The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1895-04-06
A GREAT CONSPIRACY
An Organized Gang to Forge
Certificates.
PACIFIC COAST THEIR FIELD

Pias - Yss.Ssh Chissss YrssA sIsss
KsgistsssSss BslksA - Arrests II
sss Observation-Disclosures nsA Bsss
xsssbi1shea In Isspsnsss CstSss.
eAs FRAxcisoo, March So.-Psderal
omcss tonight caught two men in the
act Of forging Chimes registration Ger.
ti6cstes and arrested them. They ass
employees Of the Oceanic Steamship
Company. and are named Foss and Clip.
rico. These two we're arrested 1t 76S
Clay stssst. in Chinatown, the head
quarters Of the gang. Besides p. C.
Ciprico and H. L. Foss. J. D. Sullivan,
Max Kstxnsur and Moses Gresnwald
were also arrested. Katxnaur was A.
rested In . saloon. He 10 said to be q
relative Of Banker Ssligman, of New
York. Greeuwald 10 cousin of Louis
Grsenwald. one OF the Emerald opium.
smuggling gang. Ciprioo has an ofioe
in Wells- Fargo's building. which was
also one Of the headquarters Of the gang.
OF the other men nothing is known.
The government officials claim TO have
unearthed . gigantic conspiracy to forge
such certificates, and that the gang had
established agencies in At important
points on the coast. - well q in the
principal Eastern cities. Todd, who il
said 70 be At the head, has . number Of
associates. Who have laid their plans
carefully With reference TO selling the
forged certificates throughout the 6oun.
S tsy At |. uniform price, \ The fate on
L. Foss, the freight clerk on the Oceanic
dock, v 70 has hitherto been CHARGED
with smuggling and other offensee, 10
and that Foes and . co-forger-the no.
torious ext Customs Officer Ciprioo-had
their plans perfected to begin issuing
to-day.
A photographer. formerly in the SER
vice Of the government, lie suspected Of
being one OF the most ekiilful members
Of the gang, which embraced men named
Wichman, Greenwald, Davis, Bates,
Harvey and Devereaux. There lie
probability that = great deal OF the work
has been done in Victoria, and that the
plates from which the certificates we're
printed are nov there, though the sigma.
ture and photographs for Identification
have been made here. The penman ie
from Victoria, and 10 an expert Of rare
skill
In laying plane to entrap the agents
Of the forgers the collector hired several
Chinese engaged In business in China TO
act ae decoye. A member OF the band,
Who came from Oregon TO help cell the
forged instruments. bled upon one
d the departments Chinese decoye al.
most at the outset OF his negotiations,
and il Vas through this blunder that
the forgers betrayed themselves. For
days and weeks the investigations have
been pushed, and every detectives re-
port has shown that the plane OF the
operators were far-reaching, their rami.
fcations being 20 great ~ to involve
several men who formerly held places Of
honor in this country. Some Of the fret
evidence OF the far-reaching plans Of
the operators came from New Mexico in
December, at which time il was discov-
cred that come Of the forged certificates
had been offered for sale at Santa Fe.
Soon thereafter the certificates were
found in Oregon.
WHO THEY ARE.
SEATTLE, March SO.-Max Katznaur
10 Victoria man and reputed to be the
leading emuegler on Puget Sound. Todd
10 said to have been collector Of internal
revenue at Spokane.