The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-05-09
IN MICHENER'S SAFE.
Bogus Coin and COunterfeiting
Devices are Found.
MICHENER AND KAsHNER TALK

Both Men are in the Clutches of the
Law and the Coils are Tightening
About Them-Government Officials
Highly EIated over the Capture OF
the outfit-Michener's Safe Filled
with Cold.
The most timportantcapture of counterfeiter's
outfits ever made in the state of Ohio was
made Thursday night when United States
! Marshal Harskell Detective Manly, Judge
Thayer and r. W. McCaughey opened J. b.
| Michener's safe in the Eagle block
The search was very thorough and complete
and the result astounded even the officers.
The party began the search at 1880 behind
locked doors. No one being allowed in the
room except the parties named above. There
was quite crowd of interesed people waiting
outside.
1t was eleven o'clock when the searchers
came out Of the office and that they had been
successful could be told by the satisfied look ON
the faces Of the government officials.
The safe when It was opened was found to be
packed full. There were dies and moulds for
making various denominations of gold coins
and nearly a., 600 worth of the bogus product
already to put into circulation Kashner cvi.
IDENTIFY knew what he was talking about when
he gave the officers the tip about the safe.
The contents of the safe would almost fill a
bushel basket. A plating outfit was also
found in the room. A quantity ofthe material
used in the manufacture of the bogus coin was
also found. Michener's Office had evidently
been the headquarters of the gang, the
hardest part of the work being done in
Kashner's shed and then the finishing being
done in Michener's office.
Marshal Haskell was particularly we'll
pleased with the find and pronounced II the
best and most complete outfit ever captured in
the state. 1t was quite evident that Mchener's
plans had not been formulated to get the
money on the market. sufficient quantity
had been manufactured however to have made
good thing for the parties interested. If
MiChener had not been 50 anxious TO try the
product of his skill in his own town he might
have still been making the queer 1t was
evident that one of the most dangerous gangs
Of counterfeiters was in process Of formation
that has existed in the country and the officers
are congmtulating themselves on their success.
full capture of the headquarters. Michener
will now have to answer TO three charges.
Making counterfeit money, passing counterfeit
money and having the money in his posses.
sion. Every time he passed a coin in Massil.
lon was a seperate offense The limit of i'm.
prisonment is ten years and the limit or fine is
$4,000. When convicted Michener will go
into the service ofUncle Sam sufficient length
of time to learn another trade.
So far his estate has been estimated as
able to pay out dollar for dollar to the creditors
He owned the house that Kashner lived in
and had chattle mortgage Of over $500 on the
furniture in the house and the bar room fix.
lures in the saloon. 1t is thought however
the chattle mortgage is simply blanket to pro-
tect Kashner's property from his creditors.
Thursday Nat G. Mclean as attorney for p.
Welty & Co. wholesale liquor dealers at
Wheeling, levied on the property covered by
the mortgage for bill of $50. This will bring
up the question of the consideration for the
mortgage. The coal lease assigned to his
bondsmen is one Of the most valuable of his
possessions, and will be ample to secure his
bond. The government will undoubtedly
levy on his property to pay the fine and costs
of his prosecution that will be assessed against
him. This will undoubtedly eatup the greater
portion of his property.
MiChener has not yet given bond in Cleve-
land, and since this rich find has been made
it is very likely that his bond will be largely
increased. Other Developments are expected
in Canton in the near future.
A NOTE TRANSACTION.
twas reported this morning that Michener
had succeeded in passing SI0O of his gold coin
upon farmer south of the city recently. As
the story goes, Michener had given the farmer
his note for SiO0, and when il came due a short
time he ago he cashed it off with gold.
Michener and Kashner interviewed
in Jail.
While the officers were going through Mich
ener's safe last night, Michener and Kashner
were resting quietly in the Cleveland Jail, A
Leader reporter gained an audience with them
and this is what they had to say abont the
case:
KAsHNER's STATEMENT.
THE moulds which the officers found in my
trunk were no good. They were made of plas-
ter of paris. We bought them more than a
year ago to make silver dollars. We tried to
turn out a couple but the coin was no good,
and we gave it up. The metal which was
found in the shed was nothing but block tin.
We were going to use that TO make the silver
dollars"
That is all that Kashner would say for some
| time, but under pressure he revealed the entire
secret of the cOunterfeiters' plans and work.
His statement showed that he expected to be.
come rich without hard work because he had
seen some of his fellow townsmen prosper
without apparent effort.
This is the way it was" he said. After we
failed to turn out the silver dollars we got to
talking about trying the thing again. Some
body said that there were several people in
town who had become rich by counterfeiting,
and we saw no reason why we couldn't do the
same. MicheneT and talked the matter over
and decided to try to make some money which
looked like gold. Michener managed the
business for us. He got some molds and then
| got some, he telling me how to order them
and where. Then we went to his office, ON the
fourth floor of the Eagle block on the public
square, and there we turned out the money
Michener coined most of it, but helped him
Altogether we made about 1900 or 1,SOC
pieces. Some were TO be IS and the others SIC
gold pieces. The metal was cheap
and after making enough OF
the money TO last for some time we began tC
plate it with gold. Michener kept all the stuff
in his office, and that's where all the work was
done.
Kashner would not say whom he meant by
1--WE" when he spoke of the discussion in which
| ~ xuas Ynantionad that aavaral Cantnn citizans