The times., 1899-04-28
4 COUNTERFEIRER'S
STARTLING STORY
Ingham's Alleged Part in the
Great Conspiracy.
Kendig Swears He Employed Him
to Bribe Secret Service Men.
The Jobbers Wanted n Yenr to Work
Their Stupendous Fraud and
Then Leave the Country.

ham. formerly United States District At
torney. and Harvey X. hewitt. former As
sistant United States District Attorney,
were arraigned before United States Com
missioner Edmunds this morning. charged
with conspiracy TO bribe Secret Service
Agent William J. McManus. hewitt was
also charged with having paid bribe to
the officer TO give him information as to
the movements of secret service men as
signed to discover the makers and passers
of the famous counterfeit Monroe head"
500 silver certificates. Ingham and New
lit were were represented by Attorney A.
S. l. Shields. United States District At
torney James II. Beck represented the
Government The Commissioners room
was so crowded that it was necessary to
throw open the Circuit Court room. and
even then the crowd of spectators was SO
great that a force of deputy United States
marshals had TO be called to guard the
doors. The first witness was William NJ.
Kendig. one of the alleged counterfeiters.
He said he called en- Ingham on January
q and told him that he and Jacobs were
engaged in counteIfeiting internal revenue
stamps worth sl-S0 each. He had been en-
gagged in this work for two years. The
sl0o counterfeit bill was issued two years
ago and was discovered in December, 1897.
Kendig said he went to Ingham's Office in
the Franklin Building. Plates were being
prepared for other counterfeit notes at the
time. The witness told OF his first visit
to Ingham and of how, after some beating
around the bush, the latter accepted $50
retaining fee and the two began to talk
more openly. The witness continued:
Wanted to Bribe McManus.
Il told him the object of my visit was
to get way OF paying McManus q
monthly salary TO ward of the Secret
Service people. so that we would get a
year or eighteen months to work the
stamps. We wanted TO carry this on and
then get out of the country. The witness
said that at the next meeting Ingham
said he had a boy, natural born sneak,
who would look into the Secret Service
On February 20 Ingham told the witness
that the Secret Service men were after
them. 1t was noised about the Secret
Service that there would be an exposure
that would astonish the country.
He told me who some of McManus'
men were" said Kendig. "one of them
was R. r. Lennon. former police magis-
trate. / asked him if he thought 1 could
reach Mr.. McManus through MIR. Lennon,
and he said that before he could do any
thing in the matter he would have to
receive a $500 retaining fee. / gave him
$3.50 on account and $40 or $50 to pay for
information as to McManus. At that meet
ing / went into the matter of counterfeit
ing, ard said that / was one of the prin-
cipals and did the plate printing; that in
connection with Jacobs L disposed of the
stamps"
The witness also showed Ingham coun-
terfeit stamp.
Il next saw him on February Is added
Kendig. land he said he would take the
case personally. He said that when he had
put bottle or two under McManus' belt
McManus would become communicative.
He said he would say to him that he had
an excellent opportunity on the outside. If
he said yes he would then say that a
friend had client who would pay well for
protection in a matter in which the Sc
cret Service was interested.
Magnitude of the Job Alarming.
The next interview was on February Is.
Ingham said to me that the matter was SO
large that it astounded him. and that he
had not the nerve, but he had friend, a
man of standing in the community, and a
man on whose judgment he could rely who
had. He wanted $3.50 down and $3.50 more
when the matter was done. Mr.. Ingham
had asked me what he could afford to pay,
and. after explaining what the profits were,
l told him $1,000 month. He intimated
that his partner would be appointed to the
Federal bench, which would simplify mat
ters''
After many meetings Ingham. on March
Z. telephoned to him, THE account has
been collected" that meaning that Nc
Manus had accepted the bribe. On that
day Kendig went to Jacobs Office and Ing
ham explained that mo. 81 which was
the way Ingham referred TO his friend, had
gone to the house of McManus and asked
him il he would like to make a stake out
Of case that Secret Service Agent Burns
was interested in. McManus said that be
would II he could do it safely. The wit
ness never knew that hewitt was the nan
until the arrest. because Ingharn had fire.
quently said to him that he should not
have anything TO do with hewitt Xendig
testified:
.Ingham said that the arrangements
were that each monthly payment should
be for immunity from arrest for the next
thirty days Ingham never knew about
the new plates Taylor was making. Ing
ham said the cost would be 81 900 for Nc
Aanus and sl.0Oo for Burns. and a like
amount TO be divided between Ingham and
No. g. Kendig paid part of the money
down and later $500 In the lot was q
500 Monroe head bill, check letter A,
q good note. but il had rust mark on it.
Here Chief Wiikie produced the bill
much 10 the surprise Of the defendants, as
well as the witness. and Kendig identi-
fed IT as the note.
THE CIGAR-TAx FRAUDS.