The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-14

ing with Judge Joseph Burlington. Of
the United States district court, on the
bench. Judge Acheson, of the circuit
| court will not be here. being engaged
| In the United States court Of appeals.
The session Of the district court will
be short, as only a few cases are to
be tried. The circuit court, or civil
list, will not be taken up until the
| district court cases are disposed Of in
some manner.
After the court was formally opened
yesterday morning Judge Burlington
charged the grand jury and appointed
Attorney William McKennon. Of Pitts
| burg as its foreman. 1t at once re-
tired to it's quarters on the"third floor
| of the building, where cases were pre-
| sented to It by Assistant United states
District Attorney John B. Myers. Dur
ing the day the following true bills
were reported by the jury: Yelling
| ton Lavalle, of Honcsdale, and John
r. Gansel. OF Munsey Valley, Sullivan
county, two indictments. making
counterfeit coin and having counter
felt coin in their possession: yelling
| ton Lavalle, passing counterfeit coin;
James Scanlon. of Luzerne county.
l
Moran. breaking into a postoffice at
Nanticoke, Luzerne county. and carry
ing away government property.
LAvALLE AND GANSEL ON TRIAL
AS soon as the grand Jury had re-
ported Lavalle and Gansel were put
| on trial in the cases in which they are
Jointly indicted for making and having
counterfeit coin. United States Dis
trict Attorney Daniel B. Helner con-
| Quoted the case for the government
and G. L. Peaslee. of Williamsport, ap-
peared for Lavalle and w. NJ. Stevens.
also Of Wiliamsport, for Gansel. La
valle's attorney requested that the de-
PENDANTS be tried separately, as their
defenses would in no way be identical.
The request was opposed by Mr.. Hiner.
who said the men were indicted Jointly
| because they are charged with the
same transaction and the governments
testimony against both men was in
a sense identical. Judge Burlington
decided that the men would have to
be tried together. The case was put
on trial at 2.30 and consumed the time
Of the court until it adjourned at
p. IN.
1t is a case with some rather pecul-
lar features. Gansel alleges that he
was acting as a detective to catch
Lavalle at the instance Of Constable
Robert Hess. of Munsey Valley. and
Lavalle as positively declares that he
was innocent Of any wrong doing: that
the whole plan to make counterfeit
money originated with Gansel and was
carried out by them even to the manu- =
facture of the rather crude coins which,
were produced by them, but which
they made no effort to pass.
STORY OF THE CASE.
Lavalle is a travelling photographer.
who makes his home in Honesdale.
where he has a wife and eight children.
In winter he conducts a photograph
gallery at Honesdale and in the sum-
mer he goes out to the small country
towns OF the state and establishes his
gallery in a tent which he has trans
ported from place to place. In Sep-
tember last Lavalle and his tent made
their appearance in the little village OF
Munsey Valley in Sullivan county and
there he made the acquaintance of
John B. Gansel, who Is a stone mason,
and somewhat Of a performer on tho
violin. Lavalle also does some execu-
tion on that instrument, and this seems
to be the primary bond which brought
the men together. A little later they
discovered that Lavalle's wife and
Gansel are distant relatives. Gansels
story of what happened after they be-
came we'll acquainted is substantially
as follows:
Lavalle broached to him the project
of making counterfeit money, and after
some persuasion he agreed to assist In
the work. On the night Of October q
1t was decided to go up in the noun
tain and make some coins. They had
to pass Gansel's house on the way and
when they reached 1t Gansel went In.
His wife would not let him, out again
/ and the idea of making coin had to
be abandoned for that night. About
the time that Lavalle first broached
the matter of making spurious money
Gansel told Constable Hess about the
matter and the latter advised him to
go on and get some evidence against
Lavalle.
ESTABLISHED A MINT.
Gansel met Lavalle on Oct. %, the
day following, and explained to him
that his wife would not let him out
on the previous night They agreed
to 60 to the mountain that night
Gsnsel borrowed Constable Hess over,
coat and about o'clock they started
for the village, Lavalle carrying a bag
After they got up In the mountain
J they built a fire and Lavalle took
metals and a mould from the bag anG
| proceeded to melt the metals and cast
half dollars and quarters. They mad;
nine coins, but six of them were pool
and were thr6wn back into the pot
That ended the nights worn. Ganse
possessed himself of one OF the mouldi
by representing that he wanted t
make some changes In 1t. This h,
turned over to Constable Hess abou
o'clock the next morning, together
with one of the coins. The next day
Lavalle was arrested and a few day!
later Gansel was taken into custody
by Secret Service Oficer William
Flynn, on information furnished b!
Lavalle.
Constable Hess corroborated Ganse
in some respects. although he denied
that he had requested Gansel to en-
gage In the counterfeiting. He told O
getting the mould and coin from Gan
sci and OF other moulds and piecei
of metal found on the site of Lavalle'i
tent after II was moved away and O
similar finds at the spot In the noun
tain where Gansel said the coins wer'
manufactured. He said that Ganse
told him when they were going 4
make coins and asked that they b,
followed and arrested, as he was afrait