Evening journal., 1892-12-23
AFTER MONEY MAKERS.
Police on the Trail of
Energetic Counterfeiters.
BOGUS COINS FLOOD THE WEST.

The Arrest of wisconsin Metal Worker
the First Move In What the Police Claim
TO be Haul OF Great Importance-A
Pollceman's voIubiIity Prevents Many
Arrests.
WEST SUPERIOR, Wis. Dec. 3d.
What is claimed TO be an arrest of great
Importance was made yesterday after
noon The prisoner is Frank Mclean,
metal worker and the city police. who
in connection with a swarm of United
States secret service officers, have been
working on the case assert that he Is a
member of an active and dangerous gang
Of counterfeiters. A large quantity Of
counterfeit coins, dies and metals was
captured.
Twenty treasury detectives have been
at work ON the case for six months past,
but Detective Earnshaw, Of the city
police, stumbled on the facts that led to
McLean's arrest. He discovered a set Of
dies while working up petty theft and
this gave the secret service men some
thing to work on.
Captain McRae OF the Superior police
department has lost his official head as
a result of talking too much while the
case was being developed, and II Is
alleged that but for McRaes volubility
six or seven arrests would have been
made yesterday instead Of one. The
police hope, however to effect other ar
rests. ..
Six months ago silver 'counterfeits Of
all values-from dimes TO dollars, appeared
in nearly every prominent city in the
country and the West was literally
flooded with the bogus coins, which
were Of particularly dangerous charac-
ter
The attention Of the chief Of the secret
service was called TO the counterfeits
and men we're detailed TO search out the
gang that was putting them In circula-
ton Nothing was discovered. however,
until Earnshaw found the dies as stated
above. The case was then followed up
until It eliminated in McLeans arrest.
he was arrested at his boarding house
last night by an officer who has
been shadowing him for the past week.
He has been allowed to see no more or to
communicate with any one since he was
locked up.
Three other important arrests are
expected of men who have been under
watch and who are where the officers can
lay their hands on them. At IL o'clock
two boys were brought into the central
station They are believed to be con-
nected with the case but the police
refuse TO give any information concern
ing them A bag full Of dies bogus
coin and metal was also brought in.
A Systematic swindle.
The police say the gang has made it's
headquarters along the South shore OF
Lake Superior at points between Super.
ior and Ashland, and that they have
had showers" in every part OF the
country. They refuse, however, to give
the names Of any supposed to have been
connected with.them, excepting that oi
the man under arrest.
The money they say was made near
South Range, about ten miles from
Superior. Here a cabin was built on 8
claim taken up by one of the counter
feiters in lonely spot In the pinewood,
I In this apparently safe spot the coins
! we're turned out by the thousands and
sent TO every part of the country.
One man. and he a principal In the
gigantic swindle of the government hal
made bis escape The train he took II
known to the police. and be will probabl,
be arrested somewhere enroute. He il
! said to stand high in local business
circles.
Chief Porter is expected to arrive from
! Chicago TO day. and important develop
- ments adding TO the magnitude Of tn
story are expected with his coming.