The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-12-21

Chicago, Ill, Dec. 20.-NelSon BrlggS
who cleared more than $500, 900 by skill
ed work counterfeiting in Illinois, 1ndi-
ana, Iowa and Michigan, is dead at his
summer home near Dayton His repu-
tation in this state extends over a peri
ID Of twenty years, his last public ap-
pearance being at the time Of pardon
from the Joliet penitentiary by Presi-
hent Hayes. This was the star event
d. his career-an incident which start
I'd a legislative investigation and led
to unoncial charges of a lavish use OF
money Tor corruption purposes in the
secret service at Washington.
Briggs was regarded as the father
Of the set devoted TO the manufacture
Of spurious bills. He was king in
his operations, never STOPPING TO small
business, and refusing consistently TO
handle bad coins. His forte was large
denominations. He was once arrest
ed and in his wallet was a roll contain
Ing $4,000, 50 cleverly engraved that
Experts failed TO find the flaws save
under the glass. His associates were
Invariably provided with abundant
means, and each time he fell into the
hands of the government he was par
doned. The records shows his name
upon the books Of six prisons.
One OF the most widely circulated
works from his hands was the cele-
brated counterfeit Of the bills of the
Traders National bank of Chicago. The
plate was made by Ben Boyd, who was
as much Of an expert in the office work
as Briggs was in the actual manipula-
ton of the stuff. Briggs arrest for
operating in Springfield was a death
blow to the crowd, seven or eight of
his assistants going to the penitentiary
for terms Of various lengths. All the
crowd abandoned the business at this
time and became honest excepting
Briggs.
This man came to Illinois more than
forty years ago. His business then
WAS that which he followed successful
ny ana continuously up to his death,
when not behind the bars. His first
field of operation was along the Missis-
slppi. his detection leading to a ten
years sentence to the old prison at AL
ION. He was brought with the other
conVicts TO Joliet when the old prison
was abandoned in 1889. His agents
keeps up faithful application for his
pardon, and secured it. This led him
no move, and for several years he work
ed in Indiana and Michigan. He sched-
uIed property at this time worth $780,
600, and hOasted ii was a hard task for
any man to labor
Briggs came back from a tour richer
than ever He did not return to Nau-
voc, the little town in the southern part
OF Illinois where he once kept a gro
Gerry store, but rented a house in Gem
FrallIa. There was much shadowing
and watching by detectives. This
finally developed into an arrest and the
capture of Sill, 900 in bad money.
The complete printing and engraving
outfit was brought TO Springfield as
evidence in the case. There was no |
doubt Of guilt, and Briggs was sentenc- |
ed in 1876 10 Joliet. President Hayes i
became interested in the case in 1880. |
He issued pardon. The confeder- !
ates, Boyd, Long and Charley Stad- |
feldt, served their sentences.
Briggs was IS years old at the time of |
his death. His widow is a handsome |
young woman, and for some time they |
had lived quietly on a farm. The !
nature of his early tranSac- !
lions is shown by the list Of notes and |
implements found at the time of the /
Centrallia arrest:
Four National bank plates.
One plate each of the title and sigma |
ture of national banks of Paxton, Can
ton, Aurora and Peru. III.
Ten $50 treasury notes.
OF the issue Of Stanton head, $4,000.
OF the issue Of Dexter head, S2SS.
Five faces of Dexter head.
Five dollar notes on Traders Nation /
al bank of Chicago. $6S. 600
Five dollar notes on First National |
bank Of Peru. $40.
Five dollar notes on First National
bank Of Canton. $40.
Five dollar notes on other Illinois
national banks, $4,000.
Frank Murphy, a present superin-
tendent Of the Pinkerton Detective |
agency. was warden Of the peniten-
tiary at Joliet during Briggs service.
He remembers him as a man of splen-
did brains, good address and extreme
confidence in his ability to avoid the
law and officers. He had worried the
government more than any other coun-