The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-08-30
DESPERATE COUNTERFElTERS.
Experience Of secret Service Men with
"Bishm Ware Gang,

Occasionally # happens that it becomes
necessary for a deal 20 be made directly
With the handlers of spurious money ana
in these cases 10 takes man of nerve and
keen wit 10 bring 10 90 a successful issue
such transactions are always liau5 lt
with great personal danger. Ieihdp7 lHia
may De best illustrated by prleHy Quinn
ing the experience Of Operatives on the
division I'm breaking UP the notorious
"Eish" Ware gang in western fehAayl
vani1. Ware. who had neen hhoMI as
desperate in the mountains ABOUT AitD'ha
for many years finally formed a COM
biuafiOn with one slippery jim PUNK,
as bad a man as himself. 90 cmhafk DO
the enterprise of showing c'unleiiell COINS.
His connection with This sort Ot WORK was
uususnccted until in a moment of brayalO
he exhibited q quantity OF new bogus
coins IN "a small mountain town. An n-e-
rativc Of the Secret Service DIVISION tttef
some weeks Of patient Work, succeeded 10
anpr9aching Ware and Funk with
proposition 20 purchase n quantity ~ lhelr
product. II was NOT an easy matter %
bring them % the point OF actually max
ing the trade. suspicious always of poasl-
bic pitfalls. they INDUCED IN series N
tests 90 establish % their satisfaction the
character Of the man with whom they
We're 90 deal. Appointments were made
apparently in good faith ior ne eNehanEe
Of the bogus metal, packages ostonsinly
containing the coins were brought 30 The
place of meeting for the deliberate pur-
pose Of drawing Pie ire, Ut may 49,
press 10. of Government Officers. should
this really be a trap. Arrests on any OF
these occasions would have been fruit-
less. for the packages contained nothing
but blocks of wood. Patience ana good
judgment ON the part OF the Quicers pre-
vented prccipitatc acilon' and succ eelfd
in miling the suspicious OF the coiners.
FINALLY am appointment was made an
small hotel az Tyrone. Pa. To Operative
Abbott had fallen the dangerous task ~
meeting the men and carrying on the deal
Operative Perkins. with am assistant, So
cured "A room AZ the hotel on the opposite
side of the hall from that occupied uF inc
c0iners and Abbott To was arranged mat
Abbott should. by some ruse. ger one ~
the men to leave the room after tho coin
was actually in sight, and the arrests
were % Doe made as soon as this was ace
cOmplished. slippery Jim ana ABBOTT
were first in their room, ana niue later
were Joined biz "Blsh.' VINO carried an
ordinary leather travelling satchel. This.
which weighed something over a hundred
pounds was handed over 10 slippery
Jim" and be and Ab2,2it look ses' s,.,. at
opposite sides OF "a small table. eacn win
his revolver under his right leg on the
chair ready for any emergency, ~ule
"Bish," with HIS gun IN his hand, stood
guard az the door. IL was a tIging mo,
ment for the officer when Fnnk opened
the grip and took from II roll after roll
of coin neatly made up IN packages or
ten dollars The time had nearly come 20
act, and ne read Gedth lh tht iANte Oh t.ic
two criminals. one Of the men must be
gotten rid of temporarily. but how His
mind worked rapidly. and as he took me
rolls from Funk one by one plausible
plan presented itself which was az least
worth a trial. The counting went on
slowly until nearly the whole amount had
been transferred.
Look here" said Abbott suddenly, II
can't take 4 chance on this stun coming
loose and rattlinr around In nv grin.
am taking long chances i'm this thing and
/ don't want 10 slip up. jim. addressing
the man across the table, take this half
dollar and run across 10 the dry goods
store and get me piece or inusin II
feel safer with these rolls done uD IN
cloth"
WAIT until we get through said jim
Tho count went on. and at its conclusion
"Bish" stepped 70 the table. and. with an
oath. said that ne would get the cloth
his revolver into his packet he
dashed out OF the room and down the
stairs. The moment the door closed Alb
bolt declaring his identity as an officer
tackled Funk In less than minute
Funk had the upper hand of the officer
ard the muyzfe az HIS pistol was pressed
against his forehead. Abbott managed %
get one OF his fingers under the hammer
Os the weapon and prevented its Use.
though Funk was slowly choking the life
out ~ him when Perkins and his assis-
tant broke into the room and quickly had
the desperate overDowered and hand
cufed They stepped back into the hall
lust AZ Fish" came oashins pack with