St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-09-21
The johnson Counterfeit Gang
Caught.

Their Capture Recalls the Connection Of Bristol
Bill with the Gang.
The Detroit Free Press of August 10,
contained the account OF the arrest Of
the Johnson gang of counterfeiters. In
connection with the article was an inter-
view with W. D. Hartman o fam Arbor,
Mich, in which he recounts some of Bris-
tol Bills adventures. We publish here
with Mr.. Harriman's "reminiscences:
"The items published in the Free Press
during the last few days touching the
arrest OF one David, alias Henry D. John
son. for counterieiting," said an Ann
Arbor gentleman 'has recalled TO my
mind some incidents OF ancient history
which possibly may be OF interest to
some of your readers.
about fifty years ago there was tried
in the town of Danyille, VT, then the
county seat of Caledonia county, a gang
OF counterieiters. The principal persons
OF the party were Bristol Bill a notori-
Gus English burglar and counterfeiter;
Christian Meadows, a very skilllul ell.
graver, and one Johnson, then past mid
die lite, who posed at the trial as an in.
nocent farmer, but who was, in fact, the
leader of the gang. johnson had rented
a farm in a secluded ~neighborhood of the
%neighboring town Of Groton, a town
then out OF the line of travel, and the
gang carried on their operations there.
Johnson had a wife and several small
children. The others posed as relatives
c.I f-.a,Js IS +la e., x.;l,, ,,1N xya~ ,,x,
ing them a visit. These visitors did a
little work on the farm, and occasionally
attended church and prayer meeting to
allay suspicious.
by some means, which the writer
has forgotten, the operations of the gang
we're discovered and they were all arrest
ed and taken to Danville for trial. On
the trial a Jury OF unsophisticated Gale
donia county farmers cleared the inuo-
cent looking and apparently unsophisti-
Gated Johnson. Meadows was convict
ed. Bristol Bill who was a mar of
some learning and great natural abilities,
was permitted to argue his wi case,
and occupied a part OF two days in doing
so. Bliss N. Davis, a prominent lawyer
in that part of Vermont at the time, was
prosecuting attorney, and on commenc-
ing his closing argument to the people
was very severe upon Bristol Bill Up.
on the adjournment of the court, in the
middle of his argument, for dinner, the
prisoners, instead of being taken to the
iail for lunch, as usual, were taken to the
hotel. | was a boy at the time, but well
remember that procession. Johnson look
ed sheepish and half stupid-apparently
aninnocent victim of unfortunate circum-
stances. Meadows was a tall, hand
some man, with a frank, open counten-
ance, looked every inch a gentleman, but
Bristol Bill looked, as Davis had just
described him in his argument, "a very
devil incarnate.' He was a short, coarse
man, with thick neck and heavy jaw.
His eyes were very large and black, but
had a cold and unfeeling look, like the
eye of a fish. He was heavily ironed
with handouts on his wrists and mana
Giles upon his ankles, and | can seem to
hear now, after the lapse of half a CEN
turv. the rafting of the chains as he
shuffled across Danville green to the
hotel. On coming back to the court
house after dinner, it was noticed that
Bristol Bill carried a white handker-
chief in his right hand. The court house
was densely packed, and as the attorneys
and prisoners took their places within
the bar, and the Judge his chair upon the
bench, Davis resumed his argument. 1t
was noticed that Bristol Bill appeared
nervous and uneasy. He moved his
chair nearer to Davis, apparently that
he might hear him more distinctly, when
all at once he sprang from his seat like a
tiger and the white handkerchief falling
from his hand, displayed the glistening
hlade Of a knife which he had stolen from
the table at dinner and which he plunged
into Davis neck. Davis, suddenly turn
inc white as a sheet, threw up his hands,