The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-06
NOT A JUDAS SHEKEL
OF A RECENT CHILLI
Gothic NUMIsMATIC SENSATION.
A Translation Of Faded Piece OF
Paper Reveals the True Character
of the Piece.

Christian world, says the writer. knows how
Judas Iscariot betrayed the Savior for thirty
pieces of silver, for the story has been told
over and over again. History also relates
how Judas refused to accept the money, and
cast 1t at the feet of the high priests, who
also refused to accept it, but finally pur-
chased the potters' field with it, wherein to
bury strangers OF course, somebody got
the money, but what became of it after that
is only matter of conjecture. Tradition
runs that not one of the pieces Of money
was ever lost. but that they are still in the
world, with fatal curse upon them which
falls all who touch them.
1t was discovered a few days ago that
there was in this city what was reputed to
be shekel of the kind for which Judas
sold his Master, and the legend that had
been handed down from generation to gen.
Grafton with it was that it was one Of the
fatal thirty pieces. The owner of the coin
is Mrs. Sophia Floeckher. of 526 North
Church street, this city.
The family of Floeckher is a noble one
of Hanover, Germany. and it was there that
Henry Floeckher met and married the wom-
an who now owns the coin. The marriage
took place in 1876, and for eleven years he
and his wife lived in Hanover-peope of i'm
portance socially and politically. Mrs. Flock
her says she remembers that on the occasion
Of the celebration of the King of Hano-
ver's birthday her husband was adjutant,
and rode next to his Majesty. But princely
favor Is very apt to be tickle, and Fioeckher.
count of some political difficulty, the nature
of which was too trivial even to be pre-
served in his own family. America was
America ne came, settling first at Baltimore
and at various other places in Maryland and
the District Of Columbia From there, twen-
ty-slx years ago, they went 70 Texas. where.
his wife and eight children, seven of whom
are still living. Mrs. Floeckher and her fam
Ecothe. She has since lived here with her
children, and has Won the respect Of all
who have come in contact with her.
HISTORY OF THE PIECE.
The coin which has awakened so much in
terest during the past few days had al
ways been carried by Mr.. Floeckher, and
| Mrs. Floeckher did not even know of its
| existence until a short time before his death.
He seemed to be averse to telling her any
| thing about it, but she finally learned that
1t was reputed to be one of the thirty pieces
| of silver with which Judas had been re-
warded for betraying the Savior. The story
| was that in the Middle Ages the Floeckhers
were among the Crusaders, and one of the
| the Holy Land brought back the piece with
| the legend that 1t was one of the historic
| thirty. This story, of course, can be believed
| or not but there seemed to be no doubt
| about the coin being genuine shekel, for
| it was so pronounced by the head of the
Jewish residents here. He gave the follow
This piece is Hebrew silver piece of the
value Of a shekel. 1t is frequently spoken
OF in the Bible. On one. face of the coin
| and an inscription in ancient Hebrew,
which, when translated, reads. Holy Jeru-
| salem. On the other side of the coin is a
| whence incense arises, IMPLYING the sacri-
| fee of atonement. The inscription, which
Is also in ancient Hebrew. means. 'Shekel Of
| The coin itself is discolored. but the fig
ures and inscriptions, which are in high
about the size Of a : silver half dollar. .
| In the parlor Of the Floeckher homestead.
| extensively and richly framed is coat
arm bs al ,ne family A6e
| Flockher,'" and below it I'm Buch der
europaschen wappen Sammlung Settle 49,
| The picture Is very old and IS dim with
| age. The frame is also very old, and seems
| to be veritable curiosity. There are other
family heirlooms. all of them pointing TO
| quite probable that some of the family in
the Middle Ages should join the Crusaders
| brought the shekel back from the Holy
| Land got the real article or was hum
buggged by willy Oriental Mrs; Floeckher
as a shekei, would be curiosity OF no
| small value.
THE CURSE is GONE.
If curse accompanied the coin, it had
certainly expended itself before this, for
the present owner, Mrs. Floeckher, although
born in 1924. hard worker since her coming
to America, and the mother of eight chill
dren, is singularly active. both physically
and mentally, retaining full possession of
her powers, her memory being especially
| retentive. She tells many interesting things
of her life in Hanover, and of her later
wanderings in this country, and coming
to Chllicothe. where she expects to live
until she dies. The coin has always been
carefully guarded, and from now on will
always be. 1t was not until the coin was
seen by an ambitious newspaper man that
its supposed value was known to Mrs
Floeckher, and it has since then been put
she seems Pleased to show it to any one
who has curiosity to see It,, and tells
history. She says that some time ago
she read in the Catholic Columbian that
there was only one shekel in existence here.
and thought then OF writing to the editor
of that publication and telling about the
one she possessed, but neglected to do So
and subsequently almost forgot about its
|
i This is the story, in brief, which has at
tracted much attention and occupied SO
much space in the newspapers. 1t re-
manned for the Tribune correspondent to
prove that the matter was gigantic fraud
and one that would have been easily ap-
parent to any one who had taken the trou-
BILE to investigate the matter with any de-
gree of care, or who was not interested
merely in creating q sensation and hum
bugging the public 1t was mentioned that
accompanying the coin was a faded piece
of paper, containing a description of the
coin in German. 1t was this faded piece
of paper that furnished the clew. The pa
per, translated for your correspondent by
| the highest German authority in the city,
| reads as follows:
TRUE COPY
OF A GENUINE SHEKEL.
Christ the Martyr Was Sold BY Judas Is
CARROT for 30 Pieces
1.-The Jewish shekel was at that time the
same as a silver shekel Of the Christians
and contains, according to our weight one
half ounce, or 290 SO grains. On the one side
of the impression is the rod of Aaron, the
inscription upon which reads In German,
the Holy Jerusalem. Upon the other side
is sacrifice Offering. The inscription is
the shekel of Israel
This of itself would be enough to show
what the coin really is. a mere copy Of the
original, but another proof, equally simple
shows Ii, too. Your correspondent took the
coin to a jeweler, and ne unhesitafingly
pronounced il not silver. but lead, and not
very good lead at that. That CRUSADER
should bring home lead shekel from the
Holy Land is a little too much for even the
a, %