The record-union., 1893-02-09
LATTA And COLE.
The Counterfeiters Taken to the Bay
for Trial.
Practical Side of Free-Coinage as Prac-
ticed in the Woods by Men
of Their Stamp.

Special Agent \. r. Harris of the
United States Secret Service, and United
States Marshal Long came up yesterday
and removed to San Francisco Latta and
Cole, the counterfeiters who were ar
rested on Monday by Sheriff O'Neil.
They met NJ. Gilbert. who gave the in
formation to the Sheriff, and Foote and
Short, who accompanied him and helped
make the capture, heard their stories and
notified them to be in San Francisco on a
date to be set, and give their testimony
before the United States Commissioner.
Mr.. Harris took with him the molds
and other articles captured with the men,
to be used as evidence. The 81 mold, in
plaster of paris, is a very fine, clean-cut
one. A twenty mold is broken,
while a partly finished mold, with a
genuine dollar still in it, is among the
collection.
Mr.. Harris gave very interesting de-
scription of how the latter was made.
The dollar, he said, was laid on glass,
the tin mold placed over it, and the plas-
ter of Paris poured into it and allowed to
harden and dry. Holes were then
dug into the plaster for bowels, and
the remainder OF the mold filled with
plaster, which does not adhere to the
dried surface of the first half, but fills up
the dowel holes so that the halves do not
slip and mar the coin. A hole is then
cut in the sides, at the junction OF
the faces, for pouring in the metal, as well
as an air-hole. The coin is carefully
lifted out with the point of penknite,
when the mold is complete and ready
for use.
Mr.. Harris stated that one of the dollar
molds would last long enough to make
fifty or more coins, and the smaller ones
would make larger number, as they
would wear longer, not being heated so
much by the metal. All the molds were
| for pieces of 1880.
He also told how, when the new law
was passed concerning counterfeit
| money, the banks which held large col
| lections of counterfeit bills for inspection
and study in learning to detect counter
feits, were compelled to turn them over
to the Government. Many persons had
taken up the business of travelling from
| place to place, under pretenSe eli teaching
The art of detecting counterfeits, and
would buy or exchange specimens under
pretenSe of adding valuable specimens to
their collections, and then, going to some
other place, put them in circulation The
law now makes it unlawful for any per-
son to have i'll possession any counterfeit
| money.
Under the direction of the special agent
the coins found in the possession of Latta
and Cole were marked so that the wit
nesses could identity them at the trial
Coins thus made are finished up by rub
bing with stiff brush dipped in nitric
acid. and afterward suspended in nitric
acid to give them finished appearances
4 They are sometimes plated in an electro
plating battery.
Singulariy enough the Government ha,
no standing reward for the capture o
counterfeiters, discretionary reward be
ing the only inducement for anyone &
risk his life in arresting the outlaws
No metal was tounu at the time of the
capture, except that already coined. anC
a search was 10 be made yesterday to SCI
if some could not be found. Parties a
| the Twelve-Mile House on the Marys
vile road gave very accurate descrip.
ton of the purse in which the money wa:
captured, as being carried by the mar
who passed some of the money there las
| week.