Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-03
DESPERATE FALSE COINERS.
How the Notorious "Dish'' Ware Gang
Was Broken Up.
From Golfers Weekly.

E4'iI NfAliti NtehiS-
Occasionally it happens that is becomes
Necessary for deal to be made directly
with the handlers of spurious money, and
in these cases it takes man of nerve and
keen wit to bring 1t to successful issue.
Such transactions are always fraught with
great personal danger. Perhaps this may
be best Illustrated by briefly outlining the
experience of operatives of the division in
breaking up the notorious "Bish" Ware
gang in western Pennsylvania. Ware, who
had been known as a desperate in the
mountains about Altoona for many years,
finally formed combination with one
slippery Jim Funk bad a man as
himself, to embark in the enterprise of
Showing counterfeit coins. His connection
with this sort of work was unsupported
until in a moment of bravadO he exhibited
& quantity of new bogus coins in a small
mountain town. An operative of the secret
service division. after some weeks of pa
tient work, succeeded in approaching Ware
and Funk with a proposition to purchase d
quantity of their product. 1t was not
easy matter to bring them to the point of
actually making the trade. Suspicious al
ways of possible pitfalls, they INDUCED in
series of tests to establish to their salts
faction the character of the man with
whom they were to deal. Appointments
were made apparently in good faith for
the exchange of the bogus metal. packages
ostensibly containing the coins were
brought to the place of meeting for the de-
lberdte purpose of drawing the fire, if |
may so express it. of government officers,
should this really be a trap. Arrests on
any OF these occasions would have been
frUitiesS. for the packages contained MOTH
ing but blocks of wood. Patience and good
judgment on the part of the officers pre-
vented precipitate action. and succeeded in
lUlling the suspicious of the coiners. Final
ly an appointment was made at a small
hotel at Tyrone, Pa To Operative Abbott
foil he
the men and carrying on the deal. Opera
tive Perkins. with an assistant. secured
room al the hotel on the opposite side of
Sthe hail from that occupied by the coiners
land Abbott.
7 1t was arranged that Abbott should by
ssome ruSe. get one OF the men to leave the
broom after the coin was actually in sight,
land the arrests were To be made as soon as
lthis WA accomplished. Slippery Jim and
tAbbotjawere Iirst in their room, and little
Halter Were Joined by ''Bish." who carried
al ordinary leather travelling satchel. This.
which weighed something over d hundred
pounds, was handed over to Slippery
jim. and he and Abbott took seats at OPP
pOsite sizes Of small table, each with his
revolver under his right leg on the chair
ready for any emergency. while "Bish,"
with his gun in his hand, stood guard at
the door. 1t was trying moment for the
officer when Funk opened the grip and took
from 1t roll after roll of coin, neatly made
UP in packages of $40 The time had nearly
come To act, and he read death in the faces
OF tht TWO CRIMINALS. one or the men must
be gotten rid of temporarily. but how? Hts
mind worked rapidly, and he took the
rolls from Funk one by one plausible plan
presented itself which was at least worth
n trial. The counting went on slowly until
nearly the whole amount had been trans
ferred.
Look here" said Abbott suddenly II
can't take chance on this stuff coming
loose and rafting around in my grip. / am
taking long chances in this thing and 1
don't want TO slip up. JIM" addressing
the man across the table, take this half
dollar and run across to the dry goods store