The herald., 1896-10-21

him to warrant different result than
the one obtained. The district attorney
! thought so too. The fault was due to
the insufficient evidence. Yet the story
is one Of the most extraordinary ever
told, involving as 1t does the most re-
markable credulity and no less unusual
cunning.
About three months ago prominent
merchant of California received a let
ter from this same gang offering to srll
him money printed from the treasury
plates that could not be told from the
genuine. The merchant, by the barest
accident, happened to be an honest man
at heart, and although the temptation
offered to him was great one. one that
not one man in hundred could refuse,
decided not to accept the proposal but
to inform United States Marshal
Moore, who answered the letter under
the merchants name who had received
it, and wrote to the counterfeiter and
informed him that 1t was Just the stuff
he was looking for" but stated that ow-
ing to pressure of business 1t was i'm
possible for him to visit New York, and
suggested to Mr.. Counterfeiter that the
mails were safe medium through which
to transact business, and stated that II
this was satisfactory he would order
$400 worth to start on.
The reply came back that on no ac-
count would he do business through
the mails: that it was absolutely neces-
sary that he should see his customer and
do business face to face only, being the
safest surest and most satisfactory
way to transact business Of this ma
ture, and promising If the goods were
not as fine as represented to reimburse
him for all expenses of the trip and for
felt $1,000 in gold.
In consequence the marshal wired for
st,,o of,,,,, To r1H crn
to meet the counterfeiter, and in due
time arrived at the place of meeting,
the Grand International hotel, New
York City, and was called upon by an
old man who brought with him valisa
which he opened in the room, display
ing packages of money amounting 70
$100, ,000 The detectives examined the
money carefully, said it would suit him.
and put his hand in his pocket as If to
bring out the money to pay for it; but
in the place of money he drew out a pis-
tol, and placing it at the counterfeiter's
head made him prisoner, and took the
contents of the bag into his possession.
Upon being arraigned on the charge Of
offering and selling what was supposed
to be counterfeit money. the prisoner
apparently became indignant and stout
ly denied that he ever had a counterfeit
bill in his life, and he demanded that the
experts employed by the treasury de-
partment at Washington be sent for.
His demand was complied with, and
on arrival Of the gentlemen they at
once set about making a thorough and
critical examination of the supposed
counterfeits then submitted their sworn
report, which was as follows: THAT all
these United States treasury notes were
printed from genuine plates used by
former workmen in the printing bureau,
and were perfect and exact duplicates
of genuine bills issued by the govern
ment They further added that they had
long been aware that some person had
possession of a set of plates supposed
to have been furnished by one of the
engravers in the engraving bureau, and
finally, that the only difference between
the notes found on the prisoner and the
genuine lies in their not being so much
silk fiber interviewer in Che paper. The
prisoners counsel asked the govern
ment experts If they would swear that
the bills examined by them were coun-
terfeits. To the astonishment OF every
one in the court room they replied that
they would not, as they were positive
the bills were as good as any issued by
the government, and added that the
fault lay in the careless manner OBJ
served in the treasury department In
allowing workmen to handle govern
ment plates. printing inks, dies, ETC., as
they wished"
The Judge had no other alternative
than to instruct the jury to discharge th.
prisoner, who thanked the jury ami
quickly skipped out Of the courtroom,