Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1897-02-04
bad COUNTERFEITERS.
}. DEPREe, THE ENoRAvER, ARRESTED
simpson Craig and Ferd Hauck Implicated
Taken Into Custody Monday.

1
Taken Into Custody Monday.
a very important arrest in connec-
tion with the Kingston counterfeiters
was made in Grand Rapids when John
DePree, an employe OF the Grand Rap
ids Engraving Company was taken into
custody charged with the very serious
offense OF having engraved the plates
found In the possession of the King
stons. His arrest was followed up
Monday by the further arrest of Simp-
son Craig, formerly of this city, now OF
Jackson, and Ferd Hauck of the firm
Of Hauck Bros They were charged
with being promoters OF the scheme
and dealers in the queer. The latter
however, was seen by reporter for
the BANNER yesterday and claims to
have had no hand in il; that he was
approached by one Whitsel, who said
something to him regarding a kind of
money he had, but that he declined to
have anything to do with him; that
later, after the Kingston boys We're ar
rested, Attorney John Mitchell came
up here and wanted him to put up
money for their defense, which he also
refused to do. He says he will be able
to prove his entire innocence.
In its report of the case, the Grand
Rapids Democrat says:
Depree was arrested late Saturday
afternoon, while at his work and was
McQuewan, where bail was fixed at
81, go and the date of his examination
set for February 10. In default he was
locked up in cell in the county Jail.
DePree is twenty-seven years OF age
and has lived in Grand Rapids for fif-
teen years. He has worked for nearly
all the engraving establishments in
the city and was universally esteemed
by all who came in contact with him in
either social or business way. His
parents formerly lived here, but for
some time past have resided in Pella,
la. For several months young DePree
has occupied room No. 10 in the
Hermitage annex on Canal street,
search of which by the officers how
ever, revealing nothing of an incrim-
mating nature.
DePree's arrest, together with that
of Ferd Hauck, saloonkeeper of Beld-
ing, last Monday, and OF Simpson
Craig, jackson gambler, yesterday,
was acA6m sllsshftead lsftad By; < Special ia Agen
William j. Burns, secret servic
officer from Washington, and Deput.
United States Marshall O'Donnell o
this city. Hauck was arraigned befor
Commissioner Albert Williams of Ioni
and gave 81 900 ponds to appear 70
examination February - Craig wa
brought TO Grand Rapids last nigh
and placed in Jail. He will probabl.
go before Commissioner McQuewal
today. Deputy United States Marsha
Henry Havens of Jackson assisted il
the latter arrest, owing TO the fac
that Jackson is outside the Western
district jurisdiction.
Both Hauck and Craig are accuse,
OF having been dealers in the stut
turned out by the gang, and as in tn
case Of DePree, the officers assert the.
have absolute proof OF their guilt.
With these arrests is divulged 70
the first time the original clue leadin.
up TO the arrest and conviction o
George and Frank Kingston of Ionia
, 1t will be remem bered that Frank i
now undergoing a five-year sentence il
the Detroit House of Correction, whil
George is awaiting Judge Severens
decision on motion for new trial
The facts are as follows: In the fal
of 1895, the Kingston brothers, DePree
Hauck, Craig and "a man named Alvil
II. Packer, rented and occupied tn
basement OF house at IS Williams st.
where, il is alleged, $40 900 worth o
counterfeit twenty-dollar United State
Treasury notes were manufactured
The origin Of the scheme is attributes
to Packer, but how he succeeded il
inducing the others to enter into part
nership with him has not yet beel
divulged.
Packer was at that time an ex-con
vict who had served time in the Ioni
reformatory and is described as
shrewd individual of pleasing appear
ance and plausible manners. Il
December, 1895, Packer went TO TOle
do, o., with a quantity Of the counter
felt money but was shortly afterwart
arrested for passing it. He resiste,
the officers and was arrested only afte
a lively skirmish in which severa
revolver shots were fired. He wa
tried last June and is now serving
fve-year sentence in the Ohio peniten
tiary at Columbus.
His arrest frightened the rest Of tn
gang and they dispersed. The secre
service department, however was no
on their trail and soon located tn
Williams street rendezvous i'm thi