Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1897-02-11
THE coUNTERFElTERS.
witzell Give Some Very Direct and Dam
aging Testimony on the Witness stand
Yesterday One More Arrest Has
Reen Made,

States secret service, arrested j. v.
Elton, wealthy and we'll known citi-
zen near Clyde, Ohio, Tuesday on IA
charge of counterfeiting. Elton is
said To be the last one of the famous
gang of Kingston counterfeiters who
have had headquarters at Grand Rap
ids, Ionia and Jackson, Mich, during
the past two years Elton was ar
ranged before United States Commits
sioner Wheeler here and put under
80, 500 bonds for his appearance in the
United States court at Grand Rapids
in April. Elton put up the cash for
security.
The specific charge on which he was
arrested is making and assisting to
make plates for counterfeiting in
Greenville, Montcalm county, Mich.
April /. 1895.
For two years United States author
tiles have been engaged in running
down the Kingston gang. The first
member captured was Hiram j. Pack
rat Toledo, in December, 1895. Others
were captured in the west and in Au-
gust last George and Frank Kingston
were caught at lonia. Last week Sat
urday, the engraver, John Depree was
taken in custody at Grand Rapids, aud
Ferd Hauck, "A saloonkeeper at Bel
ding. On Sunday Simpson Craig, a
fr,. .,,,Ia Oh Iaa nd
now the last one OF the gang has been
run To earth. In all there has been / |
arrests, and the officers consider that
they have effectually broken up one of
the most dangerous counterfeiting
gangs Of recent times. During its ex-
lstence the gang worked in almost
every state in the west and south and
the notes counterfeited were most ex-
cellent.
The examination Of DePree and
Craig was held yesterday and "a sensa-
tion was sprung when Peter Witzel
was called as witness. He is we'll
known here as a former conductor on
the stub train and lived in Greenvle.
Witzel swore he was 30 years old and
that in 1895 he resided in Greenville,
where the counterfeiting scheme was
worked up. Kingston, Elton, Packer
and DePree or, As he was then known,
z. j. Morris, came To witness house
and talked the matter over. DePree
SAID he could make a good plate that
would print $50 bill so that it would
pass. Later all parties met in Belding
and talked over the method Of how
best to dispose of the money after it
was made. DePree brought one of the
plates, which was shown witness and
which he identified, TO Greenville, but
it was not then completed.
At the Belding meeting Frank King
ston objected to allowing witnes, to
have an equal share in the profits of
the business, and one of the men said
they would have To let him have it for
hush money.
Witzei seemed reluctant to give his
testimony and it was only after close
questioning and placing the words Of
various conversations in his mouth
that Mr.. Power could get his testimony.
After witness moved to this city and
took up his abode at 4S Williams st. +,
he said II. j. Packer and John DePree
brought II printing press to his place
and set it up in the woodshed. The
first impressions he said were poor aud
Packer said the plate was NO good, but
DePree said the fault was with the
press. To prove this DePree brought
some bills printed on presses in the
engraving Office where he worked.
These bills were good. Hauck and
Craig said they were good enough to
pass and they were ready to go into
the deal aud help pass the money.
Simpson Craig's examination was
taken up in the afternoon and the tes-
timony was nearly the same as in The
case of DePree. Both men were held
to trial in the United States court.