Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-06-23
WARRANTS,
ltging Them With Circulating Bogus Silver
DOllars-Tsn Coins They Had Disposed
Of Captured, and Another Found
on Bowers Person.

Harry Bowers and Jack Meredith,
former employees OF the Electric Rail-
way Company. were arrested by Lieut..
Gaus and Patrol Driver James Maloney.
at an early hour yesterday morning,
charged with passing counterfeit silver
dollars.
The men were found at Jessie Month
celIi's house. Bowers being In company
with Cora Harris and Meredith with
Madalina Hornbrook.
The prisoners were taken to the City
Hall, and there kept until yesterday az
ternoon about half-past two o'clock,
when they were arraigned before Uni-
ted States Commissioner B. ]. Campbell,
and held in 81, 900 each for hearing to-
day.
As the REGISTER has once or twice
stated, this city has been flooded, dur
ing the past six weeks, with counterfeit
silver dollars, most of them having
good ring, and fair weight, but being
very brittle; so fragile, in fact, that
when dropped upon a pavement or other
hard surface, they would shatter like
glass. These goods have been extern
sively passed in saloons, restaurants,
and other places, and have been largely
taken without suspicion, being, for the
most part, very fair limitations, al
though once in a while bad specimen
would be offered by some one and re-
jected.
Yesterday morning, an hour or two
after midnight, Bowers and Meredith
went to Jessie Monticelli's house, and
each paid five dollars in dollars TO the
Harris and Hornbrook girls. This
money was given to the landlady, and
her suspicion being excited by the
looks of one OF the coins, which was
not the equal Of It's mates, she prompt
ly informed Lieutenant George Gaus OF
the matter, and showed him the coin.
The Lieutenant pronounced 1t bogus,
when the woman safd she had nine
more, received from the same people.
They were all examined by the Lieu
tenant, and being evidently counter
felt, he determined to arrest the two
men. Taking Patrol Driver Maloney
with him, he went to the house, and ar
rested Bowers and Meredith, they being
in bed. They were taken TO the City
Hall and searched, another bogus dol
lar being found on Bowers, while Mere
dith had three good dollars In his pos
session. The men were at once locked
up, and United States Commissioner
Campbell was notified.
In the meantime the police received
information which led them to believe
that the coins were manufactured in
Benwood, and Capt. McNchol went
down there and searched house, which
had been pointed out. 1t had been said
the coins were made In the cellar, but 1T
was found the house had no cellar, and
the pointer was evidently wrong one.
After consultation with the Benwood
authorities, three strangers who have
been hanging about Benwood, doing
nothing, for about sixty days, were ar
rested and searched, but nothing tend
ing to criminate them was found, and
they were released.
In the afternoon the prisoners were
arraigned before the United States
Commissioner, but they not being ready
for trial, bond was fixed at $1,000, the
minimum allowed by law, and the cases
were continued until the accused could
have a consultation with counsel. They
wished TO see Capt. B. B. Dovener, but
as he was engaged at Moundsville, in
the Yoho murder trial, this was impos-
sible yesterday.
The statement OF Meredith, account
ing for the money, was that he was up
Caldwel's run, Wednesday, where he
received twenty-five dollars, in five
dollar bills. from man named Cooper,
who had purchased one Of the horses
used in the cab line run during the late
street railway strike. He said he got
the bills changed, at different places,
into silver dollars, and gave ten Of them
to Bowers. The men are known to have
spent considerable money Wednesday
night, they being in one Market street
saloon early in the evening, and ordering
up a round of drinks which came to
thirty cents. They passed dollar over
the bar and received the change, and a
few minutes latsr ordered more drinks,
and instead of paying in the change
they had received from the first dollar,
they passed over q second dollar and
again received change. Unfortunately,
these two coins we're paid out to man
who got five dollar bill changed, and
could not be seen or examined by the
authorities.
The theory of the police is that the
bogus coins are made at some point q
short distance away from Wheeling,
aud sent here, either by messenger, or
In some other manner, in quantities to
suit the demand. Those captured yes
terday are Of three different dates, 1889,
1890, and 1892, and would pass muster
after dark, or In rush, very we'll.
From the numerous cases Of the detec-
ton Of these coins which have reached
the ears of reporters recently, there
must have been two or three hundred
of them circulated, or offered in this
vicinity, within the past sixty days,
and some one has been making fairly
good thing out Of it. The lowest PEN
atty In the way OF fine, prescribed by
the Revised Statutes OF the United
States, is fine of one thousand dollars.
Buy soda water tickets and Geo. L..
bursts soda fountain, save money and
get the finest soda in the city.