak
hat he could depend on, and he used it to
Is utmost extent. The firm opened a shop
or the man ufacture of carriage trimmings
s Ne. 256 RivinGton street, and did enough
,~rsiueaa there to avert all suspicion. Bal
here, but the neighbours thought nothing of
hut. The house il a flve-story double flat
18th stores underneath, and the "Coniack-
RAJ" had ohe-half OF it. 1t was on the third
cor that Ballard had his presssrs, whore
be counterfeits were turned out by the
~aillions. The very boldnsss of his opera
ions prevented ell suspicion, and although
he county was secured for the counter
eiters by tho officers of the secret service,
hey never tEoaght of looking in a New
Fork tenement house that was occupied by
dozen families.
The whole gang was finally exposed in
S71, being given away by q shower" Hin
nun Was not suspected at the time, and
Fnen the matter was put into tho hands of
hn NAu, W. RI ,>10ion he had 1iSn1H,,Nnr rad
ainer was enabled to get off by the use of
~alitical influence, but Ballard was lodged
b Ludlow-street jail. The United States
~fficials could not trust SO important a priR-
nsr to the regular keepers. and left him in
.,arge of a secret service man. III guard
vent to sleep oas night before the trial
anne off, and when no woke up Ballard was
howed how he had escaped. Theirs WAS 4
award of 49, 600 offered for bis capture, bat
q WAC gone. lie took with him a plate for
$500 treasury notes that were SO ~rorfect
hat they deceived the treasury officials
themselves. This plate il was subsequently
discovered he took across the Roosevelt
treet ferry and buried IN Long Island.
hat the New York officials had forgotten
Eim he returned for his buried plates. He
3auded all tho officers, but found that DUR
ng his absence the Long. Island railroad
lad built a portion OF it's line directly over
bis cache, and that the plates were hope
essly lost to him, m it would take half =
Fay to dig them up, and that all trains must
10 stopped while he YVES at work. Ballard
has always refused to tell just whore those
plates are, and there il q fortune waiting
or the lucky track laborer who happens to
olns across them and knows how to use
Them.
Two years later there suddenly appeared
kn astonishing counterfeit $500 treasury
Ehots, specimens of which were actually ac-
Fsptsd AZ genuine at the redemption agency
n Washington. In point of workmanship
printed on fibre paper. II was traced to
Buffalo, and Ballard was surprised there in
his workshop, which whs a miniature
reasury department on its own hook. One
he rooms WAS a oomplcts chemical lAbora-
ory, another Wac occupied by presses and
paper, while the third was devoted to the
purposes of engraving. A dilapidatad
powerful electric batteries. the fluids for
which were held in ale casks, because the
purchase Of glass jars Of the necessary size
might have excited remark. Ballard was
finally sentenced to thirty years. imprison-
Paent in the Albany penitsntiary.
On Christmks eve, 1874, Ballard took
French leave Of the Albany panitentiary by
bis f%avorits method of saving through the
toof. Four other prisoners escaped with
bay, Ballard in Homer. Cortland county.
He was placed in a cell again and twice
fried to commit suicide-onos by hanging
End once by cutting hia throat. The last
Lime he was near,y successful. He was
patdonsd by President Cleveland on June
30. 1887, At the request OF his wife, who Ia
elso an expert counterfeiter and has served
n Va vaAru Tar TINT nrtVrn