The Butler weekly times., 1894-03-29
SEIGNIORAE ON THE SLY.
Half 4 Million Silver Dollars in
Circulation without Govern
ment Authority.

A Profit of Fifty-One Cents Upon Each
Perfect Coin Minted.
Omaha, Neb., March 10.-Half a
million of perfect silver dollars i'll
circulation unauthorized by the Gov
ernment is the subject which many
detectives and Omaha bankers are
disturbed over tonight.
Last week the headquarters of the
United States Secret Service Bureau
at Des Moines was combined with
the special agents in both are on a
hot chase after two gangs of coun
tsrfeiters who are flooding this city
with the product of their work. 1t
was necessary to secure re enforce
ments today, and four special agents
of the Government, in addition to
Marshal Whites forces. have been
co operating with the Diyisien Chief
in determined effort TO cage their
bird.
A good clew to one gang has been
struck and some arrests will be made
within few days in all probability.
This clique of "queer" showers have
been making clumsy imitation of
silver half dollars, which indicates
that they are amateurs in the bus
mess. But the other gang is re
gardsd as a foxy one, and their
scheme is one of magnitude. They
have practically established little
mint in Omaha, right under the nose
of Uncle Sam, and are working so
smoothly with such clever product
that the secret service men are mys.i-
fed, as well as amazed, at tho extent
to which this monetary deception
has been practiced. For months
Omaha and vicinity has been the
hotbed of smooth crowd of "mint-
ers." They have coined, so it is
SAID, about 100000 or more of dol
lars, which contain the same amount
of silver and alloy placed in the reg
ular dollar by the Government mints.
These men have simply started an
opposition to the Government, and
their money can not be detected
from the genuine. They are max
ing money fguratively and littleral-
ly. 1t is said that they realize sic
profit on every dollar they turn out
SO cleverly have they worked that
the cash drawers and banks of this
city, Council Bluffs, South Omaha
elsewhere have been the receptacles
for thousands of these home made
dollars. It is seigniorage on the
sly.
Not very long ago Omaha was the
seat of operations for ''gold wash
ing" gang that palmed off number
of $40 gold pieces on the unsuspec
ting. Then came the spurious half
dollar product The former crowd
was apprehended. On the eve of
arrest the members of the gang
skipped for parts unknown. In the
Investigations incident to following
up clews on the crowd. the startling
development was made that silver
dollars with the true ring of them
were being made in this vicinity. At
first it was thought that the "mint'
ers" were located in Council Bluffs,
but subsequent clew disclosed the
fact that Omaha was the headquar.
ters of the gang. The Office of the
United States Secret Service, station.
ed at Des Moines for years, was sud
denly removed to Omaha. A few
days thereafter four secret service
specials appeared in Omaha, and th'
officers are now bending every en-
ergy to locate the mint and pull th'
coiners.
The information leaked out toda,
after the sworn of secret servic
men had been satisfied that thei
birds were in their clutches. N
arrests have yet been made, however
The purchase of several thousan
d ollsrs' worth of silver at the Grar
smsltsr in Omaha weekly by person
unknown to the trade gave the autho
tiles the first clew to the affair. tt
dollars are exactly like those come