The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-03
Highest III in Leavening Pove-Laes U. Govt Report
Re-! R Bsxd:s7
ABSOLUTELY PURE
ABSOLUTELY PURE

PiASoucI. Mctuvlu O1O not seem 10 %
put out when Jailer Munroe opened the
iron door late in the afternoon and intro
duced Posr-ISTELLrGEScER reporter.
YES" he said, as ne leaned against the
iron bars, ''my name is ]. b. Methvin, and
1t IS true am doctor. / came here to
practice last December. but the state
medical board had adjourned and could
not get certificate. applied to DR..
kibbe. the secretary, and he wrote one or
two letters concerning the matter, but in
the end informed me that he could not get
the document. l then applied to the Drs.
Merrill, DR.. Sweeney, in the Union block,
Stewart a. Holmes. and at other places
for work, but could not get anything to do.
finally received $50 draft from my peo-
pie in Texas, and that was cashed by Mr..
Holmes. of Stewart e. Holmes. l have
been trying to get work, not to make
counterfeit money. l am here under q
serious charge" and. stopping short. he
came to the direct issue by saying: who
swore out the warrant?"
When he learned that it was Murphy he
shook his head and said: "As / thought;
the scoundrel! He should be here as the
principal and the accomplice. He is the
one responsible for the whole affair. Now
will tell everything" He then went on:
When / came here with my wife and three
children l had little money and stopped In a
mouse owned by q man named Williams in
south Park Some time after Murphy, who
thought was g0Oi man, offered to let me have
rooms In his house free OF rent accepted and
still kept On trying to get work. have re-
lated. About six weeks ago Murphy called me
out on the back porch of the house and said:
sDOgtOP. n aCod fnP
than can get for it, but the insurance Will just
abou, cover the debts. am going to take up
al the shrubs In the garden. aud ii the house
burns down don't be surprised I'm aimost
penniless and so are you. We are in q tight
place and have families 10 support. Why can't
We make some money!"
perhaps We could" replied, "but it 10 dan
don't think we could make it perfect enough to
pass and 1 don't propose to 60 into anything
that is dishonorable'
Honorable or not" he replied, '1f you will
make some, will pass it,
'How do you propose to make it," asked.
''In plaster OF Paris mou;ds.' was his reply.
About this time We heard noise, and he said:
'Hush, come away: some one will hear US"
We went q few rods from the house and
noticed that the noise We heard was made BY
my wife Al she went to the well to draw q
bucket of water. We did not come to any con.
ciusion, but a. parted from him he remarked:
snow, don't give me away"
/ agreed, and We shook hands on II.
My wife was suspicious and tried to learn
what we were talking about, but put her of
with the reply that Murphy had told me q
secret
Two weeks later got battery and intended
70 MAKE some money by electroplating did
not know much about the business, but fol-
lowed the instructions In . book. got 90
Mo 70 all r.
70 go out canvassing for me. He went out
twice. but got no orders. Every now and then
Murphy would keep at metO try and make some
counterfeit nickels and he would pass them
We tried 1t but once before the arrest, and then
told Murphy it could not DO done success
fully.
Last Saturday Murphy got me to agree to try
once more, and he would 60 in town and get
some materials Before this he had bought
shears and other tools and brought home tin,
copper and lead wrote u letter to L Brown,
who lives at SIS Yesler avenue. telling him /
would come into the city Sunday on my way to
Ballard. looking for work. and would call ON
him. Murphy agreed to mail that letter. Brown
has known me from the time was 16 years old,
and will say that have always borne q good
reputation.
Well. when Murphy came home he brought
tin. and after supper told my wife had agreed
to do something with Murphy l did not like
well. Murphy and went mp stairs. and had
just sunk q silver dollar in the mould when in
walked the officers.
had never been arrested before and was
pretty we'll scared. but when the opportunity
for escape came jumped and Mudgett came
after me. Their account of the chase 10 correct,
for after got out OF the water got into stump
and watched the lanterns going around me- At
no time were the searchers further away than
100 yards. was awful cold in my wet clothes.
but stayed in the stump al hour after the chase
was given up. Then went to place where /
knew file could be procured and went to work
on the handouts. 1t was slow work, and I
guess it must have taken an hour to file them
off. l did it and then went to Burton's and
asked him for a hat. l did not get an overcoat
started on again and when went to NcNa,t's
had the intention OF going back and giving
myself up.
Methvin's biography, as given by him.
self, is as follows:
Twas born of good and rious parents In Long.
view, Tex. When young I followed the trade OF
carpenter. but later desired to study medicine
and went TO the medical dep artment of the
University OF Tennessee grad uatei and have
a diploma- Since then l have practiced medi-
cine in Dallas. Longview and Carthage Nv
father was Mason OF high standing, and nv
mother Is now living, aged IS year. better
mother no man ever had. l have also two
brothers, one of whom 10 q minister living In
Longview, Tex.
George Murphy, who gave Methvin
away, tells the story OF his connection
with the counterfeiter as follows:
Methvin has q wife and three children. ana
took them into my house just before the big
snow. He gave me the poor m outh right along
and did not exact the rent from him. gave him
sacks OF -four and got him place to work. But
he would not work, said he never had done any
work and never would, aud that he would be
worth 100000 in a year. Then he proposed that
90 into partnership with him In counterfeit.
ing. / had long talk with my wife about II,
aud then went to see Mr.. Kiefer, the assistant
United States district attorney, and asked his
advice Hs told me to GO ahead AMI to keep
him tMr. kiefer) posted, which / did. Metnyin
sent me & town to buy IN ateria! for him, aud
did IL. Before taking 1t home showed the ma
terra to Mr.. kiefer / got him charcoal, brase
tin, etc, ard ne was going 10 work me to PASS the
money. He gave me several nicSels to pass and
Isw.psd a slugged dollar and gave them all to
Nj kieier. Methvin wanted me to get Q 80
god piece, 80 he could maze b mould for il
He intended to run them Of silver and then
eisetropiaie them. He said he might a we'll be
hung for Al old saeep al lamb Ny wife knew
what was doing all the time ana we often
talked the case over together When the officers
came saturday night was sitting on the bed
singing, watching Metavin making the coin
gave the sigma. TO my wife and she waved the
lamp before the window as q signal to the
officers.