Omaha daily bee., 1898-12-11
Put a Reporter After Roben.

Put q Reporter After ROben.
The facts were brought to the knowledge
OF the secret service department and last
OCTOBER a young man who had formerly been
a reporter on one Of the big daiAes in the
south appeared upon the scene to work I'D
the case He gave his name as H.. d. Sterl-
Ing and was at once assigned by the local
once. Sterling cultivated an unkempt
growth OF hair and beard and the shabbiest
suit OF clothes seen In the city for many
4 long day. He had every appearance of a
man who was In hard luck and. thus
equipped. he journeyed to the south end
OF the city and established his headquarters
In a saloon near the Roben residence. He
did errands for the saloon keeper and thus
managed to meet Roben. With the little
money he earned he bought beer, invaria-
bly, treating the old man whenever he met
MIN. One day the two met by accident not
iar from the saloon. where Sterling in
formed Roben hat life was a failure and
that he would do anything to make a raise.
Cautiously Roben looked around and
pulled two counterfeit dollars from his
pocket and. handed them over to Sterling.
whose whole appearance frightened I'D 81
he asked: where did you get them?"
To this question the old man replied:
Don't ask any questions. but go out and
ecI ~ VI tnem.
Sterling took the hint and went, but in
stead OF selling or passing them turned
them over to his chief to be used in ev,-
dence. The next day Sterling visited Ro-
ben again and was In good spirits. He
had disposed Of the coin and returned to
Roben his share. 70 cents.
The first deal paved the way and after
that 1t was easy. Upon any and every &C.
casion Sterling could get all the counter
felt money that he wanted. He dressed bet
ter and appeared to be more cheerful, which
TACT was noticed by Roben and commented
upon. Things were coming in great shane
for the Old man. He was making his money
and 1t was apparently being passed without
duplicating him in the least. He was con-
sidering a plan to 60 east and engage in
counterfeiting on a large scale when the
officers swooped down upon him and placed
him under arrest. He maintained his inno-
cence, but the half-fnished coin in his house,
the molds and the appliances for the manu-
facture OF the stun were against him and he
was held to answer. When the grand jury
convened a few weeks ago he was indicte}
and speedily brought to trial. His surprise
can be better imagined than described when
Sterling appeared upon the witness stand to
give his testimony. The old man offered no
defense other than a general denial and
after being out half an hour the Jury re-
turned a verdict Of guilty.
Was nm Instructor as Well.
Secret service men who have kept track
Of Roben, but who have been unable to se-
cure the necessary evidence to Justify an ar
rest, say that for years he has been the
most expert counterfeiter In the United
States and that In addition to having be
a manufacturer and passer he has been q
teacher OF the art of making. plating and
milling coins. He has made a coin of o
composition that was but ave grains light on
the dollar, one with a perfect ring and one
that would not tarnish readily.
With counterfeit. secret service men say
that the difficulty has always been in putting
on the milled edge. This Is a work that
Roben has been able to do. giving the CON
every appearance OF being genuine and only
subject to detection by Weighing or by an
expert. 1t is believed now that many Of
the strangers who have visited the old man
during the last fifteen or twenty years have
come for the purpose Of being instructed In