The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-27
STICKING TO THE TRADE.
COUNrERFRITERs ARE NOT RE-
FORMED BY PRISONS.

the Ohio Penitentisry How he Had
Found Opportunities to Manufacture
and Circulate the Coin.
From the Ket1 York Advertiser.
Counterfeiting is often successfully car
ried on within the walls Of big prison like
the Ohio penitentiery. and the bogus coir
made by couvicts has at times gained con
siderable circulation among the inmates
Shut up from the outside world-a little
world all by themSslves-the criminals rs
sort to many expedients to kill time and tc
prepare for emergencies incident to theil
return to freedom after the expiration OF
their sentences.
One OF these necessities, and often the
most pressing one that confronts the newly
released convicus, is the lack of money.
Some few of the prison population are
counterfeiters, and willis the burglar and
sateSolower attempts 20 make aud carry
OUT with him set of tools for cracking
safes and opening windows and doors, the
courtsrfeiter puts in his spare time making
molds, and with them bogus coin.
Few people probably are familiar with
the method of making counterfeit coin, and
the process. while not complex one, is in
teresting. especially when carried on in G
states prison. Under several different
wardens convict counterfeiters have carried
on their nefarious business. One of che
earliest attempts in this line was the manu-
facture OF nickels few years ago. Deputy
Warden Playford, the captain OF the night
watch, accidentally overheard two convicts
talking behind building. and with the clew
thus afforded succeeded in nippiug q
iourishing private industry not only a,
variance with the prison rules, but also the
laws Of the United States.
The conversation alluded to was to the
effect that an expert sngraver and counter
feiter named Rich was making and circu
lating bogus nickels among the convicts
Capt. Playford that night went TO Rich's
cell near midnight, and awaking the coun-
terfeiter out of his slumbers told him that
his scheme had been discovered, and that
his pals had given the snap away" Rich,
supposiug that his confederates had
'pesched" on him, confessed the whole mat
ter and volunteered to go with the captain
to one of the workshops and turn up the
coupterfeiter's tools and the coin. A Ian
tern was procured and Rich, being released
from his cell and accompanied by the Of
fcer, went to the specified spot. Pulling
a loose brick out of the wall, be drew forth
a box containing eighty-five shining
nickels.
On being examined IL was found that
these coins were so perfect as to render de-
lection almost impossible. Rich next ex.
humed another box from pile of cinders
under a blacksmith's forge, and opening il
disclosed the molds with which the coin had
been made and quantity of alloy. At this
same time it was discovered that Rich aud
his confederates were engaged in another
yankee-like trick of making counterfeit
plugs OF tobacco for sale among the other
convicts.
These plugs were made by steannins
blocks OF cherry wood, cut TO the proper
size, and covering them with sycamore
leaves obtained IN the yard. The veneered
blocks were then dyed a rich tobacco color,
and the deception was made complete by the
addition of genuine tin tags saved from
real plugs of the weed. Thus furnished, the
bogus plugs were calculated to deceive the
very elect. OF course, there was always q
kick" when the buyer attempted TO take q
chew OF the tempting luxury, but the coun-
terfeiters had pocketed the money and re-
fused to give 1t up.
TIE last attempt at counterfeiting was
made little over year ago. but this time
the work was done on a more extensive
scale, the limitations being of silver coins
the dime, 25-cent piece and 81. The mold
for the dimes was not found, but lot of
coins of this denomination showed that they
had been recently made in the prison. The
25-cent molds we're made of plaster. Each
block was go inches square and one-haIt
inch thick. The impression Of the quarter
was taken while the plaster was soft, an
ori6ce being made through which the liquid
metal could be poured in The spurious
coins were made after the old fashion OF
bullet molding, the faces of the two halves
being firmly fastened together and the
melted alloy then introduced through the
orifice.
The dollar mold is a more pretentious
affair, consisting Of two hinged pieces of
wood, measuring, when opened, twelve
inches IN length. The blocks are two inches
wide and three-fourths OF an inch thick.
The ends are fastened together with small
brass hinges. The natrix is made of two
plates OF metal set in the wood.
a nutcracker, the motion metal of which
the coins are made being poured in through
a small, funnel-shsped opening. AS soon as
the bogus dollar was cast and had cooled il
was removed and was ready for circulation
as soon as it had received q few finishing
touches at the hands Of the engraver.
In addition TO considerable quantity of
bogus coin, the officers reco vered several
pounds Of the alloy used by the counter
feiters. It is a bright. shining metal. closely
resembling silver. All OF the coins made
by these expert rascals were extremely
clever. samples Of the queer" There are
still a number of the counterieiters confined
in the prison, but in view Of past expert
ences, such close watch is kept on their
movements that it is next to impossible for
them to practice their hidden art.
One of the men is Miles Ogle, a celebrated
Ohio river counterfeiter. who has bad as
successful q career as any of the latter day
members of his profession. He is perhaps
the most famous representative Of bis class
now living Ogle was received at the Ohio
peuitentiary Dec. 19, 1890, on a sentence of
fifteen years received at the United States
court at Memphis. He is a native Of New
York city. and his first serious trouble was
at the outbreak OF the late war, when he
was sentenced for term of years in an In
diana prison for killing man.
In 1877 he was convicted in Pittsburg Of
counterfeiting and did eight years in the
Western penitentiary of Pennsylvania. A
little over year after the completion of
this sentence he was pinched In Cincinnati,
the arresting officer making a rich haul,
finding no less than So, coo on his person.
The bills counterfeited were those of the
Third National Bank of Cincinnati, which
he was engaged in Showing" when taken
into custody. Five indictments were found
against Ogle. and the jury fou I'd him guilty
on four counts. the court imposing fifteen
years imprisonment at hard labor and a
fac of IS GOETHE extreme penalty of the
law.
Ogle did most Of his crooked work on a
istb9at while floating in midstream down
the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Among
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