The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-05
RODGERS MADE
A CONFESSION
Admitted Having Coined
One Thousand Dollars
in Half Eagles.
Shielded His Father at the Cost
of His Own Liberty and
\ Reputation.
Arguments to Be Made This Morning
and Probable Acquittal of the
Old Man.

The trial of W. F. Rodgers on a charge
of having counterfeit tools in his pos
| session occupied the whole day yesterday
in United States District Judge De
| Ravens court.
The sensational feature OF the case was
| the confession made on the witness-stand
| by James Rodgers, the 22-year-old son OF
| the prisoner. James was taken from the
County Jail, where he had been confined
| OH a charge of counterfei,ing. He went
| on the stand for the defense and confessed
! that the molds, electro-plating jars and
other tools had been found i'll the Rodgers
home at Chesley street. He had placed
| them in the house one at time. unknown
10 the other mem bers of the family.
| His father once caught sight Of two OF
! the jars and asked what they were, and
the witness told him that they had been
given 10 him by boy. and that he was
going to sell them for junk. His father
never saw the molds, and the witness
never told his father that they were the
| house or that any cOunterfeltlng was
! gong on.
The witness said that he coined in all
about $1,000 worth OF So pieces, working
| four or i've hours in the afternoon in the
| kitchen, while the rest Of the fami lily were
absent. This money he invested wi h the
| bookmakers at the races. On few &C.
casions--that is. on holidays-his father
accompanied him TO the races, but the
witness did not give his father any money
| TO bet with.
| father, and the statements with reference
to the fathers ignorance OF the fact that
| counterfeiting was being done in the
house were corroborated by the testimony
| of Kittie and Annie Roigers, daughters of
the defendant.
| The daughters are neatly dressed and
rather good looking young women. Kittie
works in a printing office, and Annie for
the family of physician on Suffer street.
They knew nothing about the counter
feiting layout that was concealed in The
| house.
W. F. Rodgers. the prisoner, took the
| stand and identified the ladle found by
Agent Harris as one he had used TO fish
pickles out OF kegs when he was engaged
| in peddling pickles and mustard. The
| Jars had been used for the packing of
preserved fruits. The witness did not
know that any counterfeiting had been
| done 1t was his bit 10 rise at o clock
in the morning o 60 on his trips peddling
| fruit and vegetables and TO put up his
horse from to half-past O clock in the
| afternoon. de retired at about half-pa
| s or 9 O. clock.
The witness did not bet on tho races ex-
cept on one occasion, when his son.
James, gave him half a dollar to bet on a
horse.
Old man Rodgers and his son were ar
| rested in 1893 for com terfeiting nickels
and quarters. They told story OF pow
erty, with big family OF young chiluren
on hand, and the usual struggle for ex-
| istence The recital moved the jurors
deeply, and they acquiI ted the prisoners
and gave them purse OF $50.
The arguments will begin this morning,
and it is likely that the old man will be
acquitted.
Alfred Williams alias Babe" and
Arthur Gilroy, arrested for passing coun-
terfeit S. pieces, will turn States evil
dence against James Rodgers. They and
Kittie are at large on their own recogni-
| Zance.