The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-11-19
SOUTH COVE QUEER.
Bill Spike Caught Making
Counterfeit Coins on an
Abandoned Canal Boat.

Bill Spike, alias William Walsh, an
old-time and clever counterfeiter, was
arraigned before United States Commits
sioner Romano this morning to answer
a charge of coming counterfeit quarters
and half dollars. He was committed
to await the action of the United States
Grand Jury in $500 bail. 'Blll" Spike is
about fifty-six years old. tall and spare.
His hair is long and gray, but he pos
sesses eyes which are usually ciassed
by the police as those that can "see
through a mar" To the police he is
known as a clever counterfeiter and is
regarded as a dangerous man.. His cap
ture is due to clever detective work done
by secret service men, Thomas Flynn
and Matthew Griffin.
The prisoners ''crib,' in which he made
the spurious money. was in the cabin of
the old canal boat John Post, in the
South Cove, where he lived with a woman
who passed as his wife. The canal boat
is one of the many old hulks which,
when useless for shipping coal and other
material. are towed into South Cove at
the foot of Henderson street, where they
are left high and dry to rot on the sand.
RESORT OF SHADY CHARACTERS.
GOulA AONG IS l1AcQ Will SQSii Az
and of the hundred or more there, at
least three-fourths of them are occupied
by people of shady character.
The police ave frequently raided them
and found full fiedged disorderly houses
of the worst type in full blast. "Bilr'
Spikes boat lay apart from the others,
and the fact that it became known that
ne was a tough man who had spent many
VQQ re in nTiEnn had n nndnnnU m knpn
his neighbors from prying into his affairs.
He had nothing to say to anyone nor
would he allow his wife to have her
neighbors visit her. No one was ever
allowed to enter his cabin-home except
upon his invitation. The boat he oc-
cupled was supposed to be owned Jointly
ter known to the South Cove squatters
as "Old Blind Nike" Although they
We're partners in the boat there was bad
blood between them, and it was during
a quarrel some months ago that ''Bill''
Spike appeared on the scene, and without
consulting anyone moved his belongings
aboard.
His mysterious actions aroused the
suspicious of his ~neighbors, and, al
though no one dared venture near the
boat during the day it is said that one
1t one night, and through a window
caught Spike at work. His business was
soon known to every squatter in the
cove, but not one of them had any in
tention of '~'peaching." Spike continued
his work undisturbed, and when the
squatters spoke of him or his business,
1t was when they were sure that no one
else was within hearing.
HOW THE CASE WAS WORKED.
The attention of the Secret Service
men was first called to the fact that an
unusual number of bad quarters and half
dollars were in circulation all. through
New Jersey. After weeks of quiet work
they learned that the spurious money
was coming from canallers. They con-
tinued them work among boatmen, and
finally, last Tuesday, caught a man who
gave his name as George Meyers, sixty
four years old. captain of the lighter
Maggie Hines, passing counterfeit quar-
tiers on Mrs. Evans, of No. 205 Four
teenth Street, Hoboken.
1t is believed that the prisoner gave the
Secret Service men the Information which
resulted in 'Spike's'' arrest. Meyers did
not know What boa Spike occupied, but
ne did know It was in South Cove. For
three days and three nights Spike was
Swallowed, and finally Saturday night was
caught at work. He was moulding Col
umbian half dollars when arrested.
Forty moulds were found in the cabin.
Spike was so surprised when the detec-
tiyes sprang upon him that he dropped
a ladle of metal on the floor. He made
no resistance, and helped the detectives
gather up his counterfeiting outfit. The
Secret Service men cleaned out all the
paraphernalia.
When arraigned before Commissioner
Romaine this morning Spike" had moth
ing to say. In default of bail he was
sent to the County Jail.