St. Paul daily globe., 1896-04-28
TWO MEN ARRESTED ON PAYNE
AVENUE FOR PASSING COUN-
TERFEIT COIN.
LIVE AT ST. ANTHONY PARK.
ONE, CHARLES p. WATSON, WAS
PREVIOUSLY AN INTERURBAN
CONDUCTOR.
THE OTHER, j. EDWARD DUNCAN,
Claims to Live at 2539 Long Avenue
Secret Service Officers Are
at Work.

Charles P. Watson and J. E. Duncan, both
residents of St. Paul, were locked up at the
Margaret street police station yesterday after
noon on the charge Of counterfeiting. The
men were arrested by Oficers Ostrom and
Oldberg after they had succeeded in passing
a number of counterfeit silver dollars on
storekeepers along Payne avenue. When
searched at the police station twenty-five of
the dollars were found in Duncan's possess
sion.
The coins bear the dates of 1888 and 1894,
and on one side are very fair limitations of
genuine money, though they are very light
in weight and when sounded give forth no
ring. They are brand new, and have in all
probability been coined within the past week.
Captain Walsh. of the United States secret
service, was notified of the arrests, and after
sub1ecting the prisoners to rigid investiga-
ton, stated that in his opinion the pair were
two as smooth counterfeiters as had operated
IN the Northwest in some time, and that
only the poor quality of their "coin" and not
their methods had led to their arrest.
The modus operandi of the pair is in strict
accord with the methods of the most skilIful
showers of the queer" and their behavior
a1ter arrest stamps them as men of par
ticular shrewdness.
Five dealers on Payne avenue are known
to have been victimized. In each instance
watson was the man who visited them. while
Duncan carried the supply of false coin and
would wait upon the outside. Watson would
make small purchase, receiving the article
and genuine coin of the realm in exchange
for the counterfeit money
duncan, 1t is said. also carried a small
whistle with which to notify his confederate
of impending danger, a precaution taken bv
many crooks in disposing of queer, coin.
+. Hedeen, who conducts grocery store
at sSi fayne avenue. was the first upon
"nom the men endeavored to pass the coun-
ter1eit money, to suspect its real nature. He
showed Officer Ostrom a silver dollar which
ne had received from Watson, and the officer
SEEING DUNCAN
standing on the corner, O block away. an
preached cautiously and placed him under
arrest. onicer Oldberg was called and given
description OF Watson, whom he arrested
feW minutes later as he was coming out of
the confectionery store Of John Tornouist
$40 Payne avenue, where he had lust passed
one OF the coins. When questioned by Cant
"aisn' Dotn men denied that they knew the
money was not genuine, and declared thew
were wholly ignorant of counterfeiting meth
DDS.
duncan, upon whom twenty-five of the bad
CONS were found, claimed he had found them
on the railroad tracks in the East St. Paul
yards.
Capt. Walsh Is of the opinion that Watson
and Duncan are members of an organized
gang OF counterfeiters who have recently be-
gun operations in this city, and that an inyes
tlgaton, which has been begun, will result
IN the discovery Of the plant" and in the ar
rest OF the other members of the band. That
the workmanship Of the coins passed yester-
DAY Is somewhat faulty is considered to he
due to the fact that Watson and Duncan were
d1sposing Of the first output Of the plant
which OF necessity was somewhat crude
watson, who was formerly a. motorman on
the interurban street car linen lives with his
family at 025 Raymond avenue. He had on
the uniform of the company when arrested.
duncan also claims to be a married man
and says he lives at 1859 Long avenue. ST
Anthony Park
The prisoners were turned over to Cant
walsh last night and will be arraigned before
united States Commissioner McCafferty TODAY
on the charge Of making, having in their pos-
session and passing counterfeit money. The
maximum penalty on each of the three charges
is ten years in the penitentiary.