Great Falls weekly tribune., 1896-04-03
Chief of Police Guerin Makes Il Clever
Capture Of Counterfeiter and
His Tools and Stock.
The Den LOcat ted in a Hlgh-TOntd,
North Side Boarding House
Bogus Silver Coin
And MOulds Under the Bed Room
FloOr-Nlorphine Frenchy Is .
the Criminals Name.

SAlCA VI OilCc N1uCIlu 'OdtuTudJ Ildue
/ notable capture which reflects great
:redit on his ability as detective and
will result in the breaking up of dan
serous scheme to unload on the people
If this vicinity large quantity of bogus
silver coin of small denominations. For
some time past Chief Guerin has been
satisfied that some person or persons
were engaged in "shoving" spurious
quarters and dimes in this city, although
until Saturday he had no suspicion that
the bogus coin was manufac tured in
this city. Some weeks ago John Fergu
son brought him counterfeit quarter,
which, he said, he got in Johnson's beer
hall. Agent Davidson of the Singer
Sewing Machine company little later
gave him three quarters which were also
traced to the same place. Several mer-
chants on Central avenue found spurious
quarters and dimes among their change.
Mr.. Guerin soon made up his mind that
whoever was passing the bad money was
frequenter If Johnson's beer hall, and
took the proprietor of the faro game
there, John Porter, into his con-
fidence. An examination of the
banks small change resulted in
finding a number of the spurious
coins among the contents of the sack,
and Porter agreed to assist the chief by
keeping a bright lookout for the man
who was passing the bad coin on him,
rightly judging that il he was faro
fend he would come back to try the
game again. A few days ago two dimes
and nickel were laid on one OF the
cards. The money won and as the
dealer picked up the money he at once
detected its bad character and incau-
tiously spoke up sharply, inquiring
whose money the coin was. The tone
alarmed the man who had placed it
there, and instead of claiming the bet he
darted through the crowd before either
the dealer or the lookout could identify
him, and it looked as though the game to
catch him was up. Later, however, Mr..
Porter learned that one of the men
standing near the table had seen the
man as he made his way swiftly through
! the crowd for the door, and he intro
duced the chief to this man, who
was able TO give so good a
description of the party he had
seen making swiftly for the door
that Guerin was able to identify him ae
character known about town as Nor
phno freDchy," who is confirmed NOR
phiDe fiend, and whose occupation for
thu last five years has been chiefly that
of hanger on about saloons and resi-
dcrcos Recently, ho had secured job
taktnr care Of TIN furnace i'll Mrs. al.
beF'4 Linden Terrace boarding house on
the North side. ssllRying spotted his nan
Guntin went to work TO secure all the
eviUanco he could find connecting hlm
with the passing Of counterfeir money.
He had only partially completed this
task when be met morphine, Trenchy'
yesterday afternoon, about > o'clock
near Johnson's beer hall, in company
witt the party who originally identified
him to the chief, and Judging that the
conjunction was a dangerous ono for his
caeH. he at once put "Frenchy" under ar
rest and took him to the city Jail, where
he gave bis name as Navier Gin. The
prisoner was taken into tho chiefs pri
vate Office and subjected to The
sweating process. What transpiret
there the chief declines to state
|
formation may be judged by the fac
up his prisoner he proceeded at once Il
the room which "Frenchy' had occupied
in the basement of the Linden Terrace
boarding house, and removing a loost
board in the floor under his bed, secured
full SET Of counterfeiters' tools, some
lead pipe, quicksilver and quantity o
| 1, 50 In
plaster of Paris dies for dimes and quar-
ters, an apparatus for melting metal
spoons with lip for pouring it into tn
dies and other damning evidence of tn
manufacture of spurious coin. Th
dimes bear the date 1885, and the quar-
> tiers are dated 1893 and 1877. The latte
: was altogether the best executed coin o
the three, ard the die for this is missing
as also die for dimes.
Frenchy is carefully guarded in th
city jail He is so great victim to tn
, morphine habit that he begged pite
ously for bis usual portion of the drug
, and the chief thought it wise to ad
minister to him certain amoun
of it. The prisoner was somo tim
, ago taken up by the Salvation Army
who had him admitted to the count
: hospital, and an effort was made to cur
. him Of his bad habits. Chief Gueri
las' night notified United States MAJ
shal McDermott OF Helena OF his III
portant capture, and it is probable tina
. he will shortly be taken to Helena t
stand trial in the United States court o
a charge of counterfeiting.
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