The morning call., 1892-06-23
BOGUS DOLLARS.
An Expert and His Pal Arrested
and Jailed.
Thousands Of Bogus Dollars Manufactured in
House on Chestnut Place-A Com
plats Outfit Discovered.
AN expert counterfelter and his pal werI

An expert counterfelter and his pal were
arrested by the police Tuesday.
They were Giovanni Abbatti and Paolo Wis
c0nte. Although they have been suspected
for months they have avoided detection until
quite recently, and succeeded in flooding
the country with thousa nds Of dollars in
counterfeit money.
For the past two years counterfeit money
and bills have been circulated with a great
deal Of success, not only in this city but all
over the coast.
The Government officials. although they
succeeded ia arresting and conYicting
Gashie Stein Of cOuuterfeiiing, were non
plused over the fact that the circulation of
bogus coins increased after Gashie was sent
to San Quentin. The officials traced pack
ages OF counterfeit money TO Los Angeles,
Portland and ether cities, but failed to trap
the persons who received them. Then
packages were seized from Wells. Fargo 81
Co.'S Express, the coins marked ard re-
packed and sent to their destination, bat
the recipients eluded the secret service
agents with great deal OF cleyerness.
Secret Service Agent Harris worked night
and day on the matter, and as he could not
run the criminals down. Special Agent f.
A. Abbot was sent to his assistance from
Washington, and Special Agent Gibson,
who was here TO investigate customs frauds,
was instructed to lend his aid in the work
of uneaTthiug the gang.
When Gashie Stein was arrested for pass
ing counterfeit money Harris suspected him
of being in League with Giovanni Abbatt,
whom be had known for three years as an
expert counteIfeiteT. Harris could never
trap him IN the act Of counterGeiting, but
thinking that he could make case against
him for his connection With Stein started
out TO arrest him.
COULD NOT BE FOUND.
Abbatti could not be found. Harris was
giving up the search when hts man was ar
rested for murder. 1t appears that Abbatti
fired a shot at "D0g-iaced" Brown, but
missed him and killed tough named Dan
RlOrdan. He was tried for murder and ac-
quilted. Immediately upon being released
from prison lie went TO Alaska. About
year ago be returned and to all appearances
again started cOunterfeitng the coin of the
realm, for sack containing 500 bogus dol
lars was found near Meiggs wharf and
portion put in circulation by wharf rats.
Abbatti, as before, could not be located.
AS soon as the mint In this city coined and
placed in circulation the new designs of
dollars, halves and quarters of 1892, clever
limitations appeared. The milling on the
bogus COINS was we'll done, the ring excel
lent, the color fair, but the weight was
little suspicious, being made &C block tin
anu antllnODy. NeVes uneiesS the unsus-
pecting public accepted them with
cut muTmuT. Trades-people, who
nnally ascertained that bogus coins
were floating around in common with good
ones, accepted them, and passed them off
on their customers without hesitation.
Thousands were soon in circulation. Harris
aud his cohorts settled on Abbatti as the
chief of the gang, which they felt certain
were flooding the State with bogus coins.
Six months ago he was located in the
Latin quarter. through a description fur
nished by salOon-keeper on whom he had
passed spurious coins.
CAUGHT AS LAST.
The dav came when one of Harris men
met Abbatti on Pacific street. He Swallowed
him TO delaDldatcd one-story house ON
Chestnut place, which runs off Chestnut
street, between Powell and Stockton. Tie
house is No. 5. and the secret service agents
soon accertained that Abbatti and com
panion had resided in 1t tor the past six
months. Nothing could be done but watch
the two men, SO Chief Crowley was in
formed of the matter and asked to detail
two officers to watch them. Officers Pete
flaming and Bob Kerrison were placed on
the case May 10.
They watched the movements of the aen