The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-02
TN THE DARK
Ceunterfeiter Caught in the
Act Of Making Coin.
sReAxs AWAY FROM OFFICERS.
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Makes . Dash, Handeu9ed.
Aeounterfeiter was captured at South
psfk last night BY United States Deputy
uesshals BigeIow and Mudgett while in
~ Get Of casting coins. and all his outfit
- seized, but while the officers were
sowing the stun away in sack he ieaped
through the door. handcufSed - he WAS
and escaped after MIDGET had risked his
Hfs In . pursuit in the darkness. A ne
still has the handouts on, his ultimate
capture IL almost certain.
A warrant was sworn out By George
Murphy for the arrest Of J. b. Methvin
and his wife Nellie, before Commissioners
Emery yesterday afternoon. Murphy
lives in Q good two-story house in South
Park. lust under the hill on which the
Catholic school stands, and had let half OF
Il to Methvin and his wife with three chill.
dren, about three months ago. The latter
also rented one room in the front OF the
second floor for = workshop.
The fact that Methvin very seldom went
out and continually worked in his shop
excited Nurphy's suspicious and he soon
contrived to find out what his dodgers oc-
cupasion was. Then he became his con.
Hdant and at last his pretended partner.
He knew the consequences Of being mixed
MP in such . business. He had . good
home and wife and family to take care Of
and knew he would be rsking great deal
for very little. He decided 70 turn in-
former, and reported oil the circumstances
70 the officers. They told him to keep on
good terms with the counterfeiter. He
did %, aud yesterday. when he swore ont
the warrant, had just purchased materials
70 b used in making the bogus coins.
When he swore out the warrant he ar.
ranged that the officers should hide behind
. hop house about 100 yards from the
house at O'Clock last evening and como
ost ct the signal Of the waving Of lamp
h the downstairs window by his wife.
At the appointed time Deputy Msrshsls
Nudgstt and Bigelow were ut their post
and on seeing the light In the window,
telling them the counterfeiter was at work,
they quietly entered the front door and
went into the ball which divides the part
Of the house occupied BY Murphy from
that rented BY Methvin.
They crept silently up the stairs. opened
The door Of the front room and saw two
men working Ut . crucibls filled with
metal. which stood on . long stove. One
Of them was Murphy and the other was
Nethvin.
"Hold up your hands" they called. ct
the same time advancing into the room
and pointing their revolvers at Methvin.
His hands went up and they proceeded to
make . search. Mudgett searched the
room and Bigelow the man.
As the latter went through him the pris.
oner's hands were continually stealing
down behind him ~ he cat on the bed.
MIDGET saw this and warned Bigelow to
put the handouts on him. Afterwards
they found hammer ON tho bed directly
under where he had sat. About them were
scattered all the paraphernalia Of the
counterfeiter's art, bogus and genuine
coins and all the materials for making
them.
The search having been completed and
the prisoner handcuffed. Bigelow went
down stairs to search the house. leaving
Mudgett to guard the man. While the
latter two were alone together Methvin
used all kinds Of persuasion to in.
ducs his captor to let him 70.
He said he had been there
three months, and had only received $50
in that time; he was not making counter
feits. but was only projecting a. he
called it; he was . church member. and it
was his first error. To oil these arguments
he added crocodile tears and hints of brib.
cry, repeatedly asking the officer how
much his fees would be.
But Bigelow and Mudgett were inexora-
bic and tears and prayers were Intellectual.
When Bigelow returned upstairs he was
loaded down with . battery and q guam
tity Of metal and moulds, which he in
tended to take away ss evidence. He
and Midget began putting them in .
suck, while Methvin stood at a window
only few feet away, his hands
precautions against escape. But Mud
sett had no sooner stopped to
bold the sack while Bigelow put the things
in It than the counterfeiter made a wild
dash for the door, forced his hands. bound
together As they were. between the door
and the )amb and rushed out. MIDGET
Vas close after, but Methvin cunningly
swung the door, which opened inwards, so
that it struck his pursuer in the face and
i took him q second to recover. Then
Biseiow shouted:
Jump. Mudgett. jump"
Nethv in went to the foot Of the stairs
With one leap. the fire scattering from his
eorn-cob pipe As he did so. lighting up tho
dark hall for moment. Mudgett
jumped after him in less time than II
takes to tell II, and struck on Nethvin's
legs.
The fugitive was up in an instant and
rushed headlong in the pitch darkness
into the rear hall. Bigelow was
behind With his revolver out,
eas he dare not shoot for
lear of hitting Mudgett Out
Nethvin dashed into another room at the
tack OF the house. swinging the door into
NUGGETS face. who was close at his heels,
gaded only by the sound Of his footsteps.
Then he went out at the rear door OF the
house and leaped down a flight of steps
about four feet high; Mudgett leaped
700. not knowing where he would alighs.
ne rushed along board walk to the wood
saed and cut st door at the other side,
which the pursuer could not find tor mo-
ment- At every turn the fugitive had the
eovaniage OF knowing the ground, while
the pursuer had 10 follow the sound, not
Ahowing where il would lead.
When Mudgett at last found the door Of
ne shed. he plunged into the darkness,
eaided oy the sound of the man FOUNDER
Jag In the water which floods the low
,ands TO . depth of two or three feet.
L.