People's voice., 1900-10-11
A Gang of Counterieiters taught,

One OF the sm0othest gangs OF c0uL'
terfeiters that ever operated in Kan.
sas has been captured. f. NJ. FrantZ,
the alleged leader OF tue gang, was
placed 10 jail al WIculta last night,
aud his pals are 10 The federal jail al
Fort Scott. Ii the government otfic
ialS prove their accusations, this gang
Will De exposed as the oOdest Operat-
ors The state ever held.
Frantz was arrested 10 Mcpherson
county at Canton last Sunday oy
Deputy UuiteG States Marshal Fred
Trlgg, and has since that time been
10 ms CUSTODY. Isaac Ball, George
Bail and Frank Nolan were arrested
at Galena three weeks ago and placed
in Jail at Fort Scott, The officers in
charge OF running this gang TO earth
kept their arrest quiet 50 as TO get the
whole outfit before the news became
public. They have succeeded 10
arIesting the four principal leaders,
and it is though, case can easily be
proven against every one Of them.
When the Balls we're arrested at
Galena they accused FrantZ Of having
made the money They were all
former citizens Of Mcpherson county
and acqualntanceS Of Frantz. They
claim ~ have been interested only TO
the extent of passing the money sent
To them by the latter.
When Deputy Marshal Trigg went
to Canton last Sunday ne found that
Fra1lz was man standing nigh III
the community, prominent 10 Masonic
circles and that both his parents and
his wfe's parents were wealthy. He
haS beautiful wife and three child
ren. He is a genius at making ma
chlnery aud was always tinkering
around with somethilg new. He
admitted that George Ball was CON-
panloH Of his when Ball lived at Can
ton, He also admits that Ball wrote
him and asked him the best method Of
making and successfully passing cOun-
terfeit money. He answered the
letter advising Ball to buy Mexican
dollars at S4S per hundred and make
twenty-five cent pieces cut OF Them.
He said that was the best and safest
manner in which TO operate counter
feiting scheme successfully. He said
that ne afterwards became alarmed
at the extent they had gotten him
into it aud he then wrote Bail, saying
it was dangerous business to attempt
cOunterfeiLing and that he had better
remain out of it. He said that was
the extent of his operations with the
men arrested at Galena. He claims
be only wrote the letters to draw Ball
out and learn his scheme.
The manner in which this gang
carried on their work for three years
without detection by the officials is
unique. 1t is said that the Mexican
dollars and lead ore we're shipped
from Galena and Joplin to Frantz at
Canton. There he is alleged to have
made the ore into dollars and smaller
coins and shipped them back TO his
alleged .accOmplices at Joplin. There
and at other points the money was
circulated. When Frantz's premises
we're searched Sunday considerable
lead ore was found. Mrs. Frantz
claimed that her husband had picked
up the ore on his fathers farm, but
Frantz himself refused to talk about
it. His relatives are said to be pre-.
pairing a strong line Of defense and
will use every means to clear him Of
the charge. The three other men,
who are in the Fort Scott jail, say
Frantz is the leader, and made all the
money and sent it TO them.